"One of our favorite Vietnamese spots in the city, Nong La has two locations (Sawtelle and La Brea), but their La Brea space stands out because it’s given the surrounding neighborhood its only good pho option. Their meat is high-quality, and their broth is light and lemongrass-y. The pho tai bo vien (rare steak and beef balls) is our go-to, but If you want to kick the spice level up a notch, we recommend the bun bo hue - a spicy lemongrass soup with pork patty and beef shank. They also have a solid beer and wine list and a separate bar area, if you feel like posting up for a solo pho mission." - Jess Basser Sanders, Amy Clark, Brant Cox