Sage Blossom

"Blossom is right in the middle of Chinatown's most distinguishable plaza. They usually keep their front windows open, making it a great place to have lunch, enjoy the breeze, and people-watch. We usually go for their pho, but that's not to say the rest of their menu isn't great as well." - Rubric

"With three locations throughout the city, this Vietnamese restaurant has become somewhat of a mini-chain, and is another great option whenever you’re in the mood for phở. Their menu has a few different versions of the rice noodle soup, like phở tom made with shrimp or the oxtail-heavy phở đuôi bò, but we prefer to keep things simple and just get the phở tái (rare steak). Call (213) 626-8345 for takeout, online delivery also available." - brant cox, kat hong

"A meal at Chinatown’s Sage Blossom—the bigger, better sibling of Blossom in Santa Monica—is therapeutic. It’s a quiet, bare-bones restaurant that's light and airy. Tons of natural light pours in through the big windows, too, which lets us see the steam rise off their beautiful pho dac biet. Sage Blossom doesn’t skimp on the fresh herbs so this soup is full of cilantro and green onions. The thin slices of steak, tripe, and tendon are so soft you barely have to chew them, and the broth has a distinct anise sweetness that’s not overbearing. " - nikko duren, brant cox, garrett snyder, sylvio martins

"A meal at Chinatown’s Sage Blossom—the bigger, better sibling of Blossom in Santa Monica—is therapeutic. It’s a quiet, bare-bones restaurant that's light and airy. Tons of natural light pours in through the big windows, too, which lets us see the steam rise off their beautiful pho dac biet. They serve a long menu of well-executed staples, like a giant, paper-thin banh xeo, a perfectly stir-fried shaken beef, and banh mi made with very crunchy baguettes. Pho is the main attraction, though, and we like that Sage Blossom doesn’t skimp on the fresh herbs, with lots of scallion and cilantro floating in each bowl. The thin slices of steak, tripe, and tendon are so soft you barely have to chew them, and the broth has a distinct anise sweetness that’s not overbearing. Come here on a rainy day or whenever you need a gentle meal in a restaurant where you can hear yourself think." - Sylvio Martins

"Blossom, Chinatown. Blossom is right in the middle of Chinatown's most distinguishable plaza. They usually keep their front windows open, making it a great place to have lunch, enjoy the breeze, and people-watch. We usually go for their pho, but that's not to say the rest of their menu isn't great as well."