Off the Beaten Plate: Bún at Little Saigon Cafe

Don’t let the name fool you — this dish doesn’t involve any bread.

Bún with stir-fried sliced beef at Little Saigon Cafe, 1524 W. 23rd St.

Bún is the Vietnamese word for vermicelli, and at Little Saigon Cafe, it’s served in a bowl with your choice of meat (we went with stir-fried sliced beef) and a thin layer of warm broth.

Grab some chopsticks (don’t even think of using anything else) and mix in the crunchy cucumber, onions, bean sprouts, matchstick carrots, lettuce and bits of peanuts for optimal yumminess.

Where to get it: Little Saigon Cafe, 1524 W. 23rd St.

What you’ll pay: $7.95, if you go with the beef option like we did

Try it with: A dash of Sriracha for some extra heat

Also on the menu: Vietnamese classics like pho, beef stew and pork broth with noodles, plus plenty of vegetarian and meat-based entrees.