Nam Phuong, the less glamorous Buford Highway offshoot of the swank Norcross original, is a fine restaurant in its own right. The pho had an uncommon depth of flavor, and the Ba Vi “Three Delights” lives up to its name. You get rounds of diaphanous, brittle rice sheets, a bowl of hot water to soften them in and gazillions of things to wrap inside. You moisten the wrap, lay it on your plate, then choose your delight from shrimp mousse grilled on sugarcane, house-made pork sausage or leaf-wrapped ground beef bundles.
Also look for canh ga chien nuoc mam — chicken wings glazed in fish sauce. More of a full meal than an appetizer, this huge portion of crispy wings is flavored to the bone with the salty-sweet marinade, tossed in a sticky and tangy sauce with cooked scallions and red chiles, then showered with crunchy fried shallots. A salad of cukes, tomatoes and lettuce comes on the side, along with a scoop of rice. It is the stuff of obsession.
