Bún

Dua Vietnamese Noodle Soup: Owners Mylinh Cao and her mother, Tham Mai, strive to bring a taste of Vietnam to downtown, and standard Vietnamese dishes — such as phở and cơm — abound. The bún dishes provide a refreshing spin on the average lunchtime salad. Chilled rice vermicelli noodles are loaded with your choice of meat (or tofu), shallots, ground peanuts, crunchy shreds of lettuce, fresh herbs and a hacked-up fried spring roll. The accompanying dish of sweet, spicy and tangy nước chấm (a concoction of fresh chilis, garlic and fish sauce) ties the whole thing together. 53 Broad St. 404-589-8889. www.yougotpho.com.

Co’m Vietnamese Grill Restaurant: After many years, Co’m is still going strong thanks to the superior quality of its grilled meats and seafood (lamb, beef, pork and shrimp), which you can enjoy in numerous styles of dishes including Bún. The portions are large, but the inherent lightness of bún prevents you from feeling stuffed after the meal. The smokiness of the marinated and grilled items offset the fresh character of the dish, and elevates the restaurant above competitors whose versions lack caramelization. 4005 Buford Highway. 404-320-0405. www.comgrill.com.

Pho Dai Loi: When it comes to Vietnamese food, most fans will tell you that both locations of Pho Dai Loi are the place to go no matter what you’re craving. The massive menu includes a long list of bún choices (such as lemongrass chicken and finely sliced pork skin) and provides enough variety no matter how adventurous you are. 4186 Buford Highway, 404-633-2111; 4061 Jonesboro Road, Forest Park, 404-363-2423.