Saigon Boy in Chinatown operates on the correct premise for a budget Vietnamese counter: that the bowl should be large, the broth should be made properly, the service should move at a pace that respects the lunch hour, and the price should not require the customer to make a decision about whether they can afford to eat well today.
The pho is made with the generosity that makes it a lunch-crowd staple across the Chinatown corridor. Large bowls, properly made broth, quick counter service, a no-ceremony room that keeps turnover moving without ever making anyone feel rushed. The portions are honest to the point of excess, which is the correct approach to a format where the customer's primary expectation is that they will not be hungry afterward.
Under $15 for a bowl that carries most people through the afternoon. The Chinatown strip has enough competition that average bowls don't survive long — Saigon Boy's consistency is the evidence of quality.
