82-90 Broadway, near the Elmhurst subway stop

Pho Bang is actually a small chain of Vietnamese restaurants, with two outlets in Manhattan and one in Flushing. The branch that shares a parking lot in Elmhurst with a handful of other Southeast Asian restaurants, behind the sublime Elmhurst Grocery, is fantastic. The prices are low — a copious dinner for two with (nonalcoholic) drinks will cost around $25, including tax and tip — and the food is fresh and delicious.

The best dishes at Pho Bang feature grilled things. Vietnamese cooking often involves marinating meat in a touch of sugar, which caramelizes slightly when it hits the flames, creating a distinct taste and texture. This sweet crispness, combined with fresh herbs like mint and basil, pickled raddish and carrots, and the ubiquitous clear dipping sauce combine to make Vietnamese food one of the more tasty and refreshing in the region.

Pho Bang's "bun tom nuong" ($7.50) is a perfect example, featuring succulent char-grilled shrimp on a bed of filigree rice noodles, shredded greens, beansprouts and mint. The eponymous pho — beef broth soup with slivers of meat, rice noodles and, for the truly adventurous, various internal organs — arrives paired with the traditional assortment of fresh herbs, lemon slices, chili sauce and other tasty accoutrements. It is unusually excellent, and a steal at $5 for a generous bowlful.

One of my favorite things about Vietnamese restaurants, particularly in the summer, is their selection of sweet iced drinks that pair nicely with the food. The fresh lemonade soda at Pho Bang is wonderful, and the iced coffee with condensed milk arrives at your table percolating in its own tiny filter. Hit Pho Bang on a weekend afternoon, when waiters hustle around tables filled with happy Elmhurst families, and you won't be sorry.