Red Door Restaurant

Chef Ngo Duc Hien moved to the U.S. with his family in the early '90s and studied biochemistry, then moved back to Ho Chi Minh City and opened this super under-the-radar restaurant in District 3. The food is modern Vietnamese, which means cool spins on traditional food. We had a spring roll platter that features five different takes on Vietnam's favorite appetizer, beef stew, and clay-pot chicken. 4 or 5 courses with a bottle of wine totaled to about $70—a steal for an excellent meal.