The smell of lemongrass, beef, and freshly baked bread hits your nose before your butt hits the seat at Vua Bún Bò’. The Vietnamese restaurant on North Lamar is large enough that you can show up with 10 friends on a Saturday morning, yet the food is comforting in a way that makes it feel cozy. You won’t find phở on the menu here, but you will find just about everything else where soup is concerned. The specialties are bún bò Huế and bò kho, and they’re both executed well. The bún bò Huế broth is spicy and aromatic, and the bò kho pairs a crusty baguette with beef stew so rich and thick that it practically glides off the spoon in slow motion. The dining room itself is simple—fluorescent, sparsely decorated, and more functional than festive. It’s clean and comfortable, but not the kind of place you hit for birthdays or anniversaries. Treat that first sip of bò kho as all the celebration you need, because this is a bowl you’ll want to add to your regular rotation.