Taste this: Lemongrass bun with tofu and broccoli, $6.95

A warm bowl of bun, when the air is chilly and sky dim, is a friend indeed. Saigon delivers a luscious pile of rice noodles beneath steamed and raw ingredients. Across the top, a dusting of crushed peanuts, green onion (squared white onion deeper below has recovered its sweetness in the fire), shredded carrot, and sprouts. The broccoli is heated though still nearly crisp; tofu is treated with sweet, subtle lemongrass. Promises of love and sage wisdom packaged in vanilla-odored cookies may fall include hokey-isms ("If your cookie still in one piece, buy lotto") but the chef is steady.