For years — a dozen, maybe more, like many more — I only ordered pho at Pho Saigon. That’s why we went, right?

Then came the day when it wasn’t the only reason to go. There was pho to be had elsewhere, and at some places, it was better. At others, it wasn’t. Though it remained a strong player, Pho Saigon wasn’t the only pho game in town.

Part of the game changer wasn’t that other places had pho, but that having more options gave me the freedom to try more food at Pho Saigon. Then I found out I could get a banh mi there, which remains one of the best $5 deals in town. (And one of my favorite things ever, truly one of the great sandwiches of the world.)

New Eats: Pho House

Then Shanghai, on Poplar in Midtown, shut down and with it, so did a little piece of my heart. My favorite egg rolls were gone, my curative hot and sour soup no more. A cousin insisted Pho Saigon’s egg rolls were even better and while he was wrong (there are none better), he was right that they were very good and are now possibly the best in town. I won’t hold that hill like I would’ve held it for Shanghai, so if you know of some better, share the good word.

But there’s more to Pho Saigon than pho, banh mi and egg rolls. There’s a fairly extensive menu and you won’t go wrong with vermicelli or a big bowl of chicken curry. You also won’t get those if you’re looking for a $10 deal, so flip the menu over and look at this: Lunch, with a drink, for $7.99.

Vietnamese refugee offers authentic fare at Ong Cau Cafe

New Eats: Ong Cau Café

It’s not only good, but it’s a lot. A few weeks ago my cousin and I popped in for lunch and he ordered the combination meal with chicken, shrimp, beef and an assortment of vegetables in a puddle of a savory broth with a big scoop of rice. I took one bite then turned to my virtuous but not exactly stellar tofu pho (I don’t know what I was thinking), then decided to go for a few more bites of his meal but it was too late: It was covered in Sriracha and to each his own, but meh, I’m over it. Sriracha has gone the way of Brussels sprouts for me. Yawn.

So I headed back this week. I’d learned the restaurant sold and wanted to get a little more information and check out lunch again. The Vo family opened Pho Saigon in 1994 and Pearl Vo and her sister have owned it for most of that time. As of Dec. 1, it belongs to Sokhaleap Chhay, Vo’s niece.

My Favorite Things: Banh xeo

Expect everything to stay the same, says Chhay, who goes by “Leap.” Vo has been teaching her the ropes and on Monday, the first day of her first full week, she had things humming along in the full house at lunch.

We ordered chicken with ginger and beef with lemongrass, similar dishes, it turned out, but both very good and too hearty to finish. If you don’t dig onions, speak up, because both are about half onion, half meat. I preferred the fresher vegetable mix of the combination meal (the first one on the $7.99 menu), but I feel it would be easy enough to ask the kitchen to go easy on the onion and add a little cabbage and carrot, maybe.

Simple Tastes: Vietnam Restaurant

Still, you can have lunch with a soft drink, pay tax and leave a 20% tip for just a bit over $10 (though might as well round up). The restaurant remains in the family, women are still running it, and the food is still good.

Pho Saigon, 2946 Poplar Avenue, is open daily 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Call 901-458-1644.