4220 University Way NE (U-District), 634-3526. Mon-Fri 10 am-8 pm, Sun 11 am-7 pm, closed Sat. $.

Popular with UW folk, Vietnamese My's is crowded to capacity with bearded science researchers and students during weekday lunch hours. Noodle Soup ($4.25) in beef, chicken, or vegetarian varieties is popular, its clear broth a distinctive, salty, and flavorful tonic on foggy days. You can also get rice-paper-wrapped Spring Rolls with Shrimp ($2.95) or chicken, pork, or tofu sandwiches on French bread ($1.50) for a really filling and cheap lunch. Other inexpensive, well-prepared items include Curry Chicken ($4.25), warm rice noodles tucked beneath hot pork skewers ($4.75), Shrimp ($5.25), or saucy Tofu Cubes ($4.25). Sometimes lunch gets so crowded here that a doleful customer or two is directed to sit at a little desk behind the front counter, alongside the owner's piles of bills and vials of prescription medicine! Such is life at this charming, family-run business. STACEY LEVINE

Than Brothers'

516 Broadway (Capitol Hill), 568-7218. Open daily, 11 am-7 pm. $.

Two years ago, a close friend dragged me--complaining and sneering--to a smoky, dingy little cafeteria in the International District for my first bowl of Vietnamese pho. I have returned to that same smoky cafeteria at least 60 times since then. That steaming bowl of spicy broth, rice noodles, chicken or beef garnished with a sprig of fresh basil, mung beans, and hoisin and chili pepper sauce is downright addictive. There were maybe two restaurants that served pho on Capitol Hill, but neither of them seemed up to muster compared to that skanky I.D. hole-in-the-wall. Until now. Far cleaner, much more comfortable, and blessedly smoke-free, Than Brothers' Pho Restaurant serves a wicked bowl of broth: Aside from the confusing and incongruous practice of serving cream puffs (?) before your meal, pure pho--chicken, beef, or vegetarian in small, medium, or large bowls (prices range from $3.55 to $5)--is all you get. Best of all, hiking out to the International District and dying slowly of secondhand smoke, just to get that quick fix that only a steaming bowl of pho can provide, is no longer required. ADRIAN RYAN

Two Dagos from Texas

2600 First Ave (Belltown), 441-7714. Mon 3 pm-midnight, Tues-Fri 11 am-2 am, Sat 5 pm-2 am, Sun 3 pm-midnight. Full Bar. $$.

Things at Two Dagos seem to mimic the enormous girth of the Lone Star State. The menu boasts 14 pages of choices (portions tend to be expansive), from Tex-Mex to Italian to you-name-it. For more variety, simply graze through a couple of their generous appetizers: The Mud Bugs special ($7.25) is a messy, hands-on delight--a plateful of crawfish swimming in a Cajun wine sauce, simple and not too spicy. Equally satisfying are the Grilled Korean Spare Ribs ($8.75), short-cut racks of juicy, marinated beef ribs grilled with a roasted garlic sauce and served with a side of cool marinated cucumber slices that sneak up on you with a spicy finish. But beware! With so many ample and enticing dishes, regular visits to this informal restaurant might result in one other Texas-sized item: your ass. SCOTT McGEATH

Kolbeh

1956 First Ave S (South Seattle), 224-9999. Sun-Thurs 11 am-10 pm, Fri-Sat 11 am-2 am. Beer and wine. $$.

You'd hardly expect to find a sumptuously decorated Persian restaurant on the ugly strip just south of Safeco Field, but Kolbeh has been serving up their exquisite fare for the last decade, largely unnoticed by hot-dog-lovin' Mariners fans. And what a feast they're missing: spicy stews, barbecued kebabs, slow-roasted meats, and exotically spiced beverages and desserts. The Kabob Joojeh ($15.99) is a giant skewer of remarkably tender and juicy Cornish game hen marinated in lemon, saffron, and onion juice; the Khoresht Bomeyh ($8.99), a vegetarian, chicken, or beef stew, need not be so modestly described on the menu as "maybe the best way of cooking okra"--the stewed vegetables are perfectly complemented by the intensely flavored tomato sauce. On weeknights one can't imagine how the cavernous space could ever reach capacity, but Kolbeh's Friday and Saturday nights are filled up with Iranians and others, there to enjoy the belly dancers (!) and amazing food. MELODY MOSS