The white marble tables, with their glossy, rattan-ish chairs and painted, gray wood booths, would suit a garden, and they're shaded by potted palm trees and leafy fakes with tiny lights in their branches. Big bowls of noodles with meat, seafood or vegetable garnishes are the mainstays, meant to be spiced to individual taste at the table with vinegars, fish sauces, chilies and chopped peanuts.
Appetizers are nearly superfluous.
People saunter in throughout the day for a plate of noodles or a bowl of noodle soup, each a substantial meal suffused with aromatic warmth. The soup might be curry broth with coconut milk or beef broth redolent with star anise, packed with beef, beef balls and greens. And the rice dishes are every bit as gutsy and full-flavored. One called the Clay Pot combines chicken, Chinese sausage, shiitakes and cashews. Another tops a mound of rice with marinated duck infused with five-spice powder, hoisin and soy sauce.