The details matter here, even with the standards. Beef pho comes with thick slices of meat, a bowl of kumquats and fresh chillies steeped in vinegar. Hoisin is offered separately – for the sliced beef, not the clear broth. It’s Northern Vietnamese food cooked with precision, generosity and care.

Pork spring rolls laced with wood ear mushrooms are served with warmed nuoc cham; a graceful touch that lets flavours bloom. “Traditional vermicelli” pairs sticky-sweet slices of cha com – pork patties studded with young green rice – with vivid green sauce, tofu and pork belly; a meaty Hanoi specialty.

For those here for the deep cuts, silken, iron-tinged congee with offal comes with fermented shrimp paste for dipping – a feat of technique and flavour that rewards open-mindedness. It’s cooking that expects you to meet it on its own terms, not the other way around.

Must-order: Chao long (congee with offal).

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