Our Man Sietsema Channels Poe, Eats Pho

Our Man Sietsema is in the Bronx this week, where he's found a mini Southeast Asian neighborhood (two Cambodian shops and a Vietnamese restaurant) right next to Edgar Allen Poe's cottage. The restaurant is called World of Taste Seafood Deli/Vietnamese Food, and Our Man pronounces the food "excellent."

How good? Even the spring rolls are loveable:

So, too, are the cha gio (spring rolls, four for $3.50) way better than those found elsewhere. The delicate pastry flutes contain a mellow combo of pork, crab, mushrooms, and clear mung-bean vermicelli. They've been fried more aggressively than usual, resulting in a deep caramelized brown color and a superior crunch. Wrap them in iceberg with fresh mint, dip them in sharp vinegar, and rocket yourself to gastronomic nirvana.

Along with superior renditions of Vietnamese standards, the restaurant also offers regional cuisine from the city of Hue, of which Our Man approves.

Of course, the close proximity of the Edgar Allen Poe house prompts Our Man to cackle a bit over a basil seed drink that looks like a cupful of eyeballs.