It’s a sunny day, and that’s good. But It’s also lunch rush, and everyone in Gothenburg craves Phô. Getting an outside table at Duy Tan isn’t happening, but the bowls of broth with noodles, meat, herbs, and vegetables fill Kvilletorget with a fragrance so seductive we’re compelled to try our luck inside.

The interior is loud, chaotic, and steaming. Every table is occupied, with most people hunched over their plates like watchful dogs. A few early birds have already finished their meal and sit back and laugh, chatting casually over a coffee. The vibrant, concentrated, collective feast we’re witnessing creates a distinct non-Swedish ambiance*, an impression intensified by the only available – in profound violation of even the most laid back fire code – “if there’s a will, there’s a way”-placed table in a narrow hallway just by the kitchen, where the woks, pots, and pans dance away on the burners. The cooks are red-faced and slick with sweat. Stacks of delicately balanced plates eagerly await to be filled with herbs, spices, nuts, sliced chicken, beef, or pork. The menu offers more than Phô, but we can’t see beyond that. We’re blinded by desire.

An obvious rush-hour casualty is the service. But, then again, what’s a clean salad plate, potable coffee, and a chair you can sit on compared to food that erases all the bad in your life; the Bhun thit (fried pork, noodles, spring rolls, veggies, and fish sauce) is sweet, savory, crunchy, and delicious.

The experience is over in 22 minutes, including the relatively long time we had to wait for the food. We eat like trolls. The broth stains make my shirt look like a Welsummer egg (but not in a charming way), and the five-star rating we hand out is indisputable. Duy Tan is perfection.

• Name and address: Duy Tan, Kvilletorget 19
• Cuisine: Vietnamese + Thai
• Distance from Zenseact: a 15-minute walk
• Price: 99 sek
• Rating: 5/5 NCAP stars (Norra Älvstranden Culinary Assessment Program)

We’ll return shortly with another review. In the meantime, heed the great Robert Frost’s advice and choose the road less traveled – a wise gastronomic approach and an outstanding professional mantra for every Zenseactian.

*Swedish ambiance is, whatever it is, for the most part, probably not so bad. Especially if you’re into physical distancing and precautionary safety.