Catch of the season

Dungeness crab season is winding down, but there’s still time to catch a crustacean. My favorite place in town to do that is the venerable Pho Bac Hoa Viet on Broadway. I go so often for a bowl of bun or pho that I sometimes overlook the other items—especially when they’re not on the menu. That’s the case with the fried-crab special, which is scrawled on a board as you walk in. For a mere $20.99, you get a batter-fried shellfish, coated in a flavorful sauce of your choice. They’ve recently added tangy-sweet tamarind to the lineup, but they were out the night we went, so I can vouch that the ginger-onion is a worthy contender. You’ll be glad there are napkin dispensers on the table—cracking the shells, licking off the sauce, and sucking out the sweet meat is a messy job—and even gladder that crab season isn’t quite over yet. 1827 Broadway, (916) 443-7888