As soon as the rains lift and the temperatures rise, our thoughts turn to Vietnam. It's the food we crave: No other cuisine seems quite as appetizing once the sweltering summer sets in.

Not that we want to actually head off to Southeast Asia. In terms of climate, that would be like fleeing from frying pan to fire. But we're always ready to travel the extra mile in search of good Vietnamese cooking. And that's just as well, since some of the best in Tokyo is at My-Le, all the way down in Kamata on the southernmost city limits.

First things first: My-Le (pronounced "mee lay") is far from fancy. It occupies a humble second-floor room in a shabby building on a side street lined with love hotels and cheap taverns, within earshot of the busy JR train lines. You may feel you've strayed to the wrong side of the tracks. But as soon as you see the care that has gone into the illustrated multipage menu, you realize you are definitely in the right place.