I used to only be able to get a bowl of pho by venturing down from the Great White North (Lake County -- I mean that in the sense that we're currently buried under a few feet of snow, but I guess in another sense it's always true) to Argyle Street in Chicago, but a pho restaurant (The Pho House) has recently opened up in nearby Libertyville.

The carryout pho order they give you is huge in terms of both the amount of broth and the add-ins. Too big a bag of bean sprouts; I only use a fraction of what they provide. Next time I think I'll just say no bean sprouts.

Biggest thing with pho for me is tender meat, such as brisket. I haven't yet tried tendon in pho; that might be my next order ... although the first few lines of this Serious Eats post have me reconsidering ...

What I won't order again is sliced pork or beef round. Raw lean meats turn into unappetizing shoe leather (in my opinion) in hot broth, and I'm not interested in chewing and tugging at them while I'm trying to enjoy the broth.

I like to add cilantro, Thai basil, and lime (this place gives you another bag just for those) and add dashes of fish sauce, hoisin sauce, and or chili paste as needed.