For myself:
1) I order Pho Chin Gan (brisket + tendon... mmm). The combos really are just for convenience, but you can order whatever you want, like
chazas says. If it's available, I also ask for a bowl of the soup bones, which have extra meat and tendon
2) I put hoisin sauce and chili oil in the dipping dish. I personally add NOTHING to my bowl (but when I was younger, I added everything). I don't believe there's an actual proper way to do it.
3) The place (and most have it now) must use the freshly-blanched noodles. Any restaurant that serves the dried/reboiled noodles gets walked out on.
4) A proper Pho broth has star anise as a flavor, as well as a scortched onion and a little scortched ginger.
Originally Posted by
chazas
Occasionally they also include a kind of leaf with serrated edges - the best name anyone's told me is "saw leaf herb."
The Vietnamese name for it (don't know the spelling) can be translated into "spikey cilantro."