Phở Bình sets the bar for great phở. The broth is a cosmic coming together: not too fatty, not too thin, not overly aromatic or beefy. There’s a depth of flavor that other places try to duplicate by injecting fat in broth, but here it’s straight Goldilocks: deeply complex and somehow delicate. The thick slices of beef in the dặc biệt tái is marbled and rare and fresh, as though your grandmother just cut it for you at home. The phở gà khô, which has chicken instead of beef, is served with a jammy egg and broth on the side, and its richness is ethereal. This is phở at its absolute best, served since 1983 out of the original location: a converted trailer track home off a nondescript road in Pearland (it has since expanded to nine locations all over the city). The inside is tiny, with mirrors on both ends to make it appear larger. The service is fast, because most people know what they want, and the food comes out even faster. If you’re in the area, you can order and slurp down a bowl for lunch in under 20 minutes. Come hungry, and bring cash.

photo credit: Quit Nguyen