A hidden oasis in Shoreline, this cozy pho shop feels like something likely to be found in the heart of Hanoi. The name is more than a sales tactic; the quality of the pho is evident in the intense aroma and tender meats that Vietnamese patrons swear by.

This Vietnamese restaurant in Haller Lake has been impressing local restaurant owners and food writers with its northern Vietnamese dishes, including its pho. Options include pho with beef short ribs and tripe, duck pho, seafood pho, and an unusual spicy mala pho with rare steak. It’s regularly packed with families speaking Vietnamese and is a favorite of Monsoon and Ba Bar co-owner Eric Banh. (Owner Anh Le previously worked at Tamarind Tree  in the Chinatown-International District.)

This Bitter Lake restaurant has a fantastic menu of traditional Vietnamese dishes like broken rice plates, fresh vermicelli, and one of the largest banh xeos (savory fried crepes) in town. The pho is refined and jam-packed with umami, and the portions are generous.

This Vietnamese hotspot within walking distance from the Space Needle is a charming, comforting oasis from the tourist traps in the area. Here, one can enjoy perfectly seasoned pho, whether the broth contains meatballs, spicy beef, or a combo.

Vietnamese siblings Trinh and Thai Nguyen— who came to the U.S. as refugees — explore the food of their childhood at this modern Bainbridge Island restaurant. Southeast Asian flavors meet locally farmed and foraged ingredients in dishes like pho served with dry-aged ribeye or mushrooms.

While this Belltown restaurant is mostly known for its fusion snacks such as banh mi burgers, the pho here can’t be overlooked. The standard version comes loaded with shredded meat and vegetables, but one spin includes the satay pho, blending flavors from other southeast Asian cuisines rather successfully.

This boisterous local enterprise, a sister mini-chain to Monsoon, is known for its modern takes on Vietnamese street food cuisine. The pho here, made with local ingredients such as Draper Valley chicken, is no exception. The Capitol Hill, U Village, and South Lake Union locations are open for takeout and dine-in in lively dining rooms equipped with bars slinging well-balanced cocktails.

The Pham family’s Pho Bac “boat” restaurant was a pioneer in the Vietnamese dining scene — and the more modern Pho Bac Sup Shop continues its legacy in Little Saigon. Tender beef falls off massive beef ribs on its internet-famous pho or on the spicy bun bo hue. Pair the fragrant bowls of broth with cocktails made with passionfruit and mango or herbaceous drinks made with Thai basil and Vietnamese coriander.

Extra sauces are nice to have on hand, but the best pho barely needs them. Case in point: This Othello spot has broth that’s rich and well-seasoned but not overpowering. It also has a variety of pho selections not commonly found elsewhere, including seafood pho and rare beef pho.

Pho enthusiasts in the south end rave about this spot, and with good reason. The options here are simple, delicately flavored, and loaded with umami, and there are other Vietnamese soups available — such as canh chua — for those who want to mix it up.