I've been to quite a few pho places in Seattle, and I've finally found one that surpasses Than Brothers as my favorite.
The simple-named Vietnam Restaurant is, in many ways, typical of other pho joints in town: cheap bowls of pho, cream puffs, bright lights, indifferent service, and nasty bathrooms. But just as recently reviewed Pho Thy Thy fell short of my Than Brothers standard, Vietnam Restaurant exceeded it. Most striking was the quality of the broth. This one was meaty and deep with nice anise notes; I almost always put chili oil in the broth, but I liked this broth so much, I wanted to enjoy it just as it was.
Enjoy I did. And I'm looking forward to more trips up 15th in Ballard to make sure this wasn't a fluke. Given the recommendations I received about Vietnam Restaurant in the past, I believe this is, indeed, the fantastic pho of my future.