Located 50 feet west of the legendarily grubby and delicious soup shack Pho Bac, Pho Viet offers all the vegetarian pho options (in addition to meat dishes) its sister establishment refuses to, in a setting that doesn't make you consider a tetanus shot. It's the little things that make Pho Viet's pho stand out—most notably, the singed and crushed garlic cloves lacing the broth, which give this classic rainy-season fare an addictive new kick. (Pho Viet, 1240 S Jackson St, 568-0882.)