Pho, or Vietnamese noodle soup, is available at just about every Vietnamese restaurant around town. What separates the good from the bad are the broth and the meats, and at Pho Dien, a tiny strip-mall hole in the wall on Bellaire Boulevard outside of Beltway 8, they are the reasons why discerning Vietnamese diners will line up outside the tiny restaurant on a Saturday afternoon. The broth here is rich and well seasoned, never too salty or too diluted, the essence of bones and spices evident with each slurp from the spoon. The rice noodles are of the fresh variety, with good elasticity to them. But it's the meat that's the star; their tai uop, or marinated carpaccio, is gossamer tender and flavorful. Order the dac biet specialty bowl with the tai uop on the side, which you can dip into the steaming broth to eat with each steaming spoonful of noodles, and you'll see why it's one of the best bowls of pho around town.