Pho No. 1

You walk into Pho No. 1 and there's no pretence, just the smell of star anise and simmering stock that's been on the boil for hours. It's the kind of place where they know what they're doing because they've been doing it for years, not because some London consultant told them to. The room's unpretentious — strip lighting, closely packed tables, the sort of spot where you're genuinely eating what the Vietnamese community round Ancoats comes in for. Order a pho and watch them build it in front of you: the noodles, the broth hitting the bowl with a proper hiss, a plate of fresh mint, Thai basil, and lime on the side. It's honest food, reasonably priced, and exactly what Oldham Road needed.