Pho is all about the broth. Here's your Wisconsin guide to the Vietnamese noodle soup

Pho for lunch. Pho for dinner. Pho for breakfast? If you wanted, says Long Lo. Well, if we were in Vietnam instead of his brother's restaurant, Pho 76, in Wausau.

This noodle dish is the national dish in Vietnam and available everywhere — all the time.

In terms of ubiquity and appeal to the masses, the closest American food equivalent to pho would be the hamburger. In terms of taste and complexity, it's a poor comparison.

I'm not suggesting pho is superior to burgers — I love both equally, just in different ways. But it doesn't take the better part of a day, night and the next morning to make a burger.

The star of the pho experience is the broth that requires simmering bones from cows, at just the right temperature, to extract marrow. Then it's cooled and the oil and fat are skimmed off before it's ready. It can take 8 to 12 hours or longer to properly prepare the broth.

Add to that a food challenge-worthy load of rice noodles. Plus meat of your choice: beef, chicken, seafood, tripe. Plus sides of bean sprouts, lime wedges, basil and jalapenos. And then there's the nearby tray of sauces.

So, where to begin?

First, if you've been pronouncing pho, with a long "o" to this point — stop it. It's pronounced "fuh."

Second, if someone says you're eating your pho wrong, say "nuh-uh." There is no wrong way to eat pho. If you want to turn your broth blood red with Sriracha, that's your call.

Still, if you're new to pho or haven't experimented with all the combinations, Lo has advice to make the most of your pho experience.

1. Take your time.

This is not a dish to be eaten quickly. This isn't some burger you ordered at a drive-thru that's been reheated from frozen to be choked down in the car on your way to a doctor's appointment.

Each bite of pho is a multi-step process.

A full pho experience begins with preparation. Add hoisin and Sriracha sauce in a small bowl on the side. Keep the two sauces separate.

Once your pho bowl arrives, take a moment to inhale the savory aroma.

2. Savor the broth.

You're given an oversized non-metal spoon for a reason. Use it. You don't want to be dunking a metal spoon into the near boiling broth and then sticking that in your mouth.

Start with a sample of the broth. Sip. Let the broth linger and deliver all of the subtle flavors. Broth at different pho shops will have unique tastes. It may come from the spices used for seasoning or the flavor extraction method, but every place is going to have its own flavor profile.

Family pho recipes brought to the United States through the Hmong population have been adapted from the Vietnamese culture, says Lo. But his brother purchased the recipe and learned the technique he uses at Pho 76 from a Vietnamese man in San Francisco, says Lo, meaning this quaint diner is turning out authentic pho.

3. Load it up, and customize.

Once you have a taste of the broth, load the spoon with noodles and meat. Use a fork or chopsticks as needed. Thankfully, Lo uses a fork. No need to embarrass myself by putting my chopstick non-skills on display.

With the spoon piled with noodles and meat, grab a dab of hoisin and Sriracha sauces and smear it on the mixture. Slurp the noodles and meat, dip the spoon for a chaser of broth.

After a few bites like that, you can make use of the plate of side additions.

Want a little heat? Add a slice or two of jalapeno. It won't take long for the broth to pick up the heat. If it gets too hot, take the jalapeno out.

Give the dish a squirt of lime if you want to brighten it up and cut the rich flavor.

If you like a crunchy contrast, add a few bean sprouts to the mix.

Maybe you don't like hoisin or Sriracha. Don't use them.

This is a dish that allows you to customize as you go.

One last bit of advice, know how much you can eat in one sitting.

"If you can't finish it, don't take it home," says Lo because the noodles absorb the broth and it "just becomes something that you're going to say, 'Oh my gosh this is really bad.'"

The advantage of going a size smaller with your pho at Pho 76, means you can order the egg rolls. While closer to Hmong-style than Chinese-style, these egg rolls have a much finer grind on the pork and bean thread noodles and its own unique seasoning blend.

Pho finder

We asked readers to recommend their favorite places for pho. Here are their favorites. Have a favorite pho that's not on this list? Let us know in the comments.

CENTRAL WISCONSIN

Ku's Wokery: 900 N. Center Ave., Merrill

Lao'D Eatery: 302 Washington St., Wausau

Lemon Grass Noodle House: 1137 Main St., Stevens Point

Pho 76: 1811 W. Rosecrans St., Wausau

Point Market & Vietnamese Restaurant: 3511 Church St., Stevens Point

Sawadee Thai Restaurant: 1720 Merrill Ave., Wausau

GREEN BAY/NORTHEAST WISCONSIN

Asian Taste Supermarket: 722 Bodart St., Green Bay

Phở #1 Noodle & Grill: 2201 S. Oneida St. #1, Ashwaubenon

Plia's Kitchen: 1300 S. Webster Ave., Allouez

FOX CITIES

Bangkok Thai Cuisine: 80 Wisconsin St., Oshkosh

Basil Cafe: 1513 N. Richmond St., Appleton

Christine's Pho Bar: 686 N. Main St., Oshkosh

City Cafe: 100 W. College Ave., Appleton

Golden Ocean Foods: 1014 Ohio St., Oshkosh

Long Cheng Market: 1800 S. Lawe St., Appleton

Mai's Deli: 104 S. Memorial Drive, Appleton

Pho Saigon Vietnamese Cuisine: W3169 Van Roy Road, Suite 9, Appleton

Shadows Food and Spirits: 211 S. Walter Ave., Appleton

Tasty Thai: 1027 S. Main St., Oshkosh

LAKESHORE/MILWAUKEE

Buddha Lounge: 1504 E. North Ave., Milwaukee

Pho 43: 1814 N. Farwell Ave., Milwaukee

Pho VN: 2209 S. Business Drive, Sheboygan

Thai Cafe: 1227 N. 14th St., Sheboygan