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Phő Hòa

901 N.W. 23rd St.
Oklahoma City, OK
(405) 521-8087

Pho Hoa is one of the most popular Vietnamese restaurants in town

Having eaten in Pho Hoa in Washington State, I was under the impression the one here was part of a chain. I do not know if such is the case, but it does not seem to matter with Vietnamese food. Some of the best Vietnamese restaurants in Oklahoma City are parts of chains out of California, but appear to be independently operated. They seem to have the advantage of being supplied hard to obtain food ingredients, but they maintain their own operations with all the freshness and individuality that is associated with it. I thought the Pho Hoa here was better than others I have tried, so if it is part of the chain it is certainly not limited by any constraints the corporation puts on individual operators.

At first glance Vietnamese noodle soup seems to be pretty much the same everywhere you go. The beef broth, noodles, and side dishes with mint and bean sprouts do not seem to vary at any restaurant. Restaurants that do not live up to a freshness and flavor standard are very noticeable, but the good ones, such as Pho Hoa in Oklahoma City, give me the sense that "Yes, this is the way pho is supposed to be." I was very pleased that Pho Hoa met my expecations, and it probably would have been a bad thing if it had deviated from them in any way. Probably what is surprising is that pho here could be so similar to the good versions on the west coast. I have found good pho in several restaurants in Oklahoma City, but probably none better than at Pho Hoa.

One of the things that is different about Pho Hoa, though, is the variety of soup that is available. Different types of meat and broth are offered, so that customers do not have to order beef if they do not want it. Along with the variation in ingredients, several sizes are served (all pretty large, though).

Pho with beef
Pho Hoa has a whole menu with different types of pho

As a beginning point I tried Pho with Rare Steak, since I usually find this to be one of my favorites. The one here was so good I would say it would be worth trying several of the other types to see if any of them might be unexpected pleasures. I certainly would not think that any of them would be bad.

One of my biggest problems at Vietnamese restaurants has been the overuse of MSG, but I did not find that to be the case here. I cannot say the restaurant is MSG-free, but I did not suffer the after-effects of it as I have at other restaurants.

Pho Hoa is not a "full sevice" Vietnamese restaurant in the sense of offering very many options other than pho. With a noodle soup this good, though, it is probably enough for most people. I think it is one of the most satisfying lunch or dinner items that can be found.

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RESTAURANT DETAILS

RATING: 23

Cuisine: Vietnamese
Cost: $$
Accessible: Handicapped space is available, but not properly marked
MSG: Yes
Smoking: No Smoking
Buffet: No

Most Recent Visit
Jun. 6, 2008

Number of Visits: 1

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Pho

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