Pho Hoa: hey Oklahoma City, it’s time to try some Pho
by Tim | March 31, 2008 | 21 Comments
(votes: 10, average: 3.9) 
Loading ...Pho Hoa is located at 901 NW 23rd Street in Oklahoma City (map). They are open from 8:30am to 9:00pm seven days a week. Call them at 405.521.8087.
Not everyone realizes it, but Oklahoma City actually has a very large and thriving Vietnamese population. The numbers I have seen show over 20,000 Vietnamese in the city. If you live where I do, this comes as no surprise as Oklahoma City’s Asian district demonstrates ample evidence of this vibrant culture. In fact, you can’t drive a block in nearly any direction from NW 23rd and Classen without passing multiple Pho restaurants.
Yet, how many people in our city know what Pho is, let alone have ever tried it? I think that Oklahoma City is blessed to have such a unique Asian culture thriving in its midst. So, come on everyone. Let’s take advantage of the opportunity to experience what I consider to be one of the best meals available. Pho is inexpensive, healthy, hearty, flavorful, unique, and good at any time of day.
If you’re looking to experience Pho in this city, I think Pho Hoa is a great place to start. My co-writer, Andrew, is also a frequenter of Pho Hoa, so I’ve asked him to add his impressions in here too. You’ll being seeing some quotes from him mixed in.
Pho Hoa sits in a somewhat run-down strip mall along 23rd street. On the inside, it is far larger and far nicer than what you expect from the exterior. There’s nothing really special about the interior. It’s pretty sterile, in fact, with all-white surfaces lit up by florescent lighting. But, it is clean and bright, with a lot of sunlight pouring in through the large street-facing windows (at least during the day, when I’ve been there).
What do they serve? Well, Pho, mostly. So, let’s talk about Pho, because I have found that not everyone knows what it is.
Pho is Vietnamese noodle soup. It generally consists of long, skinny rice noodles in a light broth with thinly-sliced pieces of meat that are often dropped rare into the scalding-hot liquid and, because they are so thin, they cook thoroughly in only a few minutes as the dish is prepared. The soup is then presented to the table alongside a dish of fresh herbs (mint and basil), limes, jalepenos, and bean sprouts that you can add at will to your own bowl. There are also a few sauces (hoisin sauce and Sriracha hot sauce at least) on the table that you can use to customize the flavor of your dish.
Andrew says, “The broth at Pho Hoa is fantastic. Chock full of star anise (my favorite under-utilized spice), it really has a unique flavor that is very filling. I like to load my bowl up with sprouts, a little basil, and a couple healthy squirts of Sriracha Hot Sauce. If you are suffering from a head cold, go get a big bowl of this, squirt in a little more Sriracha than you would normally dare, and watch your head clear and your symptoms fade. Magic.”
Now, the menu at Pho Hoa is large and you might get a little overwhelmed when you first look at it, because it’s got a lot of different kinds of soup. There are different kinds of noodles and different combinations of meat. Don’t worry, though. We have a recommendation for you.
Get the rare steak at the top of the first side (it’s #11, I think). It’s rice noodles with thinly sliced beef that is added rare and cooked in the broth. This meat is very lean and very fresh and tasty. I love it.
Andrew also gets the rare steak, but he has an alternative suggestion on how to experience it. “I always ask to have the meat served rare and separately on a plate,” he says. “That way you can cook it yourself to your liking. My liking is sprinkled with salt and pepper, and then I roll it up with a bean sprout and a basil leaf, dunk it for about 5 seconds (just long enough to kill any weird lingering bacteria), and eat it very close to rare.”
If you’re looking for a little variety, you can also go with the Vermicelli dishes. These are like Pho without the soupy broth part. They include noodles and meat and other stuff mixed together in a bowl and topped with a chopped fried egg roll.
Pho Hoa also serves spring rolls that are very tasty and extremely fresh (2 come in an order for $1.99). They are the chilled kind, not the fried kind and contain shrimp and a mixture of herbs and vegetables. I really like them and Andrew agrees. “Pho Hoa makes the freshest spring rolls I have ever had. They have a great peanut sauce to dip them in,” he says.
Finally, if you’re looking for a dessert, Pho Hoa offers a very interesting option. Sesame balls ($1 per order) are a type of semi-sweet bean curd rolled up and encrusted with sesame seeds. I ike them because they are not really sweet, and I’m not a fan of super-sweet desserts, but Andrew disagrees. “They aren’t bad,” he says, “they just aren’t good. Definitely an acquired taste. They aren’t quite sweet enough for me, and they are extremely chewy.”
In conclusion, Pho is a great culinary tradition from an Asian culture with deep roots in Oklahoma City. I highly recommend that you get out and try some. It’s a dish that can be eaten any time of day (notice that Pho Hoa opens at 8:30am every day making Pho for breakfast an interesting option), and it’s something that’s healthy, hearty, affordable, and tasty every time. Give Pho Hoa, or any of our city’s Pho places a try soon.
And let us know what you think in the comments.
We want to hear from you!
So far, 21 people have responded to this article. Won't you join in?April 1st, 2008 at 8:23 am
One more thing I need to mention. Pho Hoa is cash or check only. No cards accepted here.
April 2nd, 2008 at 11:54 am
I’m sad to say I haven’t eaten here yet although I used to teach right down the street. But I just have to add the comment that every Vietnamese student I have ever asked has named this restaurant as their favorite.
April 2nd, 2008 at 1:14 pm
Thanks for that note, Caryl. I hope you’ll get to try it soon!
I just went back for another fantastic lunch today and noticed that Pho Hoa has updated their menu and raised their prices a bit. They must have done this right around the time I posted this article.
Anyway, the new menu is actually a little easier to read with the different types of Pho clearly designated. The numbers are still the same and so I still recommend #11 at the top.
The small bowl now costs $5.25 instead of $4.85. Still well worth it in my opinion. I’m telling you, this is quickly becoming one of my favorite meals.
April 2nd, 2008 at 1:30 pm
Armed with step-by-step guidance from the author himself, I partook of some “Pho phare” at lunch today. I was as impressed by the food (and value) as I was the Asian-style OU Sooner wall decoration! Overall, Pho Hoa offers a quick, inexpensive–and one would have to believe nutritious–meal that is every bit as good as advertised in this blog …
April 2nd, 2008 at 2:47 pm
Great suggestion, Tim!
Pho Hoa was tasty and inexpensive. I really can’t understand why there are 3 sizes for most meals - the small was huge. What a light, enjoyable meal. I’ll definitely be going back soon.
April 2nd, 2008 at 8:25 pm
We like to try all of the different pho restaurants and this place was very good, although back when they changed the menu and the numbers, the chef accidentally gave my boyfriend pho with tripe (not his favorite food ;).
April 4th, 2008 at 12:10 pm
pho hoa got written up along with a few others by the frugal traveler in the nytimes last year:
http://travel.nytimes.com/2007/07/04/travel/04frugalweb-1.html
April 17th, 2008 at 12:22 am
My favorite sick food and one of my favorite little OKC secrets! I have tried most of the pho resaurants in the city and Pho Hoa is handsdown the best. You are right the secret is in the broth, it makes all the difference.
I can’t believe you didn’t mention the drinks and dessert-drinks… I think everyone should just go try those unless you have an obversion to strange textures in your mouth. Just try some
April 17th, 2008 at 6:52 am
J2O, thanks for mentioning the drinks and dessert-drinks. That is a great bonus to the menu at Pho Hoa. I’ve actually never tried the beverages here, but I’ve had similar smoothies, teas and such (with the tapioca balls and other add-ins) at Cafe Oasis, and I really like them. It’s nice that you can get them along with your Pho.
May 22nd, 2008 at 3:30 pm
My husband and I eat here at least once a week - we love the soup and the low price is great on our wallets. I find it hard to tear myself away from the original soup, but Tuesday tried the seafood soup with shrimp, crab (imitation) and fish balls. It was pretty good but I am a loyal #11 lover. We have tried the smoothies - including the avocado with tapioca - too much sugar for me - my hubby loves them. I prefer the thai coffee that drips into a cup with a small amount of sweetened condensed milk and you pour it over ice when it finishes! Our vietnamese chef at Musashi recommended Pho Cuong as his favorite pho place, but we think Pho Hoa will be tough to beat?
May 22nd, 2008 at 3:41 pm
Oh yes - Pho Hoa was in the April 08 (or March?) episode of Southern Living along with our Asian Market, Cao Nguyen and the milk bottle building - Ma Bhi Bhan or something like that. They did a great little write up on all 3. I’ve tried the milk bottle building sandwich and thought it was pretty sparse and boring compared to what the write-up said.
May 22nd, 2008 at 4:49 pm
Thanks for the insight, Katie. I’ve wanted to try the seafood but never pulled myself away from #11. A few others have recommend Pho Cuong to me as well, so I’ll have to give it a try sometime.
I hadn’t seen the Southern Living write-up, though I had see the one in the NY Times that Johnny shared. Thanks for all the feedback, you guys. Keep it coming!
June 4th, 2008 at 1:44 pm
I tried Pho Hoa for the first time recently, and I much prefer Pho Cuong and Pho Thai Nguyen. Maybe I just ordered bad. I tried the seafood because I rarely eat red meat these days. The broth was great, but the seafood itself was not good. It had a very strong “fishy” smell and taste. The rice noodles were a little thicker than I like, it was served with pickled jalapeños instead of fresh, and no basil, mint or hoisin sauce. Maybe that’s just what comes with the seafood pho. But, the sesame balls were excellent and so were the dessert drinks.
For those of you who have not been to Pho Thai Nguyen, give it a try. It is next to Crawdaddy’z on Classen (Also good, by the way. Try the fried oysters and catfish.) I have Pho Thai Nguyen make my soup with tofu and extra veggies instead of meat, and it’s my favorite. For the meat lovers, the beef tenderloin is excellent. They have a very extensive menu, including some Chinese favorites like Kung Pao Chicken and several dessert drinks.
June 4th, 2008 at 4:40 pm
Maneki, that is odd about the condiments because every time I’ve been they’ve had fresh jalepenos, basil, mint and hoisin sauce on the table before we even ordered.
Anyway, thanks for the feedback on the seafood Pho. I’ve never had it, nor have I tried the other places you’ve mentioned but I’ve been getting a lot of recommendations for Pho Thai Nguyen and Pho Cuong so I’m going to have to try them soon.
Also, thanks for the info on Crawdaddy’z. The place always looks deserted when I go by so I’ve been hesitant to try it, but I have been hopeful for it because we need a good, down-and-dirty cajun place around here.
June 18th, 2008 at 1:17 pm
Ok we now have tried both Pho Cuong and Pho Thai Nguyen. There is no comparison to us. Pho Hoa kicked their tails. The portion of noodles at Pho Thai Nguyen left my husband hungry. We were left with 3/4 bowl of broth and no noodles. the atmosphere was somewhat more updated and clean. We will have to remain loyal to Pho Hoa.
June 27th, 2008 at 1:08 pm
I was a regular Pho Hoa customer but after trying a few other places I found that Pho Hoa turned out to be not very good in comparison. The place is very noisy and often crowded, and not very clean.
June 27th, 2008 at 1:24 pm
Rick, what are the other places that you like better? I’d love to try them.
July 3rd, 2008 at 11:22 pm
I have to agree with Andrew about the broth. It is much better and “fuller” than any of the other places we have tried, and we have been to most of them. The spring rolls are great also. I haven’t yet had any bad experiences there.
July 28th, 2008 at 12:57 pm
Pho Hoa is great and I eat there quite a bit, but if you are in the South side, try Pho 89 off of 89th and Penn. The soup is excellent, and they have alot of great options other than pho. If I don’t get pho, I get the shrimp on a sugar cane in which make your own springrolls and my boyfriend always gets the rice vermicelli with grilled pork and eggrolls. Also, if you are in Norman and need a pho fix…please try Pho Sooner (Jenkins and Boyd). The restaurant is really quaint and clean. The pho is superb. They also have vegetarian pho, springrolls and eggrolls for the herbavores. Boomer Pho Sooner!
October 2nd, 2008 at 2:33 pm
Ugh, Pho Sooner is absolutely terrible. It’s overpriced, the broth seems too diluted, and they always put small portions of noodles and especially meat in the bowls. I’m Vietnamese and I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve eaten there (I live in Norman), usually by one of my non-Asian friends since it tastes good to them. However I’ve since schooled them on the right place to eat pho, Pho Hoa.
October 9th, 2008 at 3:24 pm
I’m Vietnamese too and I love Pho Sooner. I usually get their vegetarian pho (something Pho Hoa does not offer), but I also like their beef pho. Yes, they have smaller portions of meat and noodles, but I get full off of their regular bowl. It maybe more expensive compared to Pho Hoa, but it saves me more on gas money to stay in town and sometimes it taste like Pho Hoa puts too much msg in their soup. Don’t get me wrong, I like Pho Hoa, extra msg and all, but not enough to make a special trip from Norman, when Pho Sooner offers great pho.
Please tell us what you think.