This week, I had a relative visiting from out of town, and he asked if we could meet for lunch. Luckily, this provided me the perfect opportunity to try out a restaurant that had been catching attention for quite some time, Pho Lien Hoa.
This Vietnamese restaurant is located on 23rd street, extremely close to OCU. And yet, I have to admit that if I hadn’t done my research online, then I would’ve never noticed this place. It’s located in a nondescript building at the corner of a shopping center without any fancy signage or decorations.
I first took notice of the restaurant while searching for new restaurants near OCU, and this one stood out to me because it had a 4.5 star rating and over 1,100 reviews on Google Review. After asking around, I learned that some of my friends frequented the restaurant and loved it, so I knew I had to check it out.
To my suprise, the simple building was absolutely packed for lunch. Despite this, my relative and I were seated pretty quickly and promptly given menus. The menu featured a variety of Vietnamese soup, noodles and rice dishes with various cuts of meat. At first glance, I was disappointed to see virtually no vegetarian items. However, after speaking to the waitress I discovered that they are pretty accommodating and are willing to make many dishes with tofu instead of meat upon request.
I ended up ordering a tofu noodle bowl and a Vietnamese limeade. The prices seemed very reasonable and all of their dishes were around $7 to $11 for pretty sizable portions.
I will warn potential diners that the restaurant features some foods that just aren’t typically consumed in a western diet, such as tripe (cow’s stomach lining). If you or your dining companions tend to be a bit cautious when it comes to trying new foods, then I recommend the noodle bowls. They feature many ingredients that most Oklahomans are familiar with, even if you’ve never eaten Vietnamese food before (and I’ve been told that the lemongrass chicken in the chicken noodle bowls is absolutely phenomenal). Otherwise, if you have experience with Vietnamese food or you’re just an adventurous eater, then I would suggest trying their pho seeing as how highly rated it is in other reviews.
As for the taste, I know this may be a controversial opinion, but, honestly, I liked Pho Lien Hoa’s limeade better than Sonic’s limeade. Part of that may have to do with the fact that I prefer sweeter limeades, and this one was definitely on the sweeter side. But the fresh lime and mint in the drink stopped the sugar from being overpowering and kept it flavorful and refreshing.
The noodle bowl was much, much bigger than I anticipated, and it came with noodles, fried tofu, cucumbers, carrots, cilantro, bean sprouts, and chopped peanuts.
The bowl by itself was good; however, when I started experimenting with the sauces and seasonings that were left on every table, the flavor went to the next level. I’m still not sure what type of sauce it is, but there is a very sweet, dark brown sauce that comes in a bottle, and I highly recommend adding it to whatever you order.
The only real negative aspect of my meal came at the end. I went up to the counter to pay and was informed that they only accept cash. They have an ATM right next to the counter, and, fortunately, I had cash on me. Still, I can see this being a very big inconvenience for many potential customers.
Overall, I consider Pho Lien Hoa an absolute hidden gem and I can see why they have so many positive reviews. I highly recommend this restaurant for anybody that’s looking to eat adventurously and venture beyond the restaurants that are typically recommended. Just remember to bring plenty of cash!
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