Pho? More Like Phojita Soup At OKO In San Miguel de Allende

I couldn’t believe it. My excitement mounted when I learned that we actually had a place that served pho (pronounced “fuh”, like rhyming with “duh”) in San Miguel de Allende. I made the trek out to OKO, thoughts of a comforting broth made of star anise, cinnamon, ginger, and clove swimming inside my head. Pho is God’s food, in case you didn’t know. As someone who used to eat pho on almost a weekly basis, I couldn’t believe I had gone five months without a taste of pho.

Well, I was only met with disappointment at OKO. Their version of pho was to put grilled fajita steak in some soup flavored with star anise that wasn’t even close to being pho.(Why does every ethnic food in Mexico still taste Mexican?)

One of the main things I love about pho is the thinly sliced variety of meat that usually comes in it. The complex broth for beef pho is usually made by simmering beef bones, brisket, and fatty flank steak with the many spices. When I eat it, I usually feel comforted, like I am receiving a hug from my mom.

Tell me, does this look like a hug from your mom?

Not only did they not use the thinly sliced cuts of meat that pho is known for, they put absolutely no care into even cutting up the meat at all. I know eating like a caveman is the trendy thing right now, but Asians will never eat like cavemen. And, the meat is supposed to be served RARE; it’s not supposed to be overcooked grilled steak (or someone’s leftover fajita meat.)

Speaking of trendy, too bad OKO doesn’t put the same thought into their food as they do with trying to be trendy with the backwards K on their sign.

Also, I didn’t taste any fish sauce in the broth, there were no chiles served as garnish (I have never seen a Thai chile in Mexico, but c’mon, you could have at least substituted jalapenos, OKO. I mean, you thought to substitute phojita meat.

So the verdict on getting decent pho in San Miguel de Allende? Sadly, you can phoget about it pho now.