Pho Kim ~ Santa Fe, New Mexico

Last visit: Jun 2023

First visit: Sep 2013

It's been 8 years since we last waltzed into Pho Kim. We'd planned this all along, that we would close our Santa Fe dining experience here after having the big breakfast at Valentina's. So after enjoying our Rowley brew, we headed right back to where we started the morning. In the past, we would conclude our first evening here (always on a Sunday after the long journey from DFW) after enjoying a big lunch at Blue Corn, which is sadly no longer (Hidden Mountain just isn't the same).

The first thing we noticed is that we are catching them on their last weekend before taking a 2 month break. Wow! Guessing, then, they're heading back home to Vietnam. Unfortunately, why they no doubt were looking forward to their vacation, the restaurant itself feels tired. As in maybe it's time to close down and call it a day. I had a chicken and rice stir fry, which is different than what I referred to below. It was surprisingly very good. Hot temp and very spicy, which I don't think they advertised, but fine with me! But it had too much of the "stir vegetables" that I had to leave behind. Mrs. RJG had a noodle dish but she said it was pretty limp. Pho Kim was from another era of our Santa Fe experience. We're going to leave it there and find another place next time.

---original 9/8/15 review

As much as we'd like to eat New Mexican food the entire time we're in Santa Fe, sometimes we need a break. And for something relatively light and tasty, we've added Pho Kim to our regular routine of restaurants. This is our 3rd visit in the row, and we always leave happy.

No surprises here, but Pho Kim features Vietnamese cuisine. In general, we've gravitated to their famous soups, and I generally like the meat ball and Mrs. RJG enjoys the chicken. The broth and noodles are cooked to perfection, and the side jalapeno slices are extra hot. While most Vietnamese restaurants provide an admirable pho, we do think Pho Kim is a cut above the rest. However, on this visit, I decided to venture into their chicken and rice dish, which used to be my staple, having been spoiled by the all-time great Kim Ba in Denver. And I'm glad I did, as this was a unique slant on a traditional dish. At least to me it was - as I've not encountered the type of marinate applied. When I first saw it, I could swear it was pork, as it had the familiar purple and red "flank" styled marinate. But no, it was definitely chicken, and very tender. And tasty. And each bite got better and better, as I continued to douse my rice with the Sriracha, while the flavors were bouncing wildly on my tongue. In conclusion, Pho Kim continues to move up as one of the better Vietnamese places we've had in the country.

Drink: No alcohol. Usual assortment of common drinks and Vietnamese fruit laced specialties. As tempting as the iced coffee was, we stuck with water (beer drinking session was ahead!).

Location: On West Alameda, west of St. Francis (US 84). On the north side of the street. As you can see from the fine photo I stole above, they have a unique store front in an otherwise drab strip mall. Inside it's brightly lit, with some attempts at mood spotlights. It's better than the usual convenience store lighting most Vietnamese places have, but not by much. It's a full service restaurant, so just find a seat when you arrive.

Notes: Pho Kim is one of many Vietnamese restaurants that seem to enjoy a sophomoric play on words (though admittedly hilarious). Once you realize that Pho is not pronounced "foe" but rather "fuh", then you're in on the joke (read the restaurant name again more quickly). Keller's own Pho King Way pulled a similar stunt, before ultimately closing down a few years ago.

9/14/13; 9/7/14; 9/8/15 (new entry); 6/10/23