I was recently craving some Bo Kho…..something nice and beefy during the last cold spell. Of course, Pho Lucky came to mind as during the last few years, I preferred the Bo Kho to the Pho there. Of course, the place changed ownership in 2022 and when I visited there was no beef stew on the menu and the pho was mediocre. In doing a bit of research, I found that they had added the bo kho back on the menu. So, I decided it was time for me to return.
It was mid-morning when I arrived and though the parking lot was kinda crazy….I think the opening of Aldi in the strip mall has something to do with that.
I walked in and took a look at the posted menu and yes; there was Bo Kho on it, both the pho and the banh mi versions, priced at $13.95.
So, I decided to check things out. I was waved to a table. I have to say, they've done a pretty nice job renovating the place.
My banh mi bo kho arrived pretty quickly.
This was a pretty large portion. I was a bit puzzled by the bean sprouts as I don't recall those being provided before? Not sure about all that stringy crunchy stuff and also that it was ice cold which dropped the temperature of the beef stew.
The stew was thinner than I recall, though fairly beefy and tangy, it didn't have as much black pepper as the what I'd had here under the previous ownership. I did enjoy adding the basil to the stew as it provided a nice layer of anise-citrus flavor. The cilantro also is a must. The carrots were long strips; almost like you'd buy in a bag at the grocer. It was also not cooked thru.
The banh mi was delivered nice and hot. It was light and yeasty and just perfect for sopping up the stew.
The crust was thin and crisp and that interior so airy! It might have been my favorite part of the meal!
The proteins were decent; the beef on the leaner side, but adequately tender. The tendon and connective tissue more tender than in the versions I've had here before. There seemed to be more meat than I recall as well.
All-in-all, not bad. Granted, it's a bit thinner, but the flavor was decent. It's better than I thought it would be and I'd gladly have this again. Though I will be on a search for better versions.
Pho Lucky
9326 Mira Mesa Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92126
Current Hours:
Daily 8am – 845pm
While this might have been the smallest in terms of portion size thus far, it was the Missus's favorite to date. The broken rice was very fragrant and moist.
While veggies and herbs were very fresh, the crepe was on the soggy side. The fillings were even worse; first off, there was barely any shrimp in this. What was present was a ton of raw bean sprouts. What shrimp there was tasted on the muddy side. 
This delivered as usual. The tortillas were still warm when we got home; such very nice corn flavor, pliable, yet hearty.
It is so hearty and comforting. It really has that "aaah" appeal. Nothing like rich, beefy, soup dripping out of a maize-y tortilla down your arm and then your throat on a chilly day, right?
The Bun Rieu is now $13.99, but is totally worth the price. A generous amount of very fresh herbs and veggies. And look they still provide a good amount of shredded morning glory, though there's a bit less banana blossom these days. 
So savory, with nice porky-seafood tones. The tomatoes added a perfect amount of acidity. The pork ribs were quite swiney, though a bit more chewy than usual. And the Missus enjoys the tofu a lot. The broth just seemed so good, perhaps it's because we hadn't been back here 
Which the Missus didn't care for. The noodles used were those for the Bun Bo Hue, not the typical thin bun used for Bun Rieu. The broth lacked the crabby savoriness and mild sweet-acidity of tomato the Missus enjoys. It was fairly high in the MSG department. Other than the saltiness, it was quite bland.
This was as expected, the broken rice was hard, not fragrant. Well, if you think about it, it probably fills the traditional definition of broken rice; the damaged, "inferior" rice. The thit nuong, the char grilled pork was flavorful, but quite chewy, the bi, the shredded pork and skin was cold, though it had a decent amount of roasted rice powder and a nice stretchy texture. The "cha" the egg-pork "loaf" was also cold, mushy, and bland. The bean curd with shrimp paste wasn't crisp, but at least it tasted quite good; a nice savory flavor.
The shrimp were actually decently grilled, fairly plump, and not rubbery. The flavor was quite muddy-fishy though. The pork was the same as what the Missus had. The bun looked like it had been sliced up and were short strands.
I know that Elle said that the portion sizes here have decreased, but I thought this was pretty generous. Lot's of bun and a good amount of lettuce and herbs,
First thing I noticed was how dark the broth was. Second thing was what was slightly submerged. Good lord, it was a huge slice of brisket! Unfortunately, it was too thick, and ended up being very chewy.
I had to kind of take my time since that broth was super hot, so I'm not sure if it contributed to the noodles, being delivered in the typical clump on the bottom of the bowl, being on the mushy side.
Well, for starters, the broth didn't have the "super clear" look of the previous two versions I'd had recently. There was some nice savory tones; slight pungency, it was a bit on the sweet-salty side. I was quite thirsty for the rest of the afternoon.
You can tell the broth wasn't overly thin as it did a decent job of coating the noodles.
I quickly set about tasting the different items. The soup was far from bland, but really had that "San Diego sweet" pho flavor. It was also high in msg as well.
One of the first thing that came to mind was the "Hu Tieu shenanigans". You know, the time I ordered the Hu Tieu Mi Kho and 
Like before, the bowl was delivered with a huge portion of iceberg lettuce. The soup on the side looked like a bowl of water which had some slices of green onion fall into it. It was very salty and other than a hint of white pepper really lacked flavor.
First off; I quickly determined that the simple squirt of sate sauce over the beef was all that was provided. There was nothing at the bottom of the bowl of the bowl. This meant that it was difficult, nay impossible to coat the noodles and even all the lettuce evenly. The basil was nice and fresh; but still attached to the thick and basically inedible thick stems. Now, I can imagine having this on the side and then one would tear off the leaves as necessary. Heck, even at the top of the bowl like this is ok; but having that all to precious sauce squirted on it. The customer would have to reach in and tear off the leaves and get sauce on your hands?
Because of the lack of sauce; I ended up dumping the whole bowl of "soup" into the bowl to moisten the noodles; which kind of defeats the purpose of getting this with soup on the side? The noodles were decently cooked, nice and al dente, and the beef fairly tender, but the lack of the flavor producing items in the dish was it's downfall. 
Which arrived to my table steaming hot. The soup had a bit more savory tones this time around, but was again, other than being a bit heavy in msg was fairly plain. The noodles were on the crunchier side overall, but not bad. The char siu was lean, tough, and though it had some decent porky tones, lacking in the sweet-salty-savory profile of said pork dish.
