Quick Bites: Mexican and Vietnamese fusion? Sink your teeth into a ‘Phoritto’ at MexiPHO in Glastonbury.

What goes best with tacos? For Antonio Melendez, it’s a warm bowl of Vietnamese pho.

“Pho was my go-to. Up here, in Connecticut, is when I got into it. I’d eat with friends. I was going a few times a week. One day I thought ‘Man, some tacos would be good with this soup here.’”

Of course, the logical next step was a fusion restaurant, merging Mexican and Vietnamese cooking into what would become MexiPHO in Glastonbury.

“I started working on a concept,” said Melendez. “A logo, a menu; it came together. Six years later since we opened up, we’re still going strong.”

Learning from his mother, travels

While jumping head first into a fusion restaurant unlike any other might appear surprising, Melendez already had experience in cooking thanks to his mother.

“I was the one next to her when she was making everybody dinner,” said Melendez. “When I go down to Texas, I’ll cook with her. We’ll cook our salsas and all that. It was all passed down by her mother and grandmother.”

While originally from Mexico, his family moved to Texas when he was at a young age. He later ventured off to Virginia, New York, and Connecticut. All the while, he built upon his knowledge of cooking.

“I went to New York, Tribeca area,” he said. “There was a chef I cooked with for four months. I got to watch him cook pho.”

When it came time to give MexiPHO a try, he had everything he needed. He utilized his mother’s recipes and spice blends and paired them with Vietnamese ingredients. He built out his Glastonbury location, taking extra time with the kitchen to make sure everything was perfect. He settled on a fast casual style, where guests could step up and build out what they wanted.

Now he just had to convince customers to give it a try.

Blending Mexican and Vietnamese cuisine

“It was hard to get people to try out MexiPHO,” said Melendez. “Once they came, however, they softened up and liked it.”

According to Melendez, Mexican and Vietnamese cuisine share a lot of overlap in spices and herbs. A lot of the flavors compliment each other, which is why he recommends adding shredded beef or marinated chicken to your bowl of pho.

“We marinate it with Mexican and Vietnamese spices,” said Melendez. “I like to marinate my meats for 24 hours. You have to grill up the ginger, the shallots, the garlic, the onions. The aromatics come up. It’s like chemistry. You have to have the right flavor.”

There’s also the Phoritto, if you’re looking to try something new. It’s “like a pho soup wrapped up in a burrito,” as Melendez said. It comes with everything pho does, including a sauce of beef broth, sriracha and more.

You’re free to get your tacos built the Mexican Way or customize them how you want. Looking to add bean sprouts or phoritto sauce with your shredded cheese, jalapeños and pico do gallo? Try it out and see what you think.

There are even classic drinks like house margaritas, horchata, and Mexican lemonades. Best of all, just about everything is prepped same day.

Support and dedication from the local community

As with most restaurants, the pandemic threw a wrench into MexiPHO’s business. Running a fast-casual location meant guests couldn’t come up and pick out their ingredients. Everything had to change.

“I wasn’t sure what to do,” said Melendez. “I just stuck to the business. It was me and two others at the start.”

He turned to delivery apps like GrubHub and DoorDash. He tried promotions. In time, he saw a boost in online orders, all while making changes inside the restaurant as well. “We used gloves and masks, and people felt more comfortable.”

His efforts were not in vain. Two years since the pandemic first kicked off, with most of the country back to a familiar level of normalcy, Melendez and MexiPHO are doing better than ever.

“I’m looking to open a new location next year,” he said. “We have a great following on Facebook and a great community. We try to help everybody here.”

As for his family, he’s received their blessing as well. Not without a few curious quips. “They were like ‘What are you doing?’ They liked it, though. When I go down to Texas, I make them pho. It’s something different.”

“Something different” is the most apt way to describe MexiPHO. It might be unusual, but it’s certainly delicious; a one-of-a-kind restaurant in Connecticut that Melendez owes to his community.

“I want to thank every customer that’s been here to support me. I wish everyone luck in the industry. We’re all here to help and support each other.”