Best in Broth: Pierce County’s pho champ has hot bowls, even steamier name, readers say

Pho is far from the most time-consuming or complicated Vietnamese dish conjured in Andy Nguyen’s Hilltop kitchen, but it’s precisely why customers have flocked to his restaurant over many others in the area when the craving strikes.

From the outside, Pho King looks almost as if it had been plucked from the streets of Hanoi. Its faded sign reads as much older than the 15 years it’s been hanging outside the turn-of-the-century brick building at 1020 Martin Luther King Jr. Way. No matter that just around the corner, competitor Pho Bac has been attracting pho fiends for more than twice as long (38 years, to be precise). It’s Pho King that is, well, the king.

Just shy of 700 votes were cast in our recent poll seeking your take on which of almost 50 Vietnamese restaurants in Pierce County makes the best pho. Pho King was the only one to crack 100, snagging 15% of the vote.

Close behind was the venerable Vien Dong, which has anchored the Lincoln District for 35 years, with 10% of tallies. Linh Le’s parents opened the restaurant in 1989, passing it to Linh and her husband Kevin Le, usually on-site during most any visit to this bucket-list destination.

Pho Bac scored more than 60 votes, or about 9% of the total, followed by Lincoln District newcomer Lunar’s Pho, established 2021.

The unexpected fifth-place contender was another young restaurant: UP Pho and Teriyaki in University Place, also opened in 2021.

WHAT MAKES THIS TACOMA PHO THE BEST?

“I’ve been going to Pho King for more than 10 years,” said one respondent. “Their broth has a depth of flavor and a richness that other places just can’t match. There are lots of places to go for pho in this area, but only one excellent one, and that is the King.”

Indeed, pho is pointedly about the broth, the backbone of which is a series of beef bones, alliums, herbs and spices that its creator usually holds tightly. Nguyen and his team of about seven, including his wife and business partner Lily, bubble their cauldron for at least eight hours, starting a new batch every morning for the next day’s service: beef bones, charred onion, ginger, star anise and “all those” other things he won’t divulge.

The King’s bestseller is by far the pho tai, with just steak, said Nguyen, who opened the restaurant in 2010 at just 28 years old. He prefers the combo (a.k.a the Pho King Special) with eye-round steak, a well-done flank and a rare fatty flank, tendon, tripe and meatballs.

Pho is a “have it your way” kind of dish, though it wasn’t always so, according to cookbook author and Vietnamese culinary historian Andrea Nguyen.

The soup, which originated around Hanoi in the early 20th century, has relatives in similar bowls from other regions, including the Yunnanese guo qiao mi xian. At first, it probably used water buffalo instead of beef, as the Vietnamese used cattle as draft animals. The French ate steak, though, and other cuts of meat found their way to local street vendors who created what some called xao bo and others nguu nhuc phan — meaning beef with rice noodles.

Pho as we know it likely didn’t come to be until about 1930, explains Andrea Nguyen on her wonderful website and in her 2017 book on pho. It wasn’t until the end of French occupation of Vietnam in 1954 that the tradition traveled south. There, the elaborations grew from simple scallions to bean sprouts, Thai basil and lime.

All of that is relevant because part of the beauty of pho is that it’s customizable: If pho rests on the foundation of its broth, it is characterized by the customer’s choice of protein. These days you (hopefully) won’t endure glares for adding hoisin, sriracha or chili crisp to your bowl. Some start with the broth and move to the noodles buried under the top blanket of fatty bubbles and beef. It’s up to you, for pho is one of the world’s finest vestiges of “me time.”

What makes Pho King so memorable? Nguyen laughs when asked. The first couple of years were tough, he admitted. He was new to the industry and not a cook himself, but a friend offered him the space and he was looking for the right move as he exited his 20s in Seattle. His aunt runs a Vietnamese restaurant in Virginia; he asked his mom to source some recipes. Their family has roots in South Vietnam, which lends a whisper of sweetness to the broth.

Pho King never advertised. Praise spread the old-fashioned way, from friends telling friends, whether in-person or on the city’s lively Reddit thread where the question is posed every few months.

“Mostly it’s fresh,” he said. “Every day you have fresh broth, fresh meat — you cut it fresh every day — and that makes the difference.”

Readers also highlighted the restaurant’s vegetarian pho and, of course, the name: “The best. The Pho King best.”

PIERCE COUNTY’S BEST PHO

PHO KING

▪ 1020 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Tacoma, 253-272-6287, phokingtacoma.com

▪ Monday-Saturday 10:30 a.m.-8 p.m.

▪ What to know: casual Vietnamese choice for pho, phonm penh (the pork-broth noodle soup with shrimp), banh mi and more

▪ How to order: dine-in recommended; for takeout, order by phone or online

▪ Readers say: “broth is perfection and all the ingredients are so fresh,” “the broth is better than anywhere,” “hands-down the best pho I’ve had here or anywhere”

VIEN DONG

▪ 3801 S. Yakima Ave., Tacoma, 253-472-6668, viendongrestaurant.com

▪ Monday and Wednesday-Saturday 9 a.m.-9 p.m., Sunday 10 a.m.-9 p.m. (closed Tuesday)

▪ What to know: warm, family-owned and operated Vietnamese outpost for 35 years; full menu of pho, other regional soups, vermicelli bowls, banh mi and hot tea

▪ How to order: dine-in recommended; for takeout, order by phone or online

▪ Readers say: “broth is flavorful with great body — order the nuoc bao; fat is flavor!”, “the best pho in town, but the dishes and service elevate it above all the rest,” “an important part of Tacoma’s history”

PHO BAC

▪ 1115 S. 11th St., Tacoma, 253-272-7270, no website

▪ Daily 9 a.m.-7 p.m.

▪ What to know: modest destination for pho and pho only; once cash-only but now accepts cards

▪ How to order: dine-in recommended; for takeout, order in-person or by phone

▪ Readers say: “the real deal — the best, most consistently delicious broth around,” “broth…down to a science,” “a local neighborhood spot where everyone is welcome — and service starts with breakfast”

LUNAR’S PHO

▪ 757 S. 38th St., Tacoma, 253-472-6153, lunarspho.com

▪ Tuesday-Sunday 11 a.m.-8:30 p.m.

▪ What to know: colorful, family-run spot for Vietnamese specialties, including pho, bun bo hue and banh mi; don’t skip dessert

▪ How to order: dine-in recommended; for takeout, order in-person or by phone

▪ Readers say: “great service and great food,” “it’s all about the broth! Lunar’s Pho is amazing”

UP PHO & TERIYAKI

▪ 2620 Bridgeport Way W., University Place, 253-212-1795, facebook.com/upphoteriyaki

▪ Monday-Saturday 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Sunday 12-8 p.m.

▪ What to know: modern choice for pho, including spicy versions, plus Korean dishes like bulgogi and japchae, Japanese yakisoba and teriyaki

Honorable Mentions

▪ Pho & More, Gig Harbor

▪ MaMa’s Pho, 9312 South Tacoma Way, Lakewood

▪ Souper Pho, 2725 N. Pearl St., Tacoma

▪ Pho 38th, 3815 S. Steele St., Tacoma

▪ La Ca Bar, 606 S. Junett St., Tacoma

▪ It’s Pho U, 3707 S. Meridian, Puyallup

▪ VK Viet Kitchen, 758 S. 38th St., Tacoma

This story was originally published March 5, 2024 at 11:46 AM.