Brandon Luong is the Pho King. He’s eaten at every pho restaurant in Salt Lake, Utah, and Summit Counties.
How did Pho King start?
“Back in 2021, when restaurants were just re-opening for dine-in, a few friends and I were craving some pho since we hadn’t had any since quarantine started. I remember saying something like, ‘Wouldn’t it be funny if I reviewed every single pho restaurant?’ Next thing I know, I’m running around eating pho almost every day. Eventually, I had a huge spreadsheet with detailed notes ranking every pho restaurant in the Salt Lake Valley — a place definitely NOT known for its pho.”
What the pho. (@phokingslc/Instagram)
What do you look for in the perfect bowl of pho?
“The secret ingredient to pho is time, and I look for evidence that the restaurant didn’t take shortcuts. I’m looking for the seasonings and spices that were used. Does it taste like they took the time to simmer the broth for hours, or does it taste like they used a pho bouillon cube? It should be slightly sweet, moderately salty, and overwhelmingly umami while having a strong foundation of herby, spiced beefiness.”
If you had to guess, how many bowls of pho have you eaten so far?
“I’ve easily had over 150 bowls just for this project. I grew up eating Vietnamese food, but my family would only have pho maybe once every month or two. I’d guess my total lifetime bowls is somewhere around 250-300. Crazy to think that over half of the bowls I’ve ever eaten have been over the last two years for this silly project.”
Where’s your favorite place for pho?
