I don’t know anyone who doesn’t love a hot bowl of pho, especially in the long, cold, and wet Pacific Northwest winter. And now Eugenians can thank their lucky stars, cuz there’s a new Vietnamese restaurant in the 5th Street Market that’s causing quite a stir.
Pho King Eugene (pun intended) has only been open since May of 2024 and is a casual dining spot where you can get mouth-watering bowls of pho, creative cocktails, and other authentic Vietnamese cuisine. The restaurant is owned and run by Ha Nguyen who’s originally from Da Nang, Vietnam, and came to the states as a refugee after the war. Interestingly, Ha is also a licensed cosmetologist and owns and runs the popular barbershop, Studio 590, just around the corner.
However, Ha’s family is no stranger to the industry having run restaurants since 2001, and most of the dishes were inspired by Ha’s dad whom she credits with learning her love of food and cooking. When you walk into the restaurant, there’s a wall covered in pictures of Ha's family from the past. You can even find Ha’s mother, husband, and son working with her at the restaurant, continuing the rich family tradition.
There’s just so much good stuff here, it’s hard to know where to start. While you pursue the menu in the bright and spacious dining room with yellow booths and colorful paper globe lights, you’ll be given tasty shrimp chips. Consider starting off with the Cha Giò, spring rolls made with ground pork, shrimp, vegetables, and glass noodles wrapped in rice paper then fried to perfect crisp, or for a lighter option try the Gõi Cuõn, salad rolls with fresh vegetables, rice noodles, your choice of tofu or shrimp, and a crispy Menlo roll wrapped in rice paper. Another great choice are the Vietnamese Chicken Wings that are sweet and spicy with a hint of lime.
If this is your first time here, you can’t go wrong with the Pho King Special pho that comes with thinly sliced eye of round, brisket, beef meatballs, and bone marrow with bean sprouts, lime, basil, jalapeno and cilantro on the side and accompanied with a Vietnamese donut (youtiao). This is the dish that’s led dozens of reviewers to claim it’s “the best pho they’ve ever had.” Ha’s pho broth is MSG-free and is cooked for 24 to 48 hours to really bring out the rich flavors, and the meat is always thinly sliced, tender and juicy.
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They’ve also become known for their Pho King Bahn Mi, a hoagie style sandwich with lemongrass pork and shrimp, shredded carrots, cucumber, daikon, jalapeno and cilantro, and the Phò King Bún that served over vermicelli noodles with grilled pork belly lemongrass, shrimp, chopped leaf lettuce, bean sprouts, carrots, cucumber, fresh mint and peanuts with a pork fried spring roll.
Pho King also has a full bar (Ha’s son, Kahlil, is the bartender) with incredible cocktails like the Cranberry Chai Sour, Jade Cooler, or Lychee Martini. If you’re searching for something non-alcoholic, sip on a refreshing Vietnamese iced coffee.
When you enter the restaurant, you’ll immediately notice the welcoming atmosphere, friendly service and upbeat music playing. There’s plenty of seating inside, but they also have a patio for sunny days. Menu items are a little on the pricier side, but the portions are generous.
Hours:
- Sunday: 11:00am - 6:00pm
- Monday: Closed
- Tuesday - Thursday: 11:00am - 9:00pm
- Friday and Saturday: 11:00am - 10:00pm
Address: 296 East 5th Avenue, Eugene
Phone: (541) 623-5464
