Pho King Tas Tea brings traditional Vietnamese and Chinese dishes to the Pocatello community

POCATELLO – Busy traffic whisks by an unassuming building, occupied by a restaurant serving both Chinese and Vietnamese dishes.

While the sign outside reads Ming’s Cafe, the restaurant is actually Pho King TasTea. Opened in 2020, the owners of the memorably named restaurant want their customers to feel at home.

“We’re a family-owned business. I want everybody to feel welcome,” said owner Grace Perez.

The restaurant serves both pho and a wide variety of drinks.

Pho is a soup that takes a long time to make, with the bone broth taking hours to boil before it’s ready to be served. Customers can choose what kinds of meat to eat along with the rice noodles, including beef balls, brisket, steak and more.

Served alongside the dish are various spicy sauces that pack a punch.

“If you don’t eat too many spices … I wouldn’t recommend dipping too much in, but just a little,” Perez said.

If someone gets overconfident with the spice, they can wash it down with one of the many drinks Pho King Tas Tea offers. One is the Shamrock, served with a honeydew base and mango crystal boba. Customers can get this drink over ice or as a blended drink.

Those seeking a vegetarian meal also have options, including the tofu served with mixed veggies. The tofu is deep-fried and comes with a variety of vegetables, includings peas, mushrooms and onions.

Another popular dish is the honey walnut shrimp, served with steamed or stir-fried rice. The shrimp is battered and deep-fried and then cooked in a delicious sauce.

Originally from California, the Perez family loves having the opportunity to bring traditional dishes to the Pocatello community.

“We love this community. It’s very nice and peaceful. Everybody’s really nice to each other,” Perez said. “I try to bring some dishes that we don’t have here for the community.”