Beyond Kehlani’s praise: The secret behind Toronto’s hottest new pho spot

When a celebrity publicly praises your just-opened restaurant’s food as the best they’ve ever had, you’re probably doing something right. During a visit to Toronto earlier this month, American singer, songwriter, and dancer Kehlani shared their visit to Adelaide Street’s brand-new Pho Ngoc Yen Vietnamese restaurant with their 6.9 million TikTok followers. Complimenting the food, they said it may be the “best Vietnamese food I’ve ever had in my life.” The video shows the superstar enjoying the spot’s offerings with their crew, highlighting the meat in a large bowl of pho literally sliding off the bone. The clip ends with Kehlani stating, “My back is big, my heart is full. No notes.” That led us to ask: What goes into Toronto’s best Vietnamese food? 

For those in the dark, the new Adelaide Street location is the latest of three from family-run restaurant Pho Ngoc Yen. The new spot opened in July 2025. It’s run by co-owner Tan Trinh, his wife Tin Trinh, and her brother, executive chef Tri Tran.

When Kehlani and their party entered Pho Ngoc Yen, Tan Trinh said that some of the staff recognized them. The high-profile guest came as a surprise, as Trinh said the restaurant wasn’t aware of the visit beforehand. According to Trinh, the table ordered four short rib pho, grilled mussels, chicken wings, crispy tamarind shrimp, and a sate beef salad.

“They said everything was good, from the mussels to the wings,” says Trinh. “The short rib pho was a big hit with Kehlani’s party. As for their experience, they appeared to enjoy themselves, talking and laughing the whole time they were at our establishment.” That said, the TikTok video came as a complete surprise. Trinh says they weren’t aware of the video until some regular customers reached out and informed them. 

“Afterwards, our families could not stop watching the video,” says Trinh. “For me, after watching it for the first time, I thought this video was ‘special.’ It truly captures our customers’ genuine reaction to the bowl of pho being ‘bigger than your head’ and the braised beef falling off the bone: ‘Oh my god…look at that boy, clean. Wow, clean.’ It was a proud moment for our family to hear her claim, ‘this might be the best Vietnamese food I have ever had in my life,’ and the other lady chimed in: ‘delicioso.’ The video was also funny with the young men attacking the ribs and Kehlani’s gratitude and expressions/slang used at the end: ‘My back is big. My heart is full. Thank you. No notes.'”  

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As for the “no notes” part, Trinh said he had no idea what it meant. “We had to ask around and look it up,” says Trinh. “Now, everyone is walking around the restaurant saying, ‘No notes.’ 

So, what’s the key to such celebrated Vietnamese food? In general, Trinh says it comes down to a focus on three key areas: using fresh, quality ingredients; providing professional hospitality; and maintaining a relaxing, comfortable ambiance. Suppliers like Sun Fat Wholesales LTD and BMB Foodservice (Bangkok Meat Balls) ensure the dishes are made with the best and freshest ingredients. 

When it comes to the spot’s dreamy pho, Trinh says the broth is the main focus. “To establish the desired results, we extract all the taste from the bone and mix it with the correct ratio of herbs and spices,” says Trinh. “The key techniques are time and patience. You need to be patient and not rush the cooking process.”

But it’s more than just the pho. “Our menu is quite extensive,” says Trinh. “We are known for our pho, rice, and vermicelli. However, our bar menu truly separates us from other restaurants, with dishes like BBQ chicken with coconut sticky rice, grilled mussels, beef salad…”

A meal at  Pho Ngoc Yen goes beyond the food. Trinh points to things like the restaurant’s colour scheme as a contributing factor to the overall dining experience. “We selected red (seat cushion), green (trees) and white (tablecloth),” says Trinh. “In Asian culture, red means good luck; it represents health and longevity. Green means hope; it represents life. White means peace; it represents tranquillity. When these colours are combined, they create a peaceful environment that’s vibrant and full of life. 

Since Kehlani’s visit, Trinh says he’s noticed an influx of young adult visitors, especially at night. “Even though our establishment could accommodate over 200 patrons, for the last several days, our restaurant was full,” says Trinh. “In addition, when you add proper lighting and soft music, you are creating a comfortable ambiance that truly enhances your dining experience. More importantly, since we built our Toronto establishment from scratch, we were able to include cultural and personal touches to the design of the restaurant, which makes a long-lasting impression on our customers and creates a memory of a lifetime.”

Clearly, it’s a recipe for success – one with a celeb-worthy stamp of approval. As for Trinh’s reaction to Kehlani’s video? “My tummy is big. My heart is full. Thank you, Kehlani, for the wonderful video. No notes.”