Celebrity food critic Keith Lee said he might have had the “best pho” of his life at a family-run Vietnamese restaurant in Toronto.
Lee, who has more than 17 million followers on TikTok, dropped by Pho Ngoc Yen, located on Adelaide Street West near Peter Street, around 9:30 p.m. on Sunday night. The Las Vegas-based food reviewer said he was visiting the city for just 24 hours for a “life changing” shoot, details of which he did not disclose.
“You can’t tell me that don’t look amazing. I love Toronto,” Lee can be heard saying, as his video shows a close-up of the beef short rib pho he ordered. Lee also ordered fresh sugar cane and passionfruit juices.
@keith_lee125 Pho Ngoc Yén taste test 💕 would you try it ? 💕 #foodcritic ♬ original sound – Keith Lee
The video then cuts to Lee taking a few bites of his soup.
“This might be the best pho I’ve ever had in my life. It’s spicy, it’s fresh, the amount of lemongrass in here is incredible. It’s super rich,” Lee said, before giving the bowl of pho a ranking of 9.4 out of 10.
A dramatic increase in demand typically follows after one of the food reviewer’s visits, also called the “Keith Lee Effect.” Last time he visited Toronto, wait times for Sumaq, a shawarma spot in Scarborough, doubled while Biscuits to Baskets, a tiny bakery in Ajax, was forced to shut down to prepare for the weekend rush.
