Say the name of this new Wichita restaurant very, very carefully

A new build-your-own pho place in Wichita has just opened, and its name is one you’ll want to pronounce carefully when in mixed company.

Pho King ICT put on its soft opening at 4857 E. Harry over the weekend, and Monday was its first official day in business. The restaurant has taken over the space a couple of doors down from Manna Wok that was home to Pho Ong 8 until it moved to a larger space at 3801 E. Harry in January 2021.

The correct pronunciation for the word “pho,” which is a popular type of Vietnamese soup, is “fuh.” The sign for the restaurant has been up for nearly two years.

The new restaurant is to pho what Chipotle is to burritos: It allows customers to customize their bowls of pho and add various toppings found at the counter. Diners first choose a broth: either regular or spicy miso. Then they choose between rice noodles and yakisoba noodles. Finally, customers get to choose their protein, which costs extra. Choices included beef, meatballs, chicken, shrimp, crab meat, tofu, quail eggs and fish cakes. All soups come with bean sprouts, lime, jalapenos, onions, scallions and cilantro.

The base price for the soup is $6.99, and proteins cost between $1.99 and $2.99 apiece. The menu also lists appetizers like egg rolls, dumplings and crab Rangoon.

The restaurant is owned by Henry Son, the same entrepreneur who owns Wichita’s three Mr. Miyagi restaurants as well as Old Tokyo Steakhouse at 6821 W. Taft.

Pho King offers both dine-in and to-go service. Its hours are 11 a.m. to 8:39 p.m. daily except Wednesdays, when it’s closed.

Pho King ICT menu