A Vietnamese restaurant in Milpitas, California, is in hot water after someone caught one of their supposed employees trying to defrost meat in the most unconventional way possible: by slamming it on the dirty pavement. It wasn’t initially clear whether this was standard procedure for the restaurant or an isolated case, but the incident has since caused a chain of negative publicity for the restaurant.
PhoLove in Milpitas is the restaurant in question, and it appears the restaurant is currently conducting its own investigation with the help of police regarding the viral video of the unconventional defrosting. The video, which was uploaded on TikTok, shows one of the restaurant workers repeatedly slamming a slab of frozen ribs on the ground:
While there’s a somewhat cleaner cardboard on the pavement, you can see the slab of frozen ribs landing on the dirty pavement. The video has since gone viral, with more than 4 million views, and many commentators have called for a health inspection of PhoLove. Meanwhile, PhoLove has quickly released a statement on the matter, stating that it’s an isolated case:
“After a preliminary internal review, we have determined that the individual’s actions were conducted in a personal capacity in collaboration with an external party, contrary to our company’s standards and without knowledge or instruction. We are treating the matter with the utmost seriousness and are fully cooperating with a police investigation. The trust and safety of our customers are our highest priority,” according to a statement posted on PhoLove’s now-deactivated Instagram account.
People online remain skeptical
It’s not clear how much the viral footage will affect their business from now on, as people seem to remain skeptical regarding the cleanliness of the meat. The video also prompted a full investigation, and the Santa Clara County Department of Public Health cited two major violations: A cockroach infestation and improperly sanitized utensils and equipment.
It was unclear what those frozen ribs were used for or whether they were actually served to customers, just as most people online had assumed. Some have given the restaurant the benefit of the doubt, claiming that the video might have been staged, especially with the person on the roof and the convenient angle of the video, “I believe them. It was staged. Dude on roof,” claims one of the commenters, while others have mocked the worker, “Those ribs tasted a little chunky…”
Regardless, it appears PhoLove continues to receive overwhelming negativity as it not only deactivated its Instagram but also temporarily closed following the controversy. Ironically enough, PhoLove was actually getting a great reception with a rating of 4.9 out of 76 Google reviews before the video, with many people praising their Pho and the tenderness and flavor of the meat.
