Koreans have kimchi, Vietnam will have pho.

Pho brands want to make an impression on Korean diners with their delicious, long-standing traditional beef pho - Photo: Quang Dinh

Pho restaurants, ambassadors of Vietnamese cuisine at the Vietnam Pho Festival 2024 in Seoul (Korea) continue to write their journey on the road to bringing Vietnamese cuisine to the world.

Introducing Vietnamese delicacies to Koreans

In the days before departure, Nguyen Tuan Trung, owner of Pho Phu Gia (HCMC), was both nervous and excited. Last year, his pho restaurant missed its appointment with Japan due to a last-minute incident, so this year, preparations were doubled, tripled to make the journey smoother.

According to Mr. Trung, cooking delicious pho depends a lot on the water source and the ingredients of spices and meat. The conditions for entry and hygiene safety in Korea are quite difficult, so the restaurant has prepared many different plans, trying to keep the flavor as close as possible to when cooking in Vietnam.

Phu Gia Pho restaurant has a tradition of nearly 50 years of pho business. Mr. Trung is the third generation to take over the family pho brand and is developing the traditional pho flavor not only domestically but also internationally.

With its characteristic fragrant broth, light, sweet flavor and tender meat, Pho Phu Gia is a favorite place for gourmets. The restaurant also welcomes many international tourists, including Korean tourists.

"In participating in the Vietnam Pho Festival this year, the restaurant wants to bring the most unique and quintessential features of our pho to overseas Vietnamese and Korean people. Through the festival, we want to introduce a long-standing pho culture of the Vietnamese people, such as when mentioning kimchi, we immediately think of Korea and when mentioning pho, we immediately think of Vietnam," Mr. Trung shared.

The owners of the pho restaurants that participated in the program all said that their greatest wish is that all Koreans who come to Vietnam will find ways to enjoy delicious, healthy Vietnamese pho.

Ms. Uong Lam Bich Hoang - the third generation to succeed Pho Dau - expressed her joy to once again join Tuoi Tre in the Vietnam Pho Festival in Seoul, Korea 2024. Last year, during her first participation in the program in Japan, Pho Dau had unforgettable memories.

It is the "hand-breaking" hardship, the strangeness of the experience of cooking pho abroad, in the "strange" kitchen of a Vietnamese restaurant in Japan. It is the feeling of pride when the locals receive pho with great respect, everyone enjoys it deliciously.

A bowl of rich pho is a nostalgia for Vietnamese people far from home and even tourists who have enjoyed this dish - Photo: TTO

Experience the full flavor of traditional pho

For the owners of Pho S', Nguyen Tien Hai and Nguyen Tu Tin, each time they bring pho abroad is an opportunity to better understand international tastes and love for pho.

In Japan in 2023, the "Golden Star Anise" brothers worked "at full capacity" to serve the long lines of people waiting to enjoy pho, most of whom were Japanese customers.

"The international love for this dish is no longer in doubt. The bigger thing is, when customers are familiar with and love the taste of Vietnamese pho, we must develop it further, making cuisine a way to develop the economy, an outlet for exporting raw materials, spices, and Vietnamese agricultural products," Hai said.

Mr. Nguyen Van Tan, head chef of Sasco, the unit that introduced the Pho Sen brand to the public, Korean expatriates, confidently said: Pho is a favorite dish of Koreans.

But through this Vietnam Pho Festival, Koreans will also learn about lotus pho with noodles made from rice flour and dried lotus seeds, then cut into thin strips and served with broth made from bones, lotus root and soft, sweet beef.

"We want to bring fresher, tastier pho noodles even though it will take time to transport and preserve," said Mr. Tan, who has calculated how to preserve pho noodles for 3 days to serve diners in Korea.

Pho Sen specializes in serving tourists in business lounges, domestic departure terminals of Tan Son Nhat International Airport and is always welcomed for its meticulousness from the clear broth, containing its own "secret" along with delicious slices of fresh beef.

According to the organizers, this year's Vietnam Pho Festival 2024 will have nearly 70 booths, including more than 40 booths selling pho and Vietnamese and Korean delicacies. In addition, there will be a space for cultural experiences, exhibitions, and introductions to Vietnamese culinary culture and tourism.

The event taking place on October 5 and 6 in Seoul will continue the journey of promoting pho to international friends, creating an opportunity for food lovers to fully experience the traditional flavor of Vietnamese pho.

Korean artists also love pho

On the eve of the Vietnam Pho Festival 2024 taking place in Seoul, Vietnamese fans were proud when the image of Rosé (BlackPink) - one of the top K-pop stars - enjoying pho in Paris created a fever on social networks.

In her vlog "48 Hours in Paris", Rosé shared her experience attending Fashion Week in France. But the moment that excited Vietnamese fans the most was when she appeared with a steaming bowl of pho, enjoying it with great enthusiasm.

Rosé's bowl of pho is served in the Vietnamese style with raw vegetables, chili, lime and bean sprouts, making the audience talk non-stop. The video quickly attracted more than 3.4 million views within a few hours of being posted.

Rosé's appearance with pho not only attracted the attention of fans but also demonstrated the popularity of Vietnamese cuisine in the world, especially pho - a dish that has become a national intangible cultural heritage.

The reception of pho by Korean stars and celebrities contributed to increasing the attraction of the event as well as the strong spread of Vietnamese pho in Korea.

Diversity and uniqueness of Vietnamese pho

With that feeling, Pho Dau decided to continue bringing the national dish to Korea and this time the owner of Pho Dau said she felt more confident because Koreans also love this Vietnamese dish. Recently, Pho Dau has welcomed many Korean tourists to Vietnam and know the long-standing reputation of Pho Dau.

There is an interesting similarity in Pho Dau, which is that the restaurant often serves the dish with onions mixed with chili sauce and vinegar oil. Many Koreans, after enjoying it, admit that this way of serving is very similar to the taste of Korean side dishes (panchan). Therefore, Korean diners really like this flavor.

"Bringing pho to Korea this time, we hope to introduce our family's restaurant brand, as well as a long-standing Vietnamese dish. Tourists and overseas Vietnamese will also have the opportunity to enjoy many pho brands to see the diversity and uniqueness of Vietnamese cuisine," Ms. Hoang shared.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/nguoi-han-co-kim-chi-viet-nam-se-la-pho-20240929084216614.htm