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Mr. Duong Duc Huan, chef of Majestic Hotel, prepares pho dishes to be introduced to diners at Vietnam Pho Festival in Seoul (South Korea) - Photo: QUANG DINH

Consumers are willing to pay high prices for bowls of pho not only because of the quality of the ingredients but also because of the service and experience from the waiters. Many 4-5 star hotels have included pho as a typical dish chosen by tourists.

From a bowl of pho costing millions of dong...

Last year, a restaurant in a skyscraper in Ho Chi Minh City caused a stir in the culinary world when it served a VND4 million pho dish with expensive ingredients such as gold leaf, wagyu beef, and truffles. However, this VND4 million pho only appeared in the restaurant's promotional program, not on the fixed menu.

Initially, the people who came to order the 4 million VND pho were TikTokers and YouTubers, then there were diners who wanted to really enjoy it. Notably, the restaurant also had a high-end order from a businessman who ordered 10 bowls of pho to be delivered home to treat foreign partners. With this order, the restaurant sent staff to the customer's house and served it hot on the spot.

Ms. Mandy Tran, representative of the restaurant selling "Pho choc troi" (also known as Pho Landmark), said: When it was launched, this pho dish created a viral effect on the media, the number of new customers coming to the restaurant to enjoy it exceeded expectations. Initially, the restaurant limited serving to 3 bowls per day, but the number of bowls sold during the program was always over 10 bowls per day.

The above million-dong pho is carefully prepared with richly marbled beef, served with handmade pho noodles and broth made from Australian beef such as shank bone, oxtail, flank and chicken bones, simmered for 48 hours...

"We still remember from a program to refresh the menu and attract more attention from diners, pho brought in real revenue, reaching a billion VND in that month," said Ms. Mandy.

Hotels introducing Vietnamese delicacies will serve diners in Korea - Performed by: THE KIET - MAI HUYEN

The effect of a bowl of pho costing 4 million VND "usurped" the price of a bowl of pho costing 100 USD (more than 2.4 million VND) a few years ago. Accordingly, a bowl of pho costing 100 USD once made a splash for a restaurant in Ton That Dam market, which was also the first restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City to receive a Michelin star in 2023.

At that time, this bowl of pho was considered the most expensive in Vietnam. Nowadays, in hotels and restaurants in big cities like Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, bowls of Vietnamese pho are sold for prices ranging from a few hundred thousand to up to a million dong, becoming increasingly popular.

During their tour to Hanoi last year, the BlackPink girls also chose beef pho for their meal, with each bowl costing VND280,000. Or the $50 bowl of pho at the Park Hyatt Saigon hotel also became a "best seller" of the restaurant.

However, in some places, if you want to enjoy the taste of a million-dong bowl of pho, you have to order in advance and there is a certain number of servings.

According to Mr. Luu Khanh Hiep - chef of Grand Saigon Hotel, the soul of Vietnamese pho in the upgraded version is the broth, which plays a role in blending all the flavors of the ingredients.

Upgrade Pho with Experience

Majestic Hotel's beef rib pho (Saigontourist) will be introduced to diners at the Vietnam Pho Festival in Seoul (Korea) - Photo: QUANG DINH

Talking about pho in high-end restaurants and hotels, Mr. Duong Duc Huan, head chef of Majestic Saigon Hotel, said that in addition to ingredients and preparation methods, the important factor that increases the value of a bowl of pho is the culinary experience that diners receive.

High-end restaurants focus not only on taste but also on the atmosphere, service style and the story behind each bowl of pho. Diners come not only to eat but also to enjoy an impressive culinary journey.

Bringing to the Vietnam Pho Festival 2024 taking place in Seoul (Korea), the chef of the Majestic Saigon Hotel shared that the hotel will introduce to diners the premium beef rib pho, which is a dish that is very popular with guests staying at the hotel. For this dish, the chef must select the intact beef ribs and stew them for a long time to create a special flavor.

Interestingly, this pho dish is being added to the hotel's permanent menu after a period of being served on request.

With the initial price of several hundred thousand VND/bowl, pho was only served on special occasions or by order because hotels were also concerned about the price.

However, the reception from diners was quite surprising, so the restaurant decided to put it on the menu.

Crab claws used in the spicy crab pho dish of the Majestic Hotel (Saigontourist) will be introduced to diners at the Vietnam Pho Festival in Seoul (Korea) - Photo: QUANG DINH

"In 5-star hotels, instead of being served a bowl of hot pho with broth, diners will sit at the table and watch the chef serve, the broth is kept hot in a thermos. When the hot broth is poured, the aroma of the ingredients in the bowl of pho spreads," Chef Huan shared.

Pho at Pho Hoi Quan Golf Thu Duc also specializes in serving the most demanding customers, with the most premium ingredients. And no matter how it changes, pho still retains its core value: bringing rich flavor and satisfaction to diners.

Mr. Vo Van Nhanh, director of the Majestic Saigon Hotel, said that the delicacies of Vietnam served in the hotel in a high-end version are very well received by international tourists. With the development of the economy and the demand for enjoying high-class cuisine, many traditional and rustic dishes of Vietnam, including pho, have undergone significant changes.

"From ordinary pho shops, many restaurants have taken pho to a new level with sophisticated preparation and the use of high-quality ingredients. That is also the path we want to introduce Vietnamese cuisine abroad," Mr. Nhanh shared.

Nearly 70 booths participate in Vietnam Pho Festival 2024

Vietnam Pho Festival 2024 takes place on October 5 and 6, 2024 at Pie Factory, 441 Gwangnaru-ro, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul (Korea).

The program is co-organized by the Vietnamese Embassy in Korea, Tuoi Tre newspaper, Saigontourist Group, under the direction of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee and the coordination of the Trade Promotion Agency (Ministry of Industry and Trade), Ho Chi Minh City Department of Industry and Trade, General Association of Vietnamese in Korea, Vietnam Business Association in Korea, Korea - Southeast Asia Economic Cooperation Association (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Korea).

Vietnam Pho Festival 2024 has a performance stage, nearly 70 booths, including more than 40 booths of pho and Vietnamese and Korean delicacies. In addition, there is a space for cultural experiences, exhibitions, and introductions to Vietnamese culinary and tourism culture. With the slogan "Enjoy Pho, Discover Vietnam", the program organizers hope to use Vietnam Pho Festival to create people-to-people diplomacy activities, promote friendly relations between the two countries, promote culinary culture, and connect trade based on the economic and tourism potentials of Vietnam and Korea.

Introducing delicious Vietnamese dishes to suit international tastes

Vietnamese Pho is being upgraded with premium ingredients, bringing a new culinary experience - Photo: QUANG DINH

Mr. Pham Huy Binh - Chairman of Saigontourist Group, co-head of the steering committee for organizing Vietnam Pho Festival 2024 in Korea - said that coming to Vietnam Pho Festival 2024 in Korea, the group has increased the number of participating member units from 3 units (in 2023) to 5 units - including Majestic Saigon, Grand Saigon, Caravelle Saigon, Saigon - Morin (Hue) and the brand Pho restaurant Golf Thu Duc.

In addition to the main flavor of pho, the units also selectively introduce delicious Vietnamese dishes suitable for the taste of international diners, combined with performances introducing Hue royal cuisine.

"One of the contents that contributes to creating a unique highlight for the activities of Vietnam Pho Festival 2024 in Korea is that the head chef of the old Saigon - Morin Hotel (under Saigontourist Group) will explain, introduce to the Korean public and demonstrate the secret of preparing Royal Salt Rice, a dish "rice for the king", which since the time of King Minh Mang has been ranked as a delicacy of Hue royal cuisine", Mr. Binh informed.

Also on this occasion, Saigontourist Travel Service Company (under Saigontourist Group) also launched a Korean tourism product combined with attending the Vietnam Pho Festival 2024 in Seoul, giving customers free coupons to enjoy pho or delicious Vietnamese dishes at the event.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/nhung-phien-ban-pho-viet-cao-cap-20241002095800098.htm