Vietnamese Pho has successfully conquered Japanese diners in a fragrant pho space right in the middle of Yoyogi Park, Tokyo, Japan.
Mr. Lan, Ms. Doan and their 3 children, who have lived in Japan for 25 years, enjoy pho at the festival - Photo: QUANG DINH
More than 50,000 visitors came on the first day of the Vietnam Pho Festival in Japan on October 7 to enjoy Vietnam's most famous dish, personally cooked by famous pho restaurant chefs from Vietnam.
Behind those delicious, hot bowls of pho, diners also find the compatibility and closeness of the two culinary cultures of Vietnam and Japan.
Traveling a long way to Vietnam Pho Festival
Ms. My Ha's family (living in Tokyo) watched pho noodles being made at Hai Thien pho stall on October 7 at Yoyogi Park - Photo: QUANG DINH
Although the opening ceremony officially started at 11am, the stalls were still busy preparing their supplies, many foreign tourists as well as Japanese families were present at Yoyogi Park and were quickly attracted by the aroma of pho stalls. The sunny weather with a bit of chill seemed to contribute to spreading the aroma of pho more strongly in the space.
Many Japanese families and groups of young people arrived early with the desire to enjoy pho. Ms. Odekakechan, from Tokyo, stood out in a purple ao dai, saying that when she learned about the Vietnamese Pho Festival, she and her friends immediately wore ao dai to the festival and enjoyed their favorite dish.
"The pho here is very delicious. Until now, I have only eaten chicken pho. It was not until I had the opportunity to travel to Vietnam last May that I learned about beef pho. The taste of the pho here is exactly the same as what I had eaten on that trip. The beef pho is very flavorful and nutritious," Ms. Odekakechan shared.
Meanwhile, Ms. Mariko Takeguchi, a Japanese teacher, was also attracted by the "culinary world" at the festival. Loving Vietnamese culture and pho, Ms. Mariko Takeguchi said that she often goes to eat pho every month. Today, a friend introduced her to the Pho Dau stall. "The pho noodles here are better than any other place I've ever eaten, and the broth is clear," she said.
Many Japanese and Vietnamese people living far from home from all over Japan took advantage of the weekend, traveling hours by subway to come to the Pho Festival. Mr. Tuan and his wife from Yokohama chose three different brands of pho to satisfy their homesickness.
"On weekends, we find old flavors again. Pho is sold a lot in Japan, every time we go to eat, we have to wait in a very long line. But the flavors of pho here give me the feeling of meeting an old friend again. There is something very familiar," Mr. Tuan shared.
Beautiful Odekakechan in ao dai, enjoying pho - Photo: TRUC PHUONG
Vietnamese Pho in a strange yet familiar place
Diners enjoy pho at Yoyogi Park, Tokyo, Japan on the morning of October 7 - Photo: QUANG DINH
Although this is their first time "going abroad", brands such as Pho Dau, Pho Thin, Pho Hai Thien, Pho Sam Ngoc Linh, Pho Sen SASCO, Pho Majestic Saigon Hotel, Pho Grand Saigon Hotel, Pho Thu Duc Golf Course Restaurant (VGCC)... are easily recognized by both Japanese pho lovers and Vietnamese people living far away from home. During peak times, the lines of people lining up in front of pho stalls show that love.
As the afternoon wore on, the number of visitors to the festival grew, and the pho chefs served without stopping. Nguyen Tien Hai, Pho S', said that 80% of the customers at his booth were Japanese, with some eating 2-3 bowls. Looking at the way the Japanese gathered, lined up, held their hot pho bowls, slurped each mouthful of broth, picked up a noodle and shoved it into their mouths, making a loud noise, and slurped up the broth, he could clearly see that the Japanese really liked this dish.
Diners enjoy pho at Yoyogi Park, Tokyo, Japan on the morning of October 7 - Photo: QUANG DINH
But the happiest person was probably Ms. Ung Bich Hoang of Pho Dau stall. Many Vietnamese people who have lived and worked in Japan for many years came early to receive "regular customers". Mr. Phung, a Vietnamese expatriate who has lived in Japan for more than 50 years, was happy that the familiar name Pho Dau had finally come to the land of cherry blossoms.
Meanwhile, My Ha's family changed their weekend plans to spend time at the festival. "When we heard that Pho Dau was coming to Japan, my two kids agreed to go with us. Every time we return to Vietnam, the whole family only eats Pho Dau," My Ha said.
The festival was more popular than expected, and by noon, the pho stalls were almost out of broth. The chefs were busy adding more servings for the afternoon.
Politicians who love Vietnamese pho
Mr. Yamaguchi Natsuo, Chairman of the Japanese Komeito Party - Photo: QUANG DINH
On the opening day of the festival, Mr. Yamaguchi Natsuo - Chairman of the Japanese Komeito Party - enjoyed three bowls of pho with three different brands, then stayed for quite a while to interact with pho lovers.
Mr. Yamaguchi Natsuo said that 32 years ago, when he first came to Vietnam and enjoyed pho, he was impressed with this dish and believed that any Japanese person who had the opportunity to enjoy it would immediately love it.
"Pho tastes very delicious and suits the Japanese palate. I believe everyone will love this dish. Eating pho today, I remember that time. No matter how pho is modified, the flavor of Vietnamese pho still has its own unique combination of rice noodles and beef broth," the chairman of the Japanese Komeito Party shared with Tuoi Tre .
He added that through pho, we can see the cultural similarities and closeness between Vietnam and Japan. Both countries use many rice products in their daily lives. "Through this festival, the friendship between Vietnam and Japan and this pho symphony will create the most wonderful music!", Mr. Yamaguchi Natsuo sent a meaningful message.
According to diners, the taste of Japanese dishes is often elegant, gentle, suitable for the natural atmosphere of each season, and has its own unique identity. Vietnamese pho also has similar features.
Mr. Aoyagi Yoichiro, a member of the Japanese National Assembly, shared that it was only the opening day but someone had asked if there would be a Vietnamese Pho Festival in Japan next year. And there, there would not only be Vietnamese pho but also a competition and meeting between ramen, soba noodles... and pho dishes.
"Today I enjoyed three bowls of pho. The taste of pho at the festival is similar to the pho I had in Vietnam, because these bowls of pho were cooked by pho restaurant owners from Vietnam. What we saw through the first Pho Festival held in Japan, the values that the people of the two countries share, the friendship... are the foundation for the festival to continue to be held next year. Of course, many more factors will be needed," said Mr. Aoyagi Yoichiro.
Will bring the Pho Festival - Vietnam Pho Festival to many countries
According to Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan Pham Quang Hieu, food festivals are always the most ideal cultural exchange places where participants can easily find compatibility and closeness even though they come from many countries. And at the Vietnam Pho Festival 2023, those values continue to be highlighted. The festival will continue to be open for another day on October 8. Mr. Nguyen Trung Khanh, Director of the Department of Tourism, also affirmed that the value of pho is not only a familiar dish of Vietnamese people, but also becomes a cultural beauty, a subtle way of storytelling, so that through enjoying pho, international visitors can feel and understand more about Vietnamese culture, history and people. The idea of bringing the Vietnam Pho Festival further and continuing to go out to other countries will be a way to attract tourists to Vietnam. For now, we will focus on markets with key customers and culinary cultures similar to Vietnam, such as Korea... And we can go further.Vietnam Pho Festival 2023 is co-organized by Tuoi Tre newspaper, Saigon Tourist Group, Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam - Japan Friendship Association, with the support of the Vietnamese Embassy in Japan and the support of Japanese friends such as Mr. Aoyagi Yoichiro - member of the House of Representatives, head of the Vietnam - Japan Festival Organizing Committee, Mainichi newspaper (Japan) and Vietnamese associations in Japan.
Vietnam Pho Festival 2023 has the participation of Golden Star Anise chefs from previous years such as: Nguyen Tien Hai, Nguyen Tu Tin, Pham Quang Duy... and chefs from famous pho restaurants: Pho Dau, Pho Hai Thien, Pho Hotel Majestic Saigon, Pho'S, Pho Sen SASCO, Pho Thin Bo Ho, Pho Thu Duc Golf Course Restaurant, Pho Ta - Binh Tay Food...
The program is sponsored by Vietnam Airlines, Suntory Beverage & Food, Simply Food (Binh Tay Food Company), SASCO, Dai-ichi Life Vietnam, Pho'S and several other businesses.
The reigning Miss Intercontinental Le Nguyen Bao Ngoc is the official ambassador, accompanying and participating in the program's activities.
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