Vietnamese Pho is famous all over the world - Photo: QUANG DINH
Finding a good pho cook is an activity within the framework of the Vietnam Pho Festival.
This year, the event takes place in Ho Chi Minh City and the five winners of the "Golden Star Anise" award in the 2025 Pho Cooking Contest will be invited to promote pho at the Vietnam Pho Festival, which will take place in Singapore, scheduled for early October 2025.
From luxury to global culinary star
Culinary artist Pham Thi Anh Tuyet, a member of the jury of the 2025 contest to find a good pho cook, shared that life is getting better and better, so everyone can afford to eat pho, and pho restaurants are popping up everywhere. However, when she was a child (around the 1960s), pho was a luxury and expensive dish.
Back then, money was calculated in dimes and coins, and a few dimes was enough to buy a meal for the whole family. Spending a few dimes to buy a bowl of pho was a big deal. Pho was not an everyday dish but a treat on special occasions.
She has cooked and eaten pho countless times, but the image of a bowl of pho from her childhood is still vivid in the memory of this Hanoian artist. Every time she was sick or had a fever, her mother would always gently ask her daughter: "You have a fever and can't eat rice, so I'll go buy you a bowl of pho."
She said that children at that time were only rewarded with a bowl of pho by their parents when they did well in their studies and received a certificate of merit or when they were sick or had a fever.
More than half a century has passed, and today pho is not only loved by Vietnamese people but also by international diners. In the morning, when stepping out on the street, pho restaurants are always the most crowded among breakfast restaurants.
Artisan Pham Thi Anh Tuyet once cooked for 21 heads of state at APEC Da Nang 2017. 21 heads of state, also representing 21 different cultures, but everyone finished their portion, no one left any leftovers. She said that among Vietnamese dishes, pho is very popular with the heads of state. There are people who eat pho every morning, absolutely no other dish.
Ms. Tuyet explains why pho has gone straight to the hearts of international diners. "Not too sour or sweet like some cuisines in the world, Vietnamese pho is harmonious, balanced between flavors but no less sophisticated, when eaten it feels comfortable and delicious - she said - So much so that many people slurp it down to the last drop".
This artist added that the difference between Northern and Southern pho is part of regional culture. Each place has its own characteristics, creating the richness of Vietnamese pho.
Artist Pham Thi Anh Tuyet looks at the contestant's broth pot in the preliminary round of Finding a Pho Cook 2020.
Cooking Pho Competition to Learn Other People's Secrets
As one of the earliest contestants to register for the contest "Finding the best pho cook" , Ms. Yung Thuy Burden (Vietnamese name is Thuy Dung, 49 years old, currently living in Australia) shared that she learned about the contest by reading the newspaper.
At first, she sent information to her employees to participate, even promising to teach them how to cook pho. But they were too shy to compete, so she finally filled out the registration form. "My biggest goal when I entered the competition was to "learn by heart" so that I could cook better. I can cook well, but someone else can cook even better," she said happily.
Dung was born and raised in Ho Chi Minh City. When she was young, she often followed her grandfather to church every weekend. After the mass, the two of them would always go eat pho or steak nearby.
Every time she entered the restaurant, she enjoyed watching the huge pot of steaming broth, the beautiful pieces of beef, onions, fresh herbs, and the nimble movements of the vendors. All of these combined to create the most vivid scene of her childhood, so that when she left, she would miss it deeply.
Some ingredients commonly used to cook pho - Photo: QUANG DINH
Although she liked it, Dung had never cooked pho herself. More than 10 years ago, she married an Australian. Where her family lived, there were few Vietnamese people or Vietnamese restaurants, so every time she craved pho, she had no choice but to cook pho herself to satisfy her craving.
Dung's family specializes in the business of recycling wood to produce furniture, and has nothing to do with food and drink. However, Vietnamese dishes, especially pho, have become "cultural ambassadors" connecting the food-loving souls of the two countries.
Her husband and friends in Australia all love Vietnamese pho. Once a month, sometimes twice a month, she cooks pho to treat everyone.
Japanese parliamentarian Yoichiro Aoyagi once shared his love for Vietnamese pho - Photo: QUANG DINH
For many people, pho is a complicated, elaborate and time-consuming dish, but for her, cooking pho is entertaining and enjoyable. While cooking, she can clean the house, even go get her hair done. When she finishes, an enticing aroma wafts up, and she knows she is "at home in her mind."
Everyone has their own secret to making pho. Ms. Dung often chooses oxtail bones to make broth because the tail has tendons that are very good for bones and joints and are considered a medicine to treat bone and joint diseases.
Before stewing, she often grills or roasts ginger and onions to create aroma and blanches the oxtail bones in boiling water to remove dirt.
She simmers the broth for about four hours over low heat to get a clear broth. Half an hour before it is done, she adds cinnamon, star anise... and then takes it out immediately to avoid bitterness. She adds a little salt and rarely adds fish sauce.
Pho noodles are very simple, you can buy fresh ones at the Chinese market or dry ones at the supermarket near your house. And that’s it, you have a bowl of pho in Australia, 7,000km away from Vietnam.
In Vietnam, there are countless pho restaurants - Photo: QUANG DINH
Contest rules: Finding the best pho cook 2025
The contest "Finding the best pho cook 2025" was officially launched on June 15, 2025 and welcomes all Vietnamese citizens and foreigners from 18 to 60 years old, who have a special love for pho.
Whether you are a professional chef or a passionate homemaker, you can be a part of the journey to celebrate Vietnamese pho.
The contest starts accepting registrations from June 15 to August 30, 2025 via the website tuoitre.vn/di-tim-nguoi-nau-pho-ngon-2025 or the fanpage Pho Day 12-12; fill in the information according to the form and submit your entry.
Scan QR code to see detailed rules
The contest consists of a video (2-5 minutes) recording the contestant cooking pho or a set of photos (at least 3 clear photos) with a description of 100-300 words. Based on the content of the video or photos, the organizing committee will select 30 outstanding contestants to move on to the next round.
The qualifying round will take place on September 20, 2025 in Ho Chi Minh City. In this round, each contestant will compete individually, prepare their own ingredients and make beef pho in 60 minutes. When finished, the contestant will present 6 bowls of pho for the judges to score. After this round, the 10 best contestants will move on to the final round.
The final round takes place the next day (September 21, 2025), also in Ho Chi Minh City. Contestants will cook the broth in the morning, complete the pho dish in the afternoon, and present the dish to the panel of judges.
The final result will select the Top 5 best faces - receiving the title "Golden Star Anise" with a prize of 20 million VND, certificate and medal.
In particular, the Top 5 "Golden Star Anise" will be invited by the organizers to Singapore to perform pho at the Vietnam Pho Festival 2025 and will be invited to participate in the Pho Day program in Ho Chi Minh City. The remaining 5 contestants will receive the "Silver Star Anise" award and a prize of 10 million VND.
ORGANIZING COMMITTEE
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/cung-tuoi-tre-tiep-tuc-di-tim-nguoi-nau-pho-ngon-2025072208332415.htm
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