Defining Vietnam through its cuisine.

Cuisine has brought the image of Vietnam to the world, and in turn, it has brought the world closer to Vietnam.

From Clinton's pho and Obama's bun cha to global Vietnamese cuisine.

The image of US President Bill Clinton standing on the second-floor balcony of a pho restaurant next to Ben Thanh Market, waving on a November 2000 day, remains vividly etched in the memories of many Ho Chi Minh City residents. It was a historic moment when Clinton became the first US president to visit Vietnam since the end of the war. It was also the time when pho began to proudly appear in international media, opening a new chapter for Vietnamese cuisine and establishing its important position on the world culinary map.

US President Bill Clinton poses for a photo with staff at Pho 2000 restaurant.

Photo: Alain Huynh

The Pho 2000 restaurant, once visited by the Clinton family, is still operating today and continues to attract both domestic and international tourists. Here, diners can admire historical photos from 25 years ago, proudly displayed by the owner, as a reminder of the beginnings of Vietnamese cuisine on its journey to international recognition.

In 2016, during a visit to Hanoi , US President Barack Obama took the time to enjoy bun cha (grilled pork with vermicelli) in the Old Quarter. He was joined by "world culinary legend" and celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain, and their conversation that evening became part of CNN's popular food program, *Parts Unknown* . Like Pho 2000, Huong Lien bun cha restaurant – where Obama visited – has benefited greatly from this special guest to this day. Bun cha has also become globally popular, alongside pho, banh mi, and bun bo Hue, becoming a representative dish of Vietnamese cuisine in the eyes of the international community.

About 15 years ago, when we first went to Germany for the global climate change conference, our team of reporters had a hard time finding Vietnamese food in the center of Berlin. Only at the Dong Xuan Market in Berlin could we find Vietnamese food, and even then, there weren't many options. Today, in the heart of the German capital, you can find almost any Vietnamese dish you want.

A Vietnamese restaurant inside a shopping mall in Hamburg, Germany.

Photo: NTT

Wherever Vietnamese people live, there are markets, and food always plays a significant role in these markets. The Sa Pa Vietnamese market in Prague (Czech Republic) is divided into many sections over an area of ​​nearly 40 hectares and continues to expand. Entering the market, visitors feel like they've wandered into a bustling street in the Northern Delta, and the most attractive thing for many is still the food. Right at the entrance is a Hai Duong-style rice roll stall, which also sells pork offal porridge, vermicelli with tofu and shrimp paste, fertilized duck eggs, etc. However, pho is the most popular dish; the Sa Pa market has 5-6 stalls selling Nam Dinh and Hanoi-style pho. Ms. Ha, a stall owner with 20 years of experience here, said: On weekends or local holidays, customers – mostly locals – line up all the way out onto the street.

Meanwhile, the 13th arrondissement of Paris (France) is associated with what are considered some of the best pho restaurants in Europe. Many are located along the Avenue d'Ivry, in the small streets that run alongside it, in Chinese shopping centers, and even in the alleyways of the Vietnamese community. Restaurants like Pho Hoa Pasteur and Pho 13 Paris are among the oldest Vietnamese establishments in the 13th arrondissement, with flavors praised as being very similar to pho back home. The 13th arrondissement is also famous for its banh mi (Vietnamese sandwiches) considered the best in Paris. Many Vietnamese people from other European countries often buy ready-made banh mi from this shop to take home and eat later. Interestingly, banh mi was introduced to Vietnam by the French over a hundred years ago, and now Vietnamese banh mi has followed the Vietnamese to many countries around the world, including France.

Foreigners are "obsessed" with Vietnamese food.

From humble eateries established by Vietnamese people in various countries, Vietnamese cuisine has gradually asserted its position, appearing on the menus of prestigious restaurants. Even more remarkably, many owners of Vietnamese restaurants are foreigners. For example, in Hong Kong – known for its love of international cuisine – there are many successful Vietnamese restaurants. "Vietnam has a diverse culture, contributing to a sophisticated and enduring culinary tradition – something that Hong Kong people greatly appreciate," commented the South China Morning Post , a leading newspaper in Hong Kong. This is also why Raymond Wong opened Bep Vietnamese Kitchen in Central in 2014, due to his "deep love for authentic and original Vietnamese cuisine." Bep's commitment to quality – with other branches in Sheung Wan and Tai Kok Tsui – is evident in its sourcing of ingredients such as chili peppers, herbs, and fish sauce from Vietnam. Wong said that the broth for the restaurant's beef pho is made from simmered beef bones and two types of beef brisket to create a rich flavor, while the delicious rice dishes are served with stir-fried beef in black pepper sauce or grilled pork ribs.

Hanoi restaurant inside Dong Xuan Market, Berlin, Germany

Photo: NTT

Meanwhile, Kenny Tse, co-founder of Pho Viet Authentic Hanoi Cuisine in Mong Kok in 2017, highlights the restaurant's signature bun cha. During Hong Kong's hot and humid summer, the restaurant focuses on refreshing dishes such as bun rieu, Vietnamese banh mi, and variations of bun thit nuong (grilled pork with vermicelli).

It would be a significant oversight to discuss Vietnamese cuisine worldwide without mentioning the United States. Here, Vietnamese food has been elevated to a new level. Not just limited to one or two restaurants, Vietnamese banh mi sandwiches in the US have seen the emergence of chain brands. A prime example is Lee's Sandwiches, founded by two Vietnamese Americans in San Jose in 1983, which has now grown into a brand with 62 stores across eight states, including California, Nevada, Oklahoma, and Texas.

Saigon-style dessert shop in Sa Pa market, Prague, Czech Republic

Photo: NTT

Hughie's in Houston is one of many Vietnamese-American restaurants that opened in 2013. Since 2020, the restaurant has operated on a drive-through model (a popular American dining style where customers drive right up to the door and pick up their food without getting out) to minimize contact due to Covid-19. Paul Pham, owner of Hughie's, told The New York Times that he has opened a second restaurant and won't stop there. According to Pham, drive-through is a way to introduce Vietnamese cuisine into the American fast-food industry. Americans are increasingly fond of Vietnamese food, and this will make banh mi an ideal choice for the next generation of drive-through restaurants. In recent years, many Vietnamese restaurants with similar concepts have opened. All have been popular thanks to the combination of high-quality Vietnamese cuisine and the convenience of American drive-throughs.

What is the current status of Vietnamese cuisine?

Ben Groundwater, an Australian writer and traveler, boasted about eating the best bowl of pho he'd ever had during a 48-hour culinary adventure in Ho Chi Minh City. "I've eaten a lot of pho. Pho has the perfect balance: a broth with herbal and aromatic flavors, smooth and chewy noodles, perfectly cooked beef, crispy bean sprouts, thinly sliced ​​onions, fresh basil, and a variety of other herbs. I understand pho and I love pho. But this is the best pho I've ever eaten. It's Pho Phu Vuong, a Michelin-starred restaurant. Stainless steel tables, plastic chairs, simple service, but the broth is incredibly delicious, absolutely amazing," Ben wrote enthusiastically in The Sydney Morning Herald about his passion for Vietnamese food.

Pho Hoa restaurant in the 13th arrondissement of Paris, France.

Photo: NTT

At the beginning of his journey, immediately after checking into his hotel, Ben walked along the bustling sidewalk towards Co Lieng restaurant in Ban Co Ward (formerly District 3), which is also featured on the Michelin list. The signature dish that made the restaurant famous is beef wrapped in betel leaves, with seasoned ground beef wrapped in betel leaves and grilled over charcoal, served with herbs, pickles, rice paper, and fermented fish sauce or fish sauce. Then, within 48 hours, Ben ate banh mi at a famous shop, drank iced milk coffee at Trung Nguyen Legend, ate crab noodle soup at 87, and returned once more for pho at Phu Vuong, adding a plate of rice rolls, before leaving the city. "However, pho will stay with me forever, a dish I will always pursue and never forget," he wrote.

Ben Groundwater is one of many foreign tourists who carry a Michelin travel guide to find reputable restaurants in Vietnam. Since Sun Group and Michelin Guide partnered in 2023, Vietnamese cuisine has gradually established its name and brand worldwide. Culinary expert Tran Thi Minh Hien, Vice President of the Saigon Professional Chefs Association, affirms that cuisine is inseparable from tourism. When tourists arrive somewhere, their first concern is what to eat and what specialties to buy to take home. If a dish has a story, tourists can quickly adapt to the changing tastes and aromas due to regional, cultural, or geographical differences.

Foreign tourists happily enjoy food and drinks in Ho Chi Minh City.

Photo: Nhat Thinh

According to Ms. Hien, Vietnamese cuisine has made significant progress since its early days of integration and is becoming increasingly popular. However, promoting Vietnamese cuisine still requires a large-scale, systematic strategy that showcases the development of the country's culture, people, and economy to tourists, not just relying on word-of-mouth or stories told by international visitors. "We can learn from South Korea's culinary promotion, especially through the 2003 drama 'Dae Jang-geum.' That drama left a deep impression on viewers about Korean cuisine and ushered in a golden age for Korean food abroad, including in Vietnam," Ms. Hien shared. To date, Vietnam has yet to produce an impressive film related to cuisine that could effectively and attractively support the promotion of the destination.

Foreign tourists happily enjoy food and drinks in Ho Chi Minh City.

Photo: Nhat Thinh

While awaiting the film adaptation, the appearance of Michelin stars marks a breakthrough for Vietnamese cuisine. Ms. Tran Thi Minh Hien believes that Michelin provides motivation for Vietnamese restaurants, eateries, and chefs, and helps Vietnamese cuisine reach international tourists and enter the world with a completely new status.

"If any culinary culture has dishes with irresistibly rich and delicious flavors, it is undoubtedly Vietnamese cuisine," praised the renowned American travel magazine Travel + Leisure .

Vietnamese cuisine has repeatedly been ranked highly on the world's culinary map by international media. For example, in 2022, TasteAtlas ranked Vietnamese cuisine in the top 20, ahead of Thailand; and Ho Chi Minh City was included in the top 5 best food cities in the world by the British magazine Time Out …

Thailand's leading and oldest newspaper, The Nation, selected four of the most nutritious and delicious dishes in Southeast Asia, with Vietnamese pho ranking number one. Pho is a staple of Vietnamese cuisine, made with aromatic herbs, spices, rice noodles, and optional meat or vegetables. Pho is both light and filling, packed with protein and essential nutrients, making it perfect for a balanced meal at any time of day.

Thanhnien.vn

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/dinh-vi-viet-nam-qua-am-thuc-185251010181403449.htm