Bringing Vietnamese cuisine to a glass of water: The girl became the champion thanks to her unique pho dish

On November 1, the final round of TasteCraft Masters Championship 2025 took place at the SECC Exhibition and Convention Center (HCMC), attracting the community of Vietnamese cuisine and creative mixologists.

The competition, organized by IDOCEAN and the brand Luave Professional, aims to find outstanding beverage creators and promote breakthrough innovation in the non-alcoholic beverage sector. The competition is expected to not only inspire a new generation of bartenders, but also redefine beverage trends and encourage the sharing of in-depth knowledge across the industry.

Bringing Vietnamese cuisine to a glass of water: The girl became a champion thanks to pho and chicken hotpot with perilla leaves - Photo 1.

Luong Thi Hanh - champion of TasteCraft Masters Championship 2025

PHOTO: THANH MAI

After many rounds of competition, the organizers selected the 6 best faces to enter the final round. Each contestant had 8 minutes to prepare on stage and 12 minutes to present, mix and present their products in English. Among them, Luong Thi Hanh made a strong impression with 2 drinks inspired by Vietnamese cuisine: chicken hotpot with basil leaves and pho.

In the semi-finals, Ms. Hanh delighted the judges with her drink "chicken hotpot with basil leaves". In the finals, she continued to show her creativity with the dish "pho", inspired by a familiar dish of Vietnamese people.

Talking about this idea, she shared: "It was also fate, right from the time I registered to participate in the contest, I immediately thought of the famous Vietnamese dish Pho. However, I did not make it in the qualifying round (a drink inspired by banh deo, banh troi) but only introduced it in the final round."

Bringing Vietnamese cuisine to a glass of water: The girl became a champion thanks to pho and chicken hotpot with perilla leaves - Photo 2.

Drink product... pho of contestant Luong Thi Hanh

PHOTO: THANH MAI

Ms. Hanh shared: "Vietnamese cuisine is like a huge resource, so why don't we exploit it more? Regarding pho, it usually has many ingredients and is related to herbs and is very difficult to drink. I thought why not try using it to make a drink and based on pho to make a more familiar and familiar dish."

The "pho" work was created by Ms. Hanh based on the milk tea drink with 2 main ingredients: tea and milk, accompanied by the aroma of herbs, fresh onions, cilantro... However, the texture has changed. In which, the "pho broth" used by her is oolong tea, and the "pho noodles" are made from milk tea powder.

Thanks to her unique combination, this female bartender completely conquered the judges and won the TasteCraft Masters Championship 2025 and will go to Shanghai to compete internationally.

Sharing after the victory, Ms. Hanh emotionally said: "I am a person who loves to eat well, drink well and am very proud of the rich Vietnamese cuisine. The ingredients are very fresh, new, impressive, and have different flavors. With the language of mixing, I hope to bring more interesting flavors, both familiar and new."

Bringing Vietnamese cuisine to a glass of water: The girl became a champion thanks to pho and chicken hotpot with perilla leaves - Photo 3.

3 young people will compete in the international final round of the World Fashion Drinks Competition 2026

PHOTO: THANH MAI

Ms. Hanh believes that a glass of water is not only for drinking but also for smelling, feeling and enjoying. Regarding the upcoming international competition, Ms. Hanh said that she will try harder to improve her bartending skills and English.

Ms. Le Ngoc Xuan Thao, Director of Luave Professional brand, Head of the organizing committee, commented: "Each drink is a way to tell a story, about ingredients, about emotions, about the sophistication in Vietnamese taste. The biggest success this time is not only in scale, but in the fact that the competition has aroused the spirit of love for the profession, the spirit of creativity and belief in the potential of Vietnamese people in the non-alcoholic beverage industry".

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/dua-am-thuc-viet-vao-ly-nuoc-co-gai-thanh-quan-quan-nho-mon-pho-doc-dao-185251101215858754.htm