A Vietnamese man's journey to promote pho in Japan.

At the recent Vietnam Pho Festival held in Japan to celebrate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries, despite the time pressure due to the preparation period for her studies abroad, Ky Vi still managed to find time to continue participating in activities promoting Vietnamese pho to Japanese people and Vietnamese people living and studying in Japan.

Kỳ Vĩ at the recent Vietnam Pho Festival held in Japan.

Experience Vietnamese pho in Japan.

Upon arriving in Japan, the first place Ky Vi visited was a Chinese pho restaurant in Tokyo, a familiar spot for Vietnamese expats. The young man from Ho Chi Minh City was truly impressed with the rich flavor of Northern pho, blended with the freshness of Southern pho, complete with essential condiments: pickled garlic, black bean sauce, etc.

"The broth is subtly sweet, with a rich aftertaste, perfectly blended with chewy rice noodles… creating a distinctive national dish in the Land of the Rising Sun," Kỳ Vĩ commented, understanding why Trung Pho has become a popular destination for many overseas Vietnamese whenever they want to relive memories of home. "Having loved and researched pho for many years, I understand that to create authentic traditional pho, the restaurant must meticulously bring all the necessary ingredients from Vietnam to Japan. The restaurant's interior is also decorated in a very Vietnamese style, so enjoying pho in Japan in the style of Trung Pho feels both familiar and unique. Maintaining this unique flavor in Japan for over 10 years is truly a persistent effort, demonstrating a special love for the cuisine of my homeland," Kỳ Vĩ shared.

According to the young man, attending the Vietnam Pho Festival gave him the opportunity to discover countless unique pho flavors, diverse variations in recipes – creative and impressive combinations of ingredients in both broth and noodles… Talking with pho artisans, Ky Vi couldn't hide his surprise and admiration for the meticulous organization, transportation, and preparation of ingredients and logistics… to create bowls of rich, authentic pho right here in Japan. Not only Ky Vi, but tens of thousands of overseas Vietnamese and tourists were amazed and impressed at the event: How can they cook such delicious bowls of pho, indistinguishable from those enjoyed in Vietnam? Perhaps the simplest and most convincing answer is thanks to their love and passion for Vietnamese cuisine in general and for pho – the national dish – in particular.

Exploring pho has been Ky Vi's passion since childhood.

"At the Vietnam Pho Festival, I had the opportunity to try many different famous types of pho: Pho Thin Bo Ho, Pho Hai Thien, Pho Saco…" - Ky Vi excitedly recounted. Having directly attended the first pho festival held abroad, and savoring the rich flavors of pho "just like in Vietnam," the young man with a special connection to pho didn't hesitate to thoroughly introduce each stall to his newly met international friends. Witnessing the large number of Japanese students, civil servants, and citizens patiently queuing in long lines just to buy pho vouchers, eagerly waiting to enjoy the experience and marveling at the different experiences at each stall… Vi felt a profound sense of pride seeing Vietnamese cuisine being embraced as a "culinary delight."

Learn to cook pho so you can cook it for your foreign friends while studying abroad.

Belonging to the younger generation born in the 2000s, Nguyen Ky Vi considers himself fortunate to have traveled extensively and encountered countless delicious and exotic dishes from countries around the world. Each new dish is associated with a unique culinary creation story of its respective people. Every country, every trip… is an opportunity for Vi to gain more knowledge and perspective on the world around him.

However, Ky Vi admits to having "a special love for Vietnamese cuisine." The young man explains that after talking to many chefs about different types of pho, from regular pho and corn pho to cassava pho, each with its own unique flavor and nutritional value, he was truly surprised by the diverse variations that are still very scientific and good for health. "Among them, I was most impressed by corn pho, a type of pho with very few carbs compared to regular pho, making it an ideal choice for those who are planning to diet but still want to experience pho," he said.

While busy preparing important procedures for her upcoming study abroad trip, Ky Vi is also taking the opportunity to learn how to cook, especially pho, to "ease her homesickness and have a chance to promote Vietnamese cuisine to her foreign friends studying with her."

Ky Vi has been involved in promoting pho for many years.

Answering our question about his love for pho, the young man recounted that when he was a child, his father would take him to a pho restaurant every morning before school. Impressed by the rich flavor of the broth, he chose pho as his almost daily breakfast for many years.

As she got a little older and learned more about cuisine, Ky Vi realized that there wasn't just one type of pho she usually ate, but that pho was actually very diverse. This piqued her curiosity and led her to seek out ways to experience the variety of pho. "Each restaurant in Vietnam has a different way of cooking pho. This helps to ensure that the novelty of pho is never lost, even when eating the same dish," Vi said.

According to Ky Vi, cuisine is the closest gateway to sharing with friends from all over the world. He smiled brightly as he shared his future plans for his passion for food: “I will continue to use my own methods to introduce Vietnamese food, country, and people to my friends where I study and live. Who knows, maybe one day, my foreign friends at my school will be able to enjoy Vietnamese pho cooked by my own hands.”

Energetic, confident, and fluent in English, individuals like Vĩ can be considered a bridge connecting the younger generation to spread traditional Vietnamese cuisine and cultural values ​​to the world.

Source link: https://thanhnien.vn/hanh-trinh-quang-ba-pho-cua-chang-trai-viet-tren-dat-nhat-185231019101059723.htm