Today, pho from all regions of Vietnam converges at the Pho Day festival in Ho Chi Minh City.

Ngày của Phở - Ảnh 1. — Italian tourists take commemorative photos in front of the entrance to the Pho Day 2025 event at the former Tax Department Store area, Saigon Ward, Ho Chi Minh City on the afternoon of December 12 - Photo: QUANG DINH

From the afternoon of December 12th, the aroma of pho filled the air in the central area of Ho Chi Minh City. Pho stalls were already busy simmering their broths and preparing ingredients to welcome their first customers at 7:00 AM this morning.

This is the biggest pho festival in Vietnam, so many locals and tourists say they "saved their appetites" from the day before to come to the festival to eat pho. This is because it's rare to see both Northern and Southern pho together, and even more varieties like corn pho, cassava pho, duck pho, red pho... from different regions have arrived.

Pho Day on December 12th is supported and coordinated by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Cultural Diplomacy (Ministry of Foreign Affairs), the Trade Promotion Department ( Ministry of Industry and Trade ), the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Industry and Trade, and the Vietnam Culinary Culture Association, with the diamond partnership of Acecook Vietnam Joint Stock Company for many consecutive years.

This year, we have the added support of Ho Chi Minh City Development Commercial Bank ( HDBank ), Cholimex Food Joint Stock Company, Saigon Trading Corporation Limited (SATRA), Suntory Pepsico Beverage Company Limited, and others...

The persistence of Tuoi Tre newspaper in spreading the value of Vietnamese pho is truly commendable. Pho Day has become a meaningful cultural activity, demonstrating the enduring love of the community for pho as well as the continuous efforts of the organizing and supporting units.

Mr. Shimamura Masafumi (Marketing Director of Acecook Vietnam)

"I won't go home until all the goods are sold."

That was the determination of Pho Lac Hong (formerly Nam Dinh, now Ninh Binh) when participating in this year's Pho Day. From their hometown, a group of 7 people split into two teams: one team of 3 traveled by sleeper bus, while the other team of 4 drove over 1,600km from Nam Dinh, bringing along pho cooking equipment and the "culture of the Red River Delta" to the South.

Mr. Nguyen Hong Hai, the owner of the restaurant, shared that originating from the birthplace of Nam Dinh pho, Pho Lac Hong came to the festival with the aim of promoting traditional Nam Dinh pho.

"If Pho Day only featured Southern-style pho, wouldn't that be boring? I believe that people in Ho Chi Minh City and tourists will have more opportunities to experience Northern-style pho, especially Nam Dinh pho, right here in the South," expressed the owner of Lac Hong Pho restaurant.

Ngày của Phở - Ảnh 2. — Lac Hong Pho restaurant drives all the way to Ho Chi Minh City to cook pho.

Lac Hong Pho restaurant registered to serve approximately 4,000 bowls over two days, aiming to be among the top 5 best-selling pho restaurants.

The group arrived in Ho Chi Minh City on the evening of December 11th and immediately began preparing to set up their stalls, cook the broth, and gather ingredients for the Pho Day opening this morning. "We won't go home until we've sold everything. Please stop by and support us!" Hai said jokingly.

Meanwhile, Ms. Nguyen Thi Thanh Nguyen, owner of the Pho Hai Thien brand, who had just returned to Ho Chi Minh City from the flood-stricken area of Phu Yen (formerly), immediately jumped on the bandwagon of Pho Day. For eight out of the nine years that Pho Hai Thien has participated in Pho Day, Ms. Nguyen cheerfully remarked, "Generally speaking, every time I attend with Tuoi Tre newspaper, it's incredibly fun; there's no reason to miss out."

Not to be outdone by Pho Lac Hong, Pho Hai Thien also aims to serve 2,000 portions of pho, striving to be in the top 5. Ms. Nguyen said that this year, in addition to the familiar rare beef, brisket, and flank cuts, Pho Hai Thien will offer pho rolls, crispy fried pho, etc. Furthermore, the booth will have a pho noodle making machine and a noodle steaming pot, and she will personally steam the noodles so customers can experience it firsthand.

Ngày của Phở - Ảnh 3. — Ms. Thu Huyen displays artichoke plants from Da Lat at the Da Lat Artichoke Pho booth at the Pho Day Festival 2025 - Photo: QUANG DINH

North and South meet, plenty of experiences to enjoy.

Ms. Nguyen Ngoc Thu, representative of Pho Thin Bo Ho, said that on this trip to the South, Pho Thin Bo Ho brought along its kitchen and characteristic ingredients and spices that the restaurant always uses, such as mature ginger, scallions, lime, garlic, chili peppers, etc.

Earlier, on the way from Tan Son Nhat airport to her accommodation, the taxi driver shared with Ms. Thu that not all Northern-style pho restaurants in Ho Chi Minh City suited his taste. "Although these are just supplementary ingredients, we want our customers to experience the authentic and complete flavor of Pho Thin Bo Ho from Hanoi right here in Ho Chi Minh City," Ms. Thu said.

Besides familiar pho brands like Pho Thin Bo Ho, Pho Hai Thien, Pho Phu Gia, Pho Ngoc Vuong, Pho Ta, Pho S, Pho Phat Tai..., this year's Pho Day features the first-time participation of many other well-known pho brands such as Pho Tau Bay, Pho Minh Pasteur, Pho Nghi, Pho Gia Long...

"We don't want to keep the story of pho, Pho Minh in particular and the story of pho in general, to ourselves, but want to share it so that everyone can understand it better," said Tran Ba Di, the third generation of Pho Minh, explaining his reason for being here.

This year's event features nearly 30 pho brands from both Northern and Southern Vietnam. Besides traditional pho, there are many creative variations reflecting regional characteristics, such as corn pho from Ha Giang, roast duck pho from Lang Son, cassava pho from Que Son (Quang Nam), artichoke pho, and ginseng pho from Ngoc Linh...

Culinary expert Do Nguyen Hoang Long once shared that Pho Day, across seasons, continues to demonstrate the widespread appeal of a prestigious pho festival.

Simultaneously, a community of pho lovers and cooksers has gradually formed, aspiring to promote pho to the world. They possess a strong sense of national pride and are using their skills, knowledge, and experience to develop pho in particular and Vietnamese culinary culture in general.

Arriving early to set up my booth, and observing the atmosphere, I noticed that this year's Pho Day was much more vibrant thanks to the participation of pho brands from many different regions.

Representative of Pho Hai Thien

Ngày của Phở - Ảnh 4. — Mrs. Hai Thien, the owner of a pho stall, even brought her pho noodle-making machine to the Pho Day festival.

Diners will give the most impartial "ratings".

At a meeting with pho brands on the morning of December 12th, ahead of the event, Mr. Tran Xuan Toan, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Tuoi Tre newspaper and head of the organizing committee, emphasized: For many years, pho restaurants have been featured and praised by the media.

But at Pho Day, diners will be the ones directly "rating" the food. This is also the most impartial and accurate assessment. Therefore, it is expected that each pho restaurant will act as an ambassador, spreading the love for pho in particular and Vietnamese cuisine in general to the people and tourists who come to experience the festival.

International friends celebrate Pho Day.

Phở các vùng miền hội tụ ở TP.HCM - Ảnh 3. — A Czech diplomat enjoying a steaming bowl of pho in Hanoi on December 12th - Photo: DANH KHANG

On December 12th, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs organized a meeting with representatives of foreign press agencies, ambassadors, and press officers from embassies of various countries.

This was not only an occasion to express gratitude to international friends but also a chance to introduce Vietnamese culinary culture. Here, Pho Thin Bo Ho served nearly 200 international guests with the most delicious, piping hot bowls of pho in the chilly Hanoi weather.

Also on December 12th, the Bulgarian Embassy, in collaboration with Thang Long restaurant in Sofia, organized an event to promote Vietnamese pho to the Bulgarian public and international friends.

Since the beginning of the month, the Vietnamese Embassy in Poland has been promoting, introducing, and serving Vietnamese pho at the 18th International Charity Fair (SHOM 2025), held at the PGE National Stadium in Warsaw. The event, sponsored by the First Lady of Poland, Marta Nawrocka, brought together over 60 diplomatic missions from around the world and attracted a large number of visitors.

From December 8th to 14th, the We Love Pho Association is organizing Pho Week in Europe. Vietnamese people living abroad, as well as international diners, can enjoy Vietnamese pho at many restaurants and eateries throughout Europe.

Many diverse activities

On December 13th and 14th, from 1 PM to 4 PM, visitors can participate in the mini-game "On the Shoulders of Giants" to learn about Vietnamese pho, along with two talk shows: "Pho of the Past. Pho of the Present. Pho of Tomorrow?" and "Promoting Vietnamese Cuisine to the World"; and enjoy the entertainment provided by artists Duyen Quynh, Quoc Dai, Duong Quoc Hung, Minh Hoang, Nhat Hoang, Manbo, Danmy, Hoang Duyen, and others.

Additionally, there is a contest called "Every Film, a Pho Story," with prizes up to 3 million VND plus gifts from the organizers.