Guests enjoy hot pho right at the event after the opening ceremony of Pho Day - Photo: QUANG DINH
At the opening of Pho Day on December 13th at the former Tax Department Store, 135 Nguyen Hue Street, Ho Chi Minh City, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Phan Thi Thang shared: "Culture has become a soft power of commerce, and many Vietnamese products spread to the world thanks to their cultural identity, with pho being the most typical example."
According to Ms. Thang, in the context of deep international integration, to promote culinary activities, it is necessary to think in terms of increasing export value, viewing cuisine, specifically pho in this case, as an opportunity to export an entire value chain.
According to Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Phan Thi Thang, the ministry will direct the system of Vietnamese trade offices abroad to continue supporting the promotion of pho to more countries. At the same time, these agencies will provide the most favorable market information, create technical conditions, and facilitate trade connections so that Vietnamese processed food businesses can confidently expand globally .
To establish a firm foothold in demanding markets like Europe and the US, pho and other rice-based products need to quickly standardize production processes, raise quality standards, and ensure transparency regarding origin.
At the same time, proactively understand consumer preferences, overcome technical barriers, and make the most of the free trade agreements (FTAs) that Vietnam has signed.
Pho Day 2025: Vietnamese Pho Spreads Across Five Continents
There was already a pho industry.
Businessman Nguyen Dinh Tuyen, owner of the Pho Khoe chain in South Korea, returned to Vietnam in time for Pho Day. From its first store opened in 2019, the Pho Khoe chain now has five stores in the heart of Seoul, not to mention training and transferring the business concept to hundreds of restaurants under different names.
A representative from the Pho Khoe chain stated that, based on his observations, the rate of opening new pho restaurants worldwide is very rapid.
It is estimated that a new pho restaurant opens every day. His pho cooking training center in South Korea alone contributes to the opening of a new restaurant every month. "A pho industry is forming and developing," Mr. Tuyen told Tuoi Tre newspaper.
Businessman Nguyen Dinh Tuyen - owner of the Pho Khoe chain of restaurants in South Korea.
Mr. Tran Xuan Toan, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Tuoi Tre newspaper and Head of the Organizing Committee for Pho Day 2025, stated that it is difficult to statistically determine how many bowls of pho are sold worldwide each day. However, one thing is certain: the number of people choosing pho for breakfast, lunch, and dinner is increasing daily. The number of pho restaurants is also growing rapidly and is present all over the world.
In addition, commercially produced pho products, as well as the ingredients and spices used in the pho industry, are now available on the shelves of most supermarkets domestically and internationally.
In particular, the rapid development of instant pho has transformed pho into a fast-moving consumer goods that can be exported to many countries around the world, contributing significantly to the total revenue of food companies.
As evening approached, the Pho Day event became increasingly crowded with diners eager to experience pho. Many stalls had already sold out and were leaving, ready to continue their "battle" the next day. - Photo: QUANG DINH
The journey of Vietnamese pho is still modest.
Despite its potential, experts believe the pho industry has not yet reached its full potential. While Vietnamese people proudly say, "Wherever there are Vietnamese people, there is pho," the Thais have achieved a different level: Pad Thai is available even in places without Thai people. Similarly, sushi, ramen (both from Japan), and pizza (Italy) are also very successful.
The path forward for Vietnamese pho still faces many inherent obstacles and limitations. The number of franchised pho brands remains modest compared to the potential and "status" of pho in the "giant stomachs" of diners worldwide.
International franchise expert Nguyen Phi Van pointed out the current situation: "Most pho restaurants in Vietnam are operating on a family-run model, creating a major barrier to expansion and international commercialization."
International franchise expert Nguyen Phi Van
This model does not allow pho brands to professionally "package" the crucial elements for franchising, such as branding, operational standards, and management standards.
Ms. Vân proposed a three-pillar strategy to effectively bring Vietnamese pho to the world. Firstly, activities like Pho Day are important but not enough.
A more long-term strategy is needed to build a sustainable and systematic brand by integrating it into the national strategy: promoting pho should be an integral part of Vietnam's overall cultural and tourism promotion programs. This will sustainably increase pho's global awareness, targeting everyone, not just the Vietnamese community.
Secondly, it is advisable to establish an "incubator" to support traditional/family-run pho businesses in upgrading and professionalizing their business models. This would help them learn how to "package" their brand and operational processes so they can franchise abroad at a higher value.
"The government's support in building this incubator will be an extremely important boost," Ms. Van suggested. Ultimately, leveraging packaged products as a crucial "gateway" will allow consumers worldwide to experience pho for the first time.
Visitors at Pho Day 2025 in Ho Chi Minh City - Photo: Huu Hanh
Having been involved with the program for many years, Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Industry and Trade, Nguyen Nguyen Phuong, assessed that over the years of implementation, with its scale and increasingly widespread impact, Pho Day not only promotes cuisine but also contributes to leading the food production supply chain and promoting the development of the "pho industry". Because from the rice grain, the pho making process, to trade promotion, it is a value-added chain involving machinery, labor, and food services...
According to Mr. Phuong, behind pho lies an entire ecosystem, a whole world, and the economic activities of a large number of people. "There is still enormous potential for promoting and developing cuisine in general and pho in particular to contribute to economic development; we must continue to push forward," he said.
The leaders of the Department of Industry and Trade stated that they will continue to work closely with Tuoi Tre newspaper to expand the scale of the program by encouraging more businesses to participate; and strengthen support to promote linkages between production and trade stages, thereby contributing to the effectiveness of promotional and economic activities.
Radiant smiles were always on the faces of foreign tourists as they enjoyed pho on Pho Day - Photo: QUANG DINH
Is this "breaking" traditional pho?
Industrialization may have negative impacts, threatening the core values of traditional pho, but that doesn't mean it's "destroying" traditional pho; it should be seen as a parallel process with many challenges and opportunities.
Mr. Nguyen Dinh Tuyen believes that "the pho industry is essentially a system for bringing Vietnamese pho to the world in the most convenient way, optimizing everything from production and transportation to consumption."
Mr. Tuyen recounted that when he marketed the Pho Khoe (Healthy Pho) concept, the question he frequently received was, "Aren't you afraid of competition? Aren't you afraid of losing your unique identity?" According to him, this notion is no longer relevant in the context of globalization.
Pho is a cultural heritage, the "culinary DNA" of Vietnamese people when they go abroad, and that's something that doesn't need proving: "Pho, wherever it is, is the soul of Vietnam, so it needs to be promoted and spread as much as possible."
The event attracted a large crowd of people enjoying pho. According to preliminary statistics from the organizers, as of 8:30 PM on December 13th, over 15,000 bowls of pho had been served to locals, tourists, and domestic and international diners. Approximately 50,000 visitors experienced the Pho Day 2025 event.
Acecook, which owns many lines of instant pho products, stated that the development of instant pho began with the need to solve two major problems: standardizing the quality of Vietnamese pho and creating a convenient pho format suitable for modern lifestyles.
This company's ambition is to transform dried pho into a natural "extension" of fresh pho, catering to all enjoyment scenarios, allowing Vietnamese people to enjoy pho anytime, anywhere, without being limited by space or preparation conditions.
In response to Tuoi Tre newspaper, Acecook stated that fresh pho has always been the soul of Vietnamese cuisine, closely associated with the restaurant experience, the broth, and the sophistication of its preparation. Convenient pho does not replace that value; rather, it plays a complementary role in the context of urban life and the increasing need for mobility.
"Thanks to its long shelf life and ease of distribution, dried/packaged pho contributes to expanding the enjoyment space of fresh pho, creating a bridge to bring Vietnamese pho closer to the international community," this unit believes that convenient pho is one of the most suitable methods for Vietnamese pho to reach a global level.
The first day of Pho Day was busier than expected.
Crowds of people flocked to the former Tax Department Store area at 135 Nguyen Hue Street to eat pho from morning till night, making the first day of Pho Day a great success.
The atmosphere at the event area became bustling from around 7 am. The stalls were constantly busy, with staff scalding noodles and pouring broth to serve the continuous stream of customers eager to enjoy pho. By around 12 noon, many stalls had run out of ingredients and were constantly restocking to keep up with demand.
Ms. Thao from Hai Thien Pho restaurant shared that she diligently rolls pho from morning till night, everyone is focused on their work, and it's unclear how many bowls of pho they've sold or how many rolls they've made.
Mr. Nguyen Hong Hai, representative of Lac Hong Pho, said the restaurant prepared several thousand bowls of pho for the first day. By mid-morning, about 50% had been sold. Customers gave positive feedback. Many commented that the pho had a distinct flavor compared to pho from Southern Vietnam.
Pho Thin Bo Ho nearby was equally bustling. Many diners lined up in long queues, waiting to enjoy a delicious bowl of pho. By noon, the stall had served nearly a thousand bowls, exceeding initial targets.
"At first, I only thought each stall would sell about 500 bowls because there are so many stalls here. But this morning, the number of customers exceeded my expectations; the event was much busier than I imagined," said Ms. Nguyen Ngoc Thu, representative of Pho Thin Bo Ho.
Participating in Pho Day for the first time, Pho Nhat Vi prepared a rather "modest" quantity of pho compared to other stalls. However, by the afternoon, the chefs had to rush to prepare more to be able to serve in the evening.
Mr. Bui Yasin - owner of Pho Nhat Vi - expressed his surprise: "I didn't expect customers to be willing to travel from afar to enjoy my bowls of pho, even though they had only heard about it. Seeing customers happily enjoying delicious bowls of pho on Pho Day reminded me of my initial passion. Thank you, Pho Day."
Customers line up to enjoy Pho Thin Bo Ho - Photo: QUANG DINH
Many business owners believe the location is a major advantage for the event. The former Tax Department Store is located in the city center, within the Nguyen Hue pedestrian area – a place where many locals and tourists gather, especially in the evenings and on weekends.
Therefore, it's not surprising that as evening approached, the event attracted a large crowd, including many families with young children, who came to eat pho and watch the musical performance.
The first day of Pho Day concluded with a vibrant atmosphere. Even late into the night, the stalls remained bustling with activity, staff busily preparing ingredients, cleaning, and tidying up their booths, ready to welcome customers for the second day (which ran from 7 am on December 14th to 9 pm).
The Pho Day 12-12 program, now in its 9th year with the theme "Elevating Vietnamese Rice - Spreading Across Five Continents," will take place over two days, December 13th and 14th, at the former Tax Department Store area, 135 Nguyen Hue Street, Saigon Ward, Ho Chi Minh City.
The program features nearly 30 famous and unique pho brands from North to South Vietnam, showcasing a diverse range of pho dishes reflecting the characteristics of different regions and local cultures.
With a price of 40,000 VND per bowl, the Pho Day festival on December 12, 2025, is expected to serve more than 20,000 servings over two days. The organizers will donate at least 10% of the pho sales revenue to the "Pho of Love" program, cooking and serving pho to people in the flood-stricken areas of Dak Lak province (formerly Phu Yen), which recently suffered damage from natural disasters.
The Pho Day 12-12 program is supported and coordinated by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Cultural Diplomacy - Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Department of Trade Promotion - 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 years, and this year with the additional 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, etc.
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/ngay-cua-pho-nam-2025-cong-nghiep-pho-phai-phat-trien-xung-tam-nhu-gia-tri-da-duoc-khang-dinh-20251214073606663.htm
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