Many pho brands attend Vietnam Pho Festival 2023 in Japan

Pho Dau, Pho Phu Gia, Pho Thin Bo Ho, Pho Hai Thien... and many other dishes made from pho are being served at five-star hotels such as Grand Hotel, Majestic Hotel... will attend Vietnam Pho Festival 2023 in Tokyo (Japan) on October 7 and 8.

Đầu bếp Matsuo Tomoyuki (thứ hai từ trái sang) trả lời thắc mắc của các chủ quán phở Việt Nam về kinh nghiệm chuẩn bị thực phẩm ở Nhật Bản - Ảnh: QUANG ĐỊNH — *Chef Matsuo Tomoyuki (second from left) answers questions from Vietnamese pho restaurant owners about his experience preparing food in Japan - Photo: QUANG DINH*

During the meeting on September 12 at Tuoi Tre newspaper to prepare for the logistics of bringing Vietnamese pho to Japan, the artisans and pho restaurant owners could not hide their excitement and nervousness when bringing their pho flavor abroad for the first time to serve foreign consumers.

With a country that is strict about food safety and hygiene and has many differences in food safety regulations, pho restaurant owners have researched quite thoroughly from how to prepare ingredients, process them to how to preserve them during the event.

Chị Bích Hoàng, đại diện phở Dậu - Ảnh: QUANG ĐỊNH — *Ms. Bich Hoang, representative of Pho Dau - Photo: QUANG DINH*

For the first time, "packing up" to introduce the more than 60-year-old pho flavor to Japanese diners, Ms. Bich Hoang, representative of Pho Dau, said that the restaurant will cook pho abroad, most of the ingredients, materials and equipment will be prepared right in Japan with strict regulations of the host country.

Therefore, the restaurant must clearly understand the regulations and prepare carefully to make the pho cooked in Japan retain the most authentic flavor of the restaurant in Vietnam.

Anh Nguyễn Tuấn Trung, chủ quán phở Phú Gia - Ảnh: QUANG ĐỊNH — *Mr. Nguyen Tuan Trung, owner of Pho Phu Gia restaurant - Photo: QUANG DINH*

Mr. Nguyen Tuan Trung, owner of Pho Phu Gia restaurant, also said that he will try to calculate how to serve all the ingredients within the day while ensuring freshness.

Chị Thanh Nguyên - phở Hai Thiền - Ảnh: QUANG ĐỊNH — *Ms. Thanh Nguyen - Pho Hai Thien - Photo: QUANG DINH*

Nguyen Thi Thanh Nguyen, owner of Pho Hai Thien, said she would introduce pho cuon at a festival in Japan. However, Japanese regulations do not encourage restaurants to prepare fresh food in front of customers at an outdoor fair. Therefore, Nguyen has to prepare carefully to ensure that the pho cuon reaches customers as fresh as possible.

The organizers affirmed that the logistical support of preparing ingredients for cooking pho is the most important part in organizing the Vietnam Pho Festival 2023 to ensure that pho brought to Japan retains the soul and essence of each pho restaurant.

Ông Nguyễn Tất Trung, chủ nhà hàng phở Trung tại Nhật Bản - Ảnh: QUANG ĐỊNH — *Mr. Nguyen Tat Trung, owner of Pho Trung restaurant in Japan - Photo: QUANG DINH*

Mr. Nguyen Tat Trung, owner of Pho Trung restaurant in Japan, who will support the preparation of ingredients for pho brands from Vietnam, said he is very proud to cooperate with famous Vietnamese pho brands coming to Japan.

"The pho brands participating in the program are all famous and long-standing, so there is no need to worry about the taste or how to cook pho. We work together to ensure food safety and hygiene is always a top priority, so that Japanese diners have the opportunity to enjoy pho with the same taste as Vietnamese people eat every day," Mr. Trung shared.