Vietnamese pho wins over Japanese students.

Sato Yuta, the head chef in charge of cooking Vietnamese pho, said that he was taught how to cook pho according to a recipe and is now trying to adjust it to better suit Japanese tastes.

According to a VNA reporter in Japan, as part of a program to encourage students to enjoy and learn about world culinary cultures, Kanda University of Foreign Studies (Chiba Prefecture, Japan) has included Vietnamese Pho in its lunch menu for students to experience for two weeks starting May 18th.

Vietnam is a familiar country to students at Kanda University of Foreign Studies because the university has a Vietnamese language department and also hosts the annual "Vietnamese Public Speaking Contest." However, this is the first time Vietnamese pho has been introduced in the university cafeteria.

This unique cultural experience program was organized by the school cafeteria in collaboration with the Culinary Research Department and received enthusiastic support from young students.

To enhance the student experience, the organizers decorated the cafeteria with familiar and cozy scenes from Vietnamese culinary culture, including lanterns, plastic chairs, food carts, and grocery stalls. The school's chefs also set up a separate area to serve pho to meet the high demand from the students.

Students at Kanda University of Foreign Studies enjoy Vietnamese pho. (Photo: Xuan Giao/VNA)

Speaking to reporters, Sato Yuta, the head chef in charge of cooking Vietnamese pho, said that he was taught how to cook pho according to a recipe and is now trying to adjust it to better suit Japanese tastes.

He shared: "The characteristic of pho is the aroma of fish sauce, and the rich flavor of the broth as a base, so we are trying to bring out that characteristic in our cooking."

According to Sato, initially, students tried it out of curiosity, but now many genuinely love pho, and every lunchtime, students line up at his pho stall to wait for their turn to enjoy this unique dish of Vietnamese cuisine.

Meanwhile, Fafa Moroi, a student at Kanda University, shared that what she liked most was the chewy texture of the noodles and the aroma of the broth. Moroi said, “I think both Japan and Vietnam value the flavor of the broth, so there are some similarities, but Vietnamese pho is characterized by its meat broth and the fragrant aroma of the spices. It’s really delicious.”

In just a few short days, the appeal of Vietnamese pho quickly transformed it into one of the best-selling dishes in the cafeteria of Kanda University of Foreign Studies.

Through this event, the school hopes that students will not only have the opportunity to enjoy the cuisine but also be encouraged to learn about and study the Vietnamese language at the school to better understand the unique culture of Vietnam.

(VNA/Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/pho-viet-nam-chinh-phuc-sinh-vien-nhat-ban-post1111961.vnp