In a recent seminar entitled “Preserving and promoting Vietnamese culture abroad”, Ton Nu Thi Ninh, Vice Chairwoman of the Vietnam National Assembly’s External Affairs Committee said it is important to introduce Vietnam’s culinary arts to the rest of the world. One of Vietnam’s traditional foods that wins favour from foreigners, is Pho.

Traditional Pho is favourite food for both Vietnamese people and foreigners. Originating from Nam Dinh province, Pho has reached every corner of the country and become the pride of Vietnamese people.  Since entering the integration process, and especially since becoming an official member of the World Trade Organisation recently, Vietnamese Pho trademarks have undergone big changes. 

In a restaurant, a bowl of Pho costs between VND25,000-50,000 which is rather suitable to customers’ pockets. Didier Corlou, a French expert of culinary arts for Sofitel Metropole Hanoi, Sofitel Plaza Hanoi and Hanoi Hotel said Pho led him to study Vietnamese culinary arts. In his opinion, Pho is very delicious and can blend many kinds of tastes including mints, beef bone, ginseng and chilly. He also likes many new kinds of pho such as salmon and shrimp…. Didier Corlou has published two books on Vietnamese Pho.

There are many new Pho restaurants in Hanoi such as Pho 24, Pho Vuong and Pho Ngon. Customers come to these restaurants to enjoy Pho, drink coffee and discuss their work. They each serve Pho that is basically the same as the traditional one but due to different tastes between the southern and the northern people, pho can be made with a lot of different seasoning.

Director of Pho 24 Corporation, Ly Quy Trung is a southerner. He said the number 24 means 24 ingredients and 24 hours of preparing the beef to produce a soup that maintains its full and rich flavor. Pho 24 has been highly commended not only for its tasty bowl of Pho but also for its good service. At the beginning, Nam An group established 24 Pho 24 restaurants and the number of such restaurants has now amounted to 47. Pho 24 restaurants have been opened in Hanoi, Hue, Da Nang, Binh Duong, Vung Tau, Nha Trang, Indonesia and the Philippines, while new restaurants will be set up in Britain and the US in 2007.

If customers of Pho 24 are mostly southerners, “Pho Vuong” is rather familiar with Hanoians. The website Phovuong.com has not only introduced the menu but also issues related to the health and history of Thang Long. The trademark Pho Vuong (square) does not mean there’s something square in the restaurants, but indicates high quality service. “A square with its four equal corners is always standard, representing the four best things characterizing our restaurant, namely deliciousness, hygiene, good service and reasonable price.”

Currently, Pho Vuong has two branches at 44 Ngo Thi Nham Street and 229 Giang Vo street in Hanoi.

Pho Ngon came into being after Pho 24 and Pho Vuong. However, it has set about creating unique characteristics for its food. The restaurant’s chef at 25 Lang Ha street, Mr Manh, said he created a Thai fried pho with spicy and sweet flavors. “Women are our large customers”, he said. We burst into laughter when hearing about a new kind of pho called “Pho to xe lua” as the bowl is rather big and only strong people can take the whole of it.

Hanoi carried out a campaign for food hygiene and safety earlier this year, discovering the use of phormon in making rice noodles. Regarding the issue, Mr Manh said his restaurant did not use this chemical and often ordered rice noodles from prestigious establishments in Bat Dan street. His restaurant also has a certificate of hygiene.

In the international integration process, it is necessary to create a safe environment for traditional Vietnamese foods to attract local and foreign customers. More importantly, through Pho, the image of a civilized Vietnam will be promoted all over the world.