Vietnam Phở Festival 2024 set for October in South Korea’s Seoul

The annual Vietnam Phở Festival to honour the traditional craft of making phở and promote Vietnamese cuisine will be held this year at Yeouido Park in the South Korean capital of Seoul from October 5-6, the organiser told a press conference yesterday in HCM City.

The annual Vietnam Phở Festival to honour the traditional craft of making phở and promote Vietnamese cuisine will be held this year at Yeouido Park in the South Korean capital of Seoul from October 5-6, the organiser told a press conference in HCM City.

Themed “Enjoy Phở, Discover Vietnam”, the festival is part of an event series held by Tuổi Trẻ (Youth) Newspaper and Saigontourist Group to promote Vietnamese culture, history, cuisine, and intercultural exchange.

The event will be attended by popular phở brands from all regions of Việt Nam such as Phở Dậu, Phở Phú Gia, Phở ‘S, SASCO Lotus Phở, Phở Ta - Bình Tây Food, Phở Thìn Bờ Hồ, and Phở from Majestic Saigon Hotel, along with Korean restaurants and food businesses.

There will be 80 stalls selling traditional phở and several dishes inspired by it, as well as other Vietnamese and Korean iconic dishes.

The highlight of the event will be a live cooking session by the head-chef from Sài Gòn - Morin Hotel to introduce cơm muối Hoàng Cung (royal rice with a special type of salt), a typical royal dish from Huế City.

Exhibition booths will also be set up to promote the history behind phở, its development throughout the years, and the connection between the dish with other cultural elements.

Visitors can participate in festivities such as musical performances, culinary showcases, and folk games during the event.

A business matching session that focuses on tourism, agricultural products, and spices will be organised for over 200 Vietnamese and Korean businesses to exchange experiences and connect with potential partners.

Lê Thế Chữ, editor-in-chief of Tuổi Trẻ Newspaper and co-head of the festival steering committee, said there will be two competitions to further promote the iconic phở dish.

They include a review contest in which participants will find the best phở among different restaurants in South Korea and a writing contest for South Koreans to share their thoughts on phở or other Vietnamese dishes.

Chữ hoped the festival would be an effective channel to boost intercultural and economic exchange between Việt Nam and South Korea, thus tightening the bilateral relationship.

Food artisan Bùi Thị Sương said many South Koreans adore phở because it has many similarities with Korean noodle dishes, including the flavourful bone broth.

She hoped the dish would be more popular not only in South Korea but also in other countries.

Phạm Huy Bình, chairman of the Saigontourist Group and co-head of the festival steering committee, said that because Việt Nam is among the most popular travel destinations for South Koreans, the event would help boost tourism in the country and promote the national image.

He said the event would also elevate phở’s position in the global culinary map.

The Vietnam Phở Festival is developed from the annual Phở Day on December 12, and the upcoming festival marks the eighth year of this celebrated event.

Going international for the first time at Yoyogi Park in Japan’s Tokyo last year, the festival was a success, attracting over 85,000 visitors.