Vietnam Pho Festival 2025: The aroma of Vietnamese Pho fills the heart of Singapore

THE HANOI TIMES —Thousands of Singaporeans and international visitors lined up to enjoy authentic Vietnamese Pho at the Vietnam Pho Festival 2025 opened at Our Tampines Hub today [October 18].

The two-day event brought the rich flavor of Vietnam’s national dish to the country and marked a step toward having Pho recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Opened at Our Tampines Hub – the largest community and cultural center in Singapore, the event was co-organized by the Embassy of Vietnam in Singapore, Tuoi Tre Newspaper and Saigontourist Group under the direction of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee.

The festival carried the message “Pho – Enjoying Together, Growing Together” and took place as Vietnam and Singapore celebrated the upgrade of their bilateral ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

Crowds filled the venue immediately after the opening, forming long queues at famous Pho stalls including Pho Thin Bo Ho, Pho Vuong, Pho Phu Gia, Pho Hai Thien, Pho Ta and Pho Sen Sasco.

“Shortly after we opened, the first pot of broth was already empty. Singaporean guests are polite and patient waiting in line to enjoy our traditional Pho,” said Bui Thanh Loan from Pho Thin Bo Ho.

At the Pho Ngoc Vuong booth, owner Vu Ngoc Vuong smiled as he stirred the steaming pot. “I didn’t expect so many people. Half of our ingredients are already gone this morning. We have to prepare more to last through tomorrow,” he said.

Chef Nguyen Tuan Trung from Pho Phu Gia said his team worked since dawn to prepare fresh beef bones and spices brought from Vietnam. “Singaporeans prefer lighter flavors so we reduced fish sauce and used sweetness from bones but make sure the broth keeps the authentic Vietnamese soul.”

Nguyen Thi Thanh Nguyen, owner of Pho Hai Thien, brought bags of herbal Pho broth to visitors. “I want everyone who loves Pho to be able to cook it at home. The aroma alone will remind them of Vietnam,” she said.

Besides Pho, Vietnamese dishes such as bun bo Hue, banh mi and coconut coffee also attracted large crowds. Chef Le Van Hanh from Rex Saigon Hotel said “Three large pots of bun bo Hue soup, each enough for 60 bowls, were sold out before noon. We are cooking more for the afternoon.”

The Banh Mi Society stall sold out in hours and La Viet Coffee from Lam Dong drew lines of customers eager to try its coconut coffee. “We prepared 3,000 cups but will definitely exceed that,” said Tran Nhat Quang, La Viet representative.

The lively scene was accompanied by performances of Vietnamese traditional music including dan tranh, bamboo flute and drum shows blended with modern cultural performances, turning the festival into a vibrant harmony of Vietnamese taste and sound in Singapore.

Pho as Vietnam’s cultural ambassador to the world

Vietnamese Ambassador to Singapore Tran Phuoc Anh said the Vietnam Pho Festival 2025 was more than a culinary event but “a symbol of cultural exchange and friendship between the two nations.”

“When Singaporeans and visitors taste Pho, they savor a dish and experience the cultural essence and hospitality of Vietnam,” he said.

This was the first time the Pho Festival was held in Singapore following its success in Japan in 2023 and South Korea in 2024.

Nguyen Tien Dat, General Director of Saigontourist Group, said: “We want to introduce traditional Pho to Singaporeans while showcasing creative variations such as beef rib Pho, Ngoc Linh ginseng Pho and seafood Pho. Every bowl is a cultural invitation to visit Vietnam.”

Dozens of chefs from Saigontourist Group’s five-star hotels and famous Pho brands arrived in Singapore days earlier to prepare ingredients and broth. They also completed the Workforce Skills Qualification Food Safety Course Level 1 certification required by Singapore authorities.

“Cooking Pho abroad is more challenging but it feels like Tet (the Vietnamese Lunar New Year) in our 80-square-meter kitchen. The aroma of Pho filled the air and everyone worked with excitement,” said Nguyen Thi Thanh Nguyen of Pho Hai Thien.

Chef Nguyen Van Huong from Golf Thu Duc restaurant decided to serve chicken Pho instead of beef to respect the dietary practices of Muslim customers in Singapore.

“It is rare to bring Pho overseas so we put all our heart into every pot to represent our homeland,” he said.

Alongside the festival, the Vietnam – Singapore Investment, Trade and Tourism Promotion Forum 2025 attracted more than 150 enterprises from both countries to discuss cooperation in green logistics, aviation, agricultural exports and digital commerce.

Vietnam Airlines, a key partner of the festival, transported nearly 100 boxes of Pho ingredients and cooking equipment to Singapore.

“Bringing Pho to the world shows our efforts to spread Vietnamese culinary heritage. Cuisine is an emotional language that helps travelers fall in love with Vietnam from the first taste,” said a representative from the national flag carrier.

Singapore Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City, Pang Te Cheng, said that Pho has become familiar in Singapore but the festival helped locals understand its regional variations.

“When people sit together to enjoy Pho, barriers fade away and new connections are formed,” he said.

Vu Ngoc Vuong from Pho Ngoc Vuong stated: “As Vietnam is completing its UNESCO nomination for Pho as an Intangible Cultural Heritage, we feel a strong sense of responsibility to cook delicious Pho as it carries the spirit of Vietnam.”

From Tokyo to Seoul and now Singapore, the Vietnam Pho Festival has become a cultural journey spreading the essence of Vietnamese Pho across the world.

Each bowl of Pho tells a story of Vietnam’s identity, hospitality and the aspiration reaching out to the world.