The event was announced in Hanoi on November 14 by the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in collaboration with the We Love Pho Association.
Iconic pho will be promote in a Pho Week in Europe from December 8-14. Photo welovepho.org
Mai Hai Lam, chairman of the We Love Pho Association, said the programme responds to Pho Day, celebrated annually on December 12 in Vietnam, and aims to elevate Vietnamese cuisine and spread traditional pho around the world.
Given the busy schedules of overseas Vietnamese restaurant owners, the event will not have a central venue but will be held at eateries that serve pho.
“Overseas Vietnamese people and international friends can enjoy our noodles in restaurants where they can try a variety of pho dishes such as traditional beef pho, chicken pho, pho rolls, vegetarian pho and mixed pho, along with modern variations,” said Lam, a Vietnamese businessman in Poland.
All restaurants are encouraged to participate and choose their own form of promotion.
“Every effort to promote the event is welcome. Restaurants may hang banners or offer discounts from 10 to 50 per cent depending on their scale and capacity,” Lam said.
“They can also display images and documents about the history and development of pho, recreate rustic pho stalls, host live cooking demonstrations and organise interactions with chefs and culinary experts.”
Pho has repeatedly been voted among the world’s best dishes, ranking in the top 30 dishes globally in 2018, the top 10 most delicious soups in 2021, and the 100 most popular dishes in 2022.
“Our event helps popularise Vietnamese cuisine internationally, strengthens connections among overseas Vietnamese communities and introduces one of our country’s iconic dishes to global audiences,” Lam added.
At the announcement event, SCOVA chairman Nguyen Trung Kien said culture serves as a powerful bridge connecting Vietnamese communities worldwide and fostering people to people exchange.
“Culinary culture, especially pho, is a source of national pride and contributes to Vietnam’s identity in the eyes of international friends. I strongly support this initiative and hope it has wide reaching impact across Europe and beyond,” he said.
As of November 14, twelve restaurants had registered to join the programme: one each in Romania and the Czech Republic, three each in the UK and Slovakia, and four in Belgium. The number is expected to rise as the week approaches.
The We Love Pho network, established in Brussels in June 2025, brings together overseas Vietnamese from Austria, Belgium, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the UK. Its mission is to promote and preserve Vietnamese culinary culture, with pho as its central symbol.
At the meeting, We Love Pho and the Ninh Binh Provincial Culinary Culture Association signed a cooperation agreement to spread the value of Vietnamese cuisine, especially pho, to overseas Vietnamese and international communities across Europe.
Culinary artisan Le Thi Thiet, chairwoman of the Ninh Binh association, attended the event. She is known for preserving and introducing the flavours of her homeland, including the renowned pho Van Cu, one of the ancient pho origins of Vietnam.
Thiet said cooking pho is not only about creating a delicious bowl but also about preserving tradition, carrying the familiar scent of home so that Vietnamese people everywhere can find a part of themselves in it.
