20,000 bowls of pho await foodies at Pho Day 2025 next weekend in Ho Chi Minh City

The news was revealed at a Ho Chi Minh City press briefing on Thursday for the ninth edition of Pho Day, which will be held under the theme “Elevating Vietnamese Rice – Reaching Five Continents.”

Pho Day is an annual event supported by the Department of External Relations and Cultural Diplomacy under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Trade Promotion Agency under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Industry and Trade, and the Vietnam Culinary Culture Association.

It has been organized for many years in coordination with Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper with diamond sponsorship from Acecook Vietnam Joint Stock Company.

Now in its ninth year, Pho Day has grown beyond a food event, honoring and promoting Vietnamese cuisine while also generating promising outcomes in diplomacy and the economy.

At the Thursday press conference, Cao Huy Tho, deputy director of Tuoi Tre Media Center, said the Pho Day 2025 will take place on December 13 and 14 at the former Tax Trade Center area in Saigon Ward (former District 1), and will feature many highlights.

Pho cooking on site 

This year’s Pho Day features a large and diverse scale with five main areas including commerce, pho stalls, culinary experience, exhibitions, and a stage.

Nearly 30 pho stalls representing well known brands from north to south will take part, with many saying they will prepare fresh noodles, simmer broth, and demonstrate cooking techniques on site so diners can both enjoy pho and observe the meticulous pho cooking process.

The Pho Khoe brand from Seoul, South Korea, will also be present.

The Pho Day 2025 is expected to serve more than 20,000 bowls over two days and attract about 100,000 visitors.

Each bowl will be sold at VND40,000 (US$1.52).

Every pho brand has a story

Offering 600 servings and ready to increase the number if needed, Pho Phat Tai in Ho Chi Minh City said this is the brand’s first time joining Pho Day.

According to the brand's representative Tran Ngoc Minh Chau, the goal is not to sell pho but to share the story of northern style pho and traditional Nam Dinh pho.

The stall will feature a recreated “pho cart” displaying the full preparation process from ingredients to broth making, presented as a storytelling space.

Staff will also be available to answer visitors questions about pho.

“I cook pho because I want to preserve the traditional values of my village, where people not only keep the craft alive but also produce clean, convenient dried pho that can be enjoyed anywhere,” said Do Thi Tam, winner of the 2025 Golden Star Anise pho cooking award.

“So wherever Vietnamese people go, they can open a pack, take a whiff, and be reminded of home,” she added.

“Our dried pho does not aim to change Vietnamese pho but is my way of telling the story of my hometown through a bowl of pho cooked from the heart.”

According to organizers, each pho brand at the festival carries its own story of formation, development, and imprint in the hearts of diners.

It is not only about business but also about culture, regional identity, and family lineage connected to traditional pho making.