Expats, locals invited to join $13,600 Ho Chi Minh City culinary video contest

The contest, titled ‘Ho Chi Minh City - Taste the Flavors, Tell Stories to the World,’ is open to Vietnamese and foreign citizens living, studying or working in Vietnam, as well as employees in the food and beverage (F&B) sector at restaurants and eateries.

The initiative aims to bring stories about local dishes, eateries and traditional markets closer to visitors through digital platforms, while encouraging residents, tourists and content creators to share their own perspectives on the city's food culture.

The department held a press briefing on Tuesday to announce and launch the video contest, as part of the city's 2026 culinary tourism product development plan.

Participants can compete in either the amateur or professional category.

Each individual or team may submit up to three entries in each category during the contest period.

Videos must be filmed in Ho Chi Minh City and feature real culinary destinations.

Entries must also comply with the contest's requirements regarding content, technical quality and copyright.

Submissions will be accepted from now until 11:59 pm on November 11.

Contestants can register and submit their videos online through the official website, Videoamthuc.visithcmc.vn.

The contest offers total prizes worth VND354 million (US$13,620), including VND174 million ($6,700) in cash and VND180 million ($6,920) in Grab vouchers.

Each category will award first, second and third prizes, as well as consolation prizes, along with a number of special awards.

According to the organizers, entries will be judged individually.

A video may compete in both the main contest and the weekly challenges if it meets the relevant thematic requirements.

The contest results and award ceremony are expected to take place in December.

Bringing culinary stories into Ho Chi Minh City travel experience

The contest will feature a series of weekly challenges focusing on different aspects of the city's culinary life from October 1 to November 11.

Themes will include coffee and breakfast, hidden eateries in alleyways, regional noodle and soup dishes, international cuisine, street food and nighttime dining.

Each week, the entry receiving the highest number of valid votes in each category will be considered for the ‘Most Popular Video of the Week’ award.

Voting will be conducted free of charge on the contest's website.

The organizers said Ho Chi Minh City's culinary identity extends beyond familiar dishes to the places where food is prepared and enjoyed, including small eateries, markets, restaurants and food stalls tucked away in alleyways.

These spaces also preserve stories about people, occupations and everyday urban life.

The city has a major advantage as a meeting point for different cultures, regions and international communities, said Le Truong Hien Hoa, deputy director of the municipal department and head of the contest's judging panel.

“The department cannot independently cover all the products, destinations and stories unfolding in everyday life,” Hoa said.

He stressed the need for residents, businesses and content creators to contribute as ‘extended arms’ of the tourism sector, helping promote the city's diverse culinary culture in a way that is more authentic and closely connected to reality.

After the contest, the selected videos are expected to be added to a digital media database for use in domestic and international tourism promotion and marketing activities.