This is the first time a large-scale Vietnamese pho festival has been held in the city-state, capturing significant attention from both the Vietnamese community and international friends residing in Singapore.
Tens of thousands of people attended the event on the opening day to enjoy bowls of pho and sample a wide range of other Vietnamese dishes.
Thomas Choi, a 72-year-old Singaporean who usually jogs on the fifth floor of Our Tampines Hub, skipped his daily routine to head down to the ground floor and attend the Vietnam Phở Festival.
“I’ve had pho in Australia and Canada, but I’ve never had the chance to try it in Vietnam. To me, Vietnamese pho is number one. That’s why I came here,” he shared.
Organizers and guests cut the ribbon to officially open the Vietnam Phở Festival 2025, marking the start of the journey to bring the flavors of Vietnamese 'pho' to Singapore.
Annie Song, editor-in-chief of Fortune Time magazine, visited the festival both to enjoy pho and to report on the event.
“This isn’t my first time having pho. Many people like me enjoy Vietnamese food because of its light flavors and health benefits — it’s not too oily,” she said.
Song noted that Singapore, as an international culinary hub, has seen more Vietnamese people coming to open pho restaurants and do business.
She hailed the idea of organizing culinary events like the Vietnam Phở Festival as a great way to promote trade and cultural exchange.
After touring the Vietnamese food area and enjoying pho with a delegation that included Singaporean Minister of State for Defence Desmond Choo, Vietnamese Ambassador to Singapore Tran Phuoc Anh, director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism Pham Huy Binh, Editor-in-Chief of Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper Le The Chu, and several foreign ambassadors, Peruvian Ambassador to Singapore Francesco Tenya returned to the Pho Hai Thien booth to ask more about their spice sachets.
He said that Peruvians love dishes like pho. When asked by Thanh Nguyen, a representative from Pho Hai Thien, whether it would be possible to export the pho spice products to Peru, the ambassador replied that there are already several successful Vietnamese businesses in Peru and he would be happy to help with connections.
Vietnamese volunteers at the Vietnam Phở Festival in Singapore.
Tony Chew Leong Chee, executive chairman of Asia Resource Corporation, who brought KFC to Vietnam in 1997, also attended the festival.
He shared that he has enjoyed Vietnamese pho many times, especially during business trips between Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi.
He said that whenever he came to Vietnam, he asked the hotel to bring him a bowl of pho before he went into a meeting. This time, having pho in Singapore is truly the best.
He added, “I think many Singaporean businesspeople love pho and banh mi. These dishes are widely available here. On weekends, my family often orders Vietnamese food like pho and banh mi.”
Chef Do Nguyen Hoang Long, runner-up of MasterChef Vietnam 2017, arrived early at the 2025 Golden Star Anise booth.
He described the lively and passionate atmosphere among the participating chefs and brands.
“The entire Our Tampines Hub is filled with the aroma of pho — something that has never happened before at Singapore’s largest community center,” he said.
Long praised the event’s layout and professional organization, noting how excited guests were to savor authentic Vietnamese pho right in Singapore — something not always easy to find.
He also shared how proud the participating pho chefs were to bring high-quality, authentic bowls of pho to the international community.
Now in its third year, the Vietnam Phở Festival continues to grow in scale and influence, creating a vibrant community of people who love, cook, and promote pho around the world.
Many involved show strong national pride and are using their skills, knowledge, and experience to promote not only pho but Vietnamese cuisine as a whole.
“I hope the organizers will keep the flame alive so that pho can continue its journey and reach even further,” Long said.
Vietnamese and Singaporean guests lined up for pho, bun bo Hue (Hue spicy beef noodles), banh mi, and Vietnamese coffee.
In addition to the familiar beef and chicken pho, many attendees were surprised and delighted by pho Sen Sasco — a unique variation combining traditional broth with lotus, offering a sweet and delicate flavor.
By midday, many pho booths had sold out, yet crowds continued to arrive despite the hot weather.
As one chef put it, the first day was “a huge success.”
Many guests arrive early to queue for tickets and enjoy 'pho' as well as other Vietnamese dishes on the first day of the Vietnam Phở Festival. Photo: Huu Hanh / Tuoi Tre
In his opening remarks, Le The Chu, editor-in-chief of Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper, said the Vietnam Phở Festival is a special event — not only because the flavor of pho is being celebrated in the heart of Singapore, but also because its significance extends beyond a culinary festival, becoming a symbol of cultural exchange, cooperation, and friendship between Vietnam and Singapore.
“As pho is introduced in Singapore today, we hope that each bowl will tell a story about Vietnam — a country undergoing dynamic transformation, one that is friendly, creative, and always open to cooperation.”
Minister Choo said that during his visits to Vietnam in the past, no trip ever felt complete unless he had the chance to enjoy a truly delicious bowl of pho.
Each bowl tells a story — one of culinary sophistication, patience, and pride.
The warmth of pho’s broth, he noted, reminded him of the friendliness and hospitality of the Vietnamese people, who always made him feel at home.
This year’s theme, 'Pho – Enjoying Together, Growing Together,' truly reflects the spirit of friendship between the two nations — a friendship built on mutual respect, shared aspirations, and the belief that understanding one another makes both sides stronger.
Today’s Vietnam Phở Festival stands as a symbol of solidarity — a place where friendship is celebrated through cuisine, culture, and cooperation.
The Vietnam Phở Festival is organized by the Vietnamese Embassy in Singapore, Tuoi Tre, and Saigontourist Group, in coordination with the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Industry and Trade and the Vietnamese Community Liaison Committee in Singapore.
The event, which is held under the guidance of the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee, takes place on October 18 and 19.
Chefs work at full capacity at the Vietnam Phở Festival in Singapore.
The festival comes as Vietnam and Singapore have just upgraded their ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership, underlining the event's timeliness and significance.
With the message 'Pho - Enjoying Together, Growing Together,' the Vietnam Phở Festival 2025 aims not only to invite international friends to enjoy Vietnam's iconic dish—listed by CNN in 2011 among the world's 50 must-try foods—but also to convey Vietnam's aspiration for connection, sharing, and growing together.
Through the festival, pho is presented as a 'cultural ambassador,' a bridge fostering prosperity and sustainability between Vietnam, Singapore, and global friends.
The highlight of the event is offering Singaporeans and visitors the chance to savor authentic Vietnamese pho, freshly prepared by top Vietnamese chefs and culinary artisans at Our Tampines Hub.
Head chefs from five-star hotels under Saigontourist Group, including Rex Saigon, Majestic Saigon, Grand Saigon, Caravelle Saigon, and the pho restaurant of Vietnam Golf & Country Club, along with renowned pho brands such as Pho Thin Bo Ho, Pho Ta, Pho Phu Gia, Pho Vuong, and Ba Ban Pho, showcase the diversity of pho recipes and styles of enjoyment.
Beyond pho, visitors can also enjoy a range of traditional Vietnamese dishes, prepared by Saigontourist's five-star chefs, creating a vibrant 'culinary symphony.'
Alongside the festival, a large-scale investment forum titled the 'Vietnam-Singapore Investment, Trade and Tourism Promotion Forum 2025' was held as a highlight of the event's practical significance.
The forum kicked off right after the opening ceremony on the morning of October 18 and was expected to attract around 150 enterprises from both countries.
At the forum, government agencies and businesses discussed new cooperation trends in green processing industries and logistics, tourism and aviation services, the export and import of Vietnamese agricultural products and specialties, as well as digital transformation and e-commerce.
In particular, the Business Matching program (one-on-one business meetings) facilitated direct connections between Vietnamese and Singaporean enterprises, helping them explore practical partnership opportunities.
Thanh Ha - Dau Dung - Nghi Vu / Tuoi Tre News
Link nội dung: https://news.tuoitre.vn/foreigners-express-love-for-pho-at-vietnam-pho-festival-in-singapore-103251019134245373.htm