HCM CITY  The annual Vietnam Phở Festival, a global event promoting Vietnamese cuisine, will take place from October 18 to 19 at Our Tampines Hub in Singapore.

The festival, themed “Phở - Enjoying Together, Growing Together”, is aimed to promote the culinary essence of Việt Nam, with a special focus on phở, the country's most iconic dish.

It is jointly organised by Tuổi Trẻ (Youth) newspaper, the Vietnamese Embassy in Singapore, and Saigontourist Group in coordination with the HCM City Department of Industry and Trade, and the Liaison Committee of the Vietnamese Community in Singapore.

A highlight of the festival will be the culinary space where visitors will have a chance to enjoy the rich flavours of phở and other traditional Vietnamese delicacies prepared by chefs from five-star hotels and restaurants, and other culinary experts.

The event will also feature a variety of exciting activities such as exhibitions, cultural exchanges and art performances.

Speaking at a press briefing held on Friday, Lê Thế Chữ, editor-in-chief of Tuổi Trẻ newspaper, said phở, the iconic Vietnamese noodle soup, has long been a culinary and cultural ambassador of Việt Nam.

Following successful editions in Japan in 2023 and South Korea in 2024, this year’s event in Singapore continues to showcase the finest of Vietnamese cuisine as well as foster culture, tourism, trade and investment between Việt Nam and Singapore as the two countries recently elevated their relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

Nguyễn Nguyên Phương, deputy director of the HCM City Department of Industry and Trade, said Singapore is a dynamic and promising market, and the event is expected to create new opportunities for trade and investment for participating businesses.

This year, food producers -- including rice and spice manufacturers -- are invited to participate in the event.

Trần Phước Anh, Vietnamese ambassador to Singapore, who attended the press briefing online from Singapore, said that Singapore is not only a market of six million people but it welcomes 17 million international visitors a year, making it a major market and regional hub.

The community of more than 33,000 Vietnamese in Singapore and international friends are looking forward to attending the festival, enjoying phở, and meeting business partners from Việt Nam, Anh said.

The festival is expected to foster bilateral trade between the two countries with a goal of achieving US$30 billion in bilateral trade by 2028, he said.

In the framework of the event, the Việt Nam-Singapore Investment, Trade, and Tourism Promotion Forum will be held, featuring the participation of 150 businesses from both countries.

The forum will focus on key sectors, including food processing, green logistics, tourism, and e-commerce. VNS