Vietnam Pho popular in Seoul

Vietnam Pho popular in Seoul
10:09' 09/03/2007 (GMT+7)

VietNamNet Bridge - "Pho", Vietnam's rice noodle soup with beef, has become popular in Seoul with some 200 restaurants serving the dish in the city.

Korean people returning from the US were the first to bring the Vietnamese dish to Seoul a decade ago. "Pho" restaurants then mushroomed in the city and their Vietnamese names like Little Sai Gon, Hoa Sen, Little Ha Noi, Xich Lo, Ao Dai and Sai Gon have become familiar with local people.

"Pho 24", a "Pho" chain with tens of restaurants in Vietnam, the Philippines and Indonesia, is to open two restaurants in Seoul this month.

Together with "Ao Dai" Vietnamese traditional long dress and Ha Long Bay, "Pho" has become a proper noun in the Korean language.

"Little Sai Gon" attracts the largest number of customers for its long tradition and a Vietnamese chef.

However, "Pho" in Seoul lacks an essential ingredient to make it truly "Pho", that is fresh rice noodle. A major food company of the Republic of Korea has taken note of this and is preparing to build a factory to supply fresh noodle to "Pho" restaurants here.
http://english.vietnamnet.vn/lifestyle/2007/03/671082/