Vũ Ngọc Vượng has brought his famous Nam ĐịnhPhở to Trường Sa (Spratlys) three times. — Photo vietnamnet.vn

HÀ NỘI — Vũ Ngọc Vượng of Nam Trực, Nam Định Province is famous for running a chain of phở restaurants in Hà Nội, selling around two to three thousand bowls daily.

Born in a family with a tradition of cooking the dish for three generations, Vượng himself has been in the business since 1993 in Hà Nội with his father. He started his first restaurant at the age of 20.

Now with five restaurants and thousands of bowls served to happy customers across Hà Nội, Vượng brought his famous dishes and recipes to the faraway islands of Trường Sa (Spratly Islands), reported vietnamnet.vn.

"The journey was quite a feat. Many people go on business trips to Trường Sa with just their essentials like paper, pens, computers, cameras... but I carried along 50 crates of ingredients," said Vượng.

The trip to Trường Sa in April this year was the third time that Vượng brought phở to serve the officers and soldiers stationed on the remote islands.

In 2013, Vượng made his first visit to Trường Sa.

On that trip, Vượng's close friend, Vietnam News Agency journalist Nguyễn Hồng Kỳ, noted that phở is craved by islanders, and asked Vượng to try the almost impossible task of bringing the dish in its finest taste to Trường Sa.

Taken by surprise, Vượng responded firmly: "I am ready for the challenge, but I need a week to test the food preservation."

According to Vượng, bringing phở to the islands is not a simple task because it requires bringing along various ingredients such as vegetables, phở noodles, beef, and more. To make a delicious and authentic bowl of phở, besides his own secret recipe, the ingredients used must be fresh and clean.

"A trip to Trường Sa takes more than 10 days, so I had to experiment with how to keep the food fresh and delicious," Vượng added.

Once he found a way to preserve the food and easily transport it to the islands, Vượng was determined to join the mission to Trường Sa. That year, his trip was a resounding success. Over 1,000 bowls of phở were prepared by Vượng and offered to the officers and soldiers on the ship and at three different islands.

'One more bowl, please'

"When the bowls of phở were served, the first thing the soldiers did was take photos of the food. Everyone's faces were filled with excitement and happiness. Many soldiers were overwhelmed with nostalgia for home because it had been such a long time since they had the opportunity to eat phở. There were also soldiers from remote and distant regions who had never tasted phở before, so they were deeply moved," Vượng recalled.

While observing the officers and soldiers enjoying phở and witnessing their appreciation for the food he had put so much effort into, Vượng felt overwhelmed. Therefore, when a hesitant soldier asked, "Can I have another bowl?", he eagerly served him right away.

However, upon returning home that year, despite the pride of setting foot on the sacred land of the nation and bringing the traditional cuisine of their homeland to the distant islands, Vượng still felt a bit regretful. "Because not every island I visited could be served phở."

After the trip, Vượng wished that if he could return to the islands for a second time, he would bring phở to every island that he visits.

In 2017, his wish came true as Vượng brought over 2,000 bowls of phở to serve the officers and soldiers at the islands he visited outside of Trường Sa.

"That year, I even brought phở to oil platforms. The journey was challenging, but as soon as I set foot on the island, a surge of pride made me forget all the exhaustion.

"At 5am, when the ship arrived at the island, the soldiers had prepared a pot of boiling water for me. I asked for their assistance, some peeled onions, others prepared the ingredients. By 5:45, I had phở ready, and by 6:15, everyone on the island had finished eating.

"The job required quick hands, but when done with passion and enthusiasm, I didn't feel tired; I only felt excited. It's an emotion I will never forget," Vượng said.

After nearly 30 years in the business, phở is no longer just a means of living for Vượng's family. It has become a source of pride for the people of Nam Định in general and those who have inherited the traditional craft of phở in particular.

For them, preserving the ancestral secrets of the dish is not just about preserving the cultural heritage of the town but also about bringing joy to people everywhere. — VNS