Within the framework of Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's official visit to Japan from November 22 - 25, 2021, there was a sideline story that not many people knew, but for Nguyen Ba Phuoc, one of Viet Nam’s top chefs of Japanese cuisine, it was probably forever in his memory.

Nguyen Ba Phuoc serves as the MC of the "Living in Japan" - a programme sharing useful knowledge for Vietnamese people living, studying and working in all parts of Japan. (Photo provided by the character)

Below is a special story on chef Nguyen Ba Phuoc, a Vietnamese man originally from Son Tay, a small rural town outside the capital city of Ha Noi and now living and working in Japan.

Phuoc is one of the Vietnamese chefs in Japan to have recorded many achievements, becoming the pride of the Vietnamese community living and studying in the land of the rising sun.
Unexpected opportunity

Phuoc shared his happiness on Facebook after having completed one of the biggest challenges in his life as he was the main chef in charge of a banquet serving a high-ranking delegation of the Vietnamese government led by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh to Japan.

He was filled with joy and relief of receiving compliments and words of great encouragement from the Prime Minister, and talking with him after the end of the party. In fact, Phuoc was not the first person chosen to serve meals for the Vietnamese delegation. Initially, he was only invited to join this important event as a companion with a task of supporting the "main character".

However, two days before the event, the plan suddenly changed, Phuoc was assigned to be the main chef of the party.

“At that time, I faced with a really difficult choice. If successful, it would be a great moment for a flourishing career. But if something went wrong, everything I'd worked so hard to achieve would be lost," Phuoc said.

"After thinking and deliberating, I accept this challenging task" he added. And finally, his efforts were paid off as everything was completed well.

Dream of acting as a culinary bridge

These days, Phuoc still goes back and forth between Hokkaido and Tokyo to simultaneously carry out all the culinary and cultural connection projects that he has chosen as his ‘lifetime mission’. That mission is being realized every day through various fields of work that Phuoc's Joyfoods Company has started implementing since its establishment in June, 2021.

After 5 years of studying and working in Hokkaido Prefecture, about thousands of kilometers away from Tokyo, Phuoc intended to go to the Japanese capital to find better job opportunities, but then realized that he "left" to "come back" when he understood that he still has a strong love for Hokkaido -the land associated with many memories in Japan, including a "bewildered time" when he first learned to be a chef here.

After joining the Xin Chao (Hello) Banh Mi shops co-founded by two Vietnamese brothers, Bui Thanh Duy and Bui Thanh Tam as culinary mentor, Phuoc returned to Hokkaido to open a Hello Banh Mi shop under the franchise mechanism. In particular, this shop is regarded as evidence showing Phuoc's passion for turn this place into a rendezvous for Vietnamese expats in Japan and Japanese inhabitants who are interested in understand about Vietnamese cuisine.

“I consider all of my customers as my brothers and friends. Living abroad, listening to the Vietnamese language, meeting with my compatriots here is really happy thing to me. And when serving these beloved people, I never offer them anything that is not delicious nor healthy”, Phuoc said about his service philosophy, adding that showing sincere attitude and hospitality towards customers is the top factor.
Phuoc's shop sells Vietnamese food, and also noticeably, its staff are all Vietnamese.

Phuoc was once honoured as one of the ten most excellent residents living in the city of Muroran Hokkaido province and became the 9^th foreigner to win the Gold Badge for his proficiency in cooking traditional Japanese dishes. Therefore, it is not surprising that Phuoc's Hello ‘Banh Mi’ shop in Hokkaido quickly attracted the public attention. All the most famous local newspapers and radio stations have reported on this shop.

“Before returning to my home country to continue developing my own path, I can help Hello Banh Mi stand firm and become a Vietnamese culinary brand in Japan as well as in other places.” Phuoc shared.
In the future, Phuoc plans to return to his homeland to help build Viet Nam’s Japanese food ecosystem. Interestingly, raw materials are grown right on Vietnamese soil, by Vietnamese workers themselves.
“I believe that in the next 5 - 10 years, Viet Nam will inevitably enter the roadmap to develop a clean and sustainable agriculture, and then I will have the most favourable conditions to realize my plan to connect Vietnamese - Japanese cuisines”, Phuoc expressed.

Inspirational person for others

Having struggled to win a scholarship to Japan to learn about cooking, experienced loneliness in the journey due to the prejudice that men should not follow this profession, Nguyen Ba Phuoc wants his story to be a source of encouragement and believe for many young Vietnamese who want to pursue the cooking career

Over the past years, Phuoc has become a "mentor" for many young people who want to go to Japan to seek opportunities to become chefs. Phuoc has connected with Hokuto Bunka Academy in Hokkaido - where he used to study - to facilitate the granting of scholarships to many Vietnamese students.

The two chefs who accompanied Phuoc as assistants at the party in Japany serving the visiting delegation led by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh are the members of the "Association of people who learn to cook and work as chefs in Japan" founded by Phuoc in 2018 with the aim of connecting Vietnamese chefs who are studying and working in the land of cherry blossoms, thereby promoting mutual support in life, especially on the path of pursuing culinary arts.

Reporting by DUONG KIM THOA – Translating by A.THU