Over the weekend, thousands of locals and tourists attended the Hanoi Culinary Culture Festival at Thong Nhat Park, which featured more than 80 booths offering specialties from Hanoi, eight other provinces (including Ha Giang, Son La, Lang Son, and Quang Binh), and 16 embassies such as India, Japan, Mongolia, Laos, and France.

One of the festival’s highlights was the "Hanoi Digital Pho" zone, where a robot demonstrated its pho-making skills. On the evenings of November 29 and 30, crowds gathered around to watch the robot in action, with some waiting for hours to try the robot-made pho.

The robot, essentially a programmed robotic arm, performed tasks such as blanching noodles, adding ingredients to bowls, and ladling broth at an impressive speed of five seconds per pour. Completing a bowl of pho took about 2-4 minutes.

While the robot added a touch of novelty, human staff were still needed for essential tasks like measuring ingredients and placing bowls onto the robotic transporter.

"The robot is just a prototype, meant to offer a unique experience for visitors. It can’t entirely replace human workers," a festival organizer explained.

Bui Thi Bich Thuy, a visitor from Ha Dong, enjoyed the robot-made pho but remarked that it was slower than traditional preparation and still required human assistance. Visitors ordered by scanning a QR code, though the booth sometimes had to stop accepting orders due to overwhelming demand.

At the festival’s opening ceremony, Hanoi Vice Chairman Vu Thu Ha highlighted the city’s rich heritage, which blends the Thang Long culture with neighboring regions like Doai, Dong, Kinh Bac, and Son Nam Thuong.

"Pho Hanoi was officially recognized in 2024 as part of the National Intangible Cultural Heritage. This recognition is a proud milestone for Hanoi and its culinary community, providing a legal foundation for preserving and promoting this cultural treasure," Ha said.

Other Hanoi specialties such as Ho Tay shrimp cakes, Phu Do rice cakes, Vong village green rice, Phung fermented pork rolls, and Ha Mo rice porridge also attracted significant crowds.

At the opening, the Ưoc Le Gio Cha booth captivated visitors with a massive 150kg sausage crafted by ten artisans. On November 30, crowds continued to watch the artisans skillfully pound pork and wrap sausages using traditional methods.

“Making gio cha requires strict procedures,” said artisan Le Tien Ung. “The pork must be fresh and sticky to the touch, and the pounding process must be consistent to ensure the right texture. Even the banana leaves for wrapping must be carefully chosen to enhance the aroma and color.”

The festival attracted not only local food lovers but also international visitors. Itay Klir’s family from Iceland was particularly charmed by Hanoi-inspired sculpted ice cream.

"The festival is lively and vibrant. We’ve enjoyed many delicious dishes here. Hanoi truly deserves to be recognized as one of the world’s top culinary cities," Klir said.