Papaken, a 35-year-old Japanese content creator, has lived in Vietnam for over two years.

With nearly 150,000 followers on his YouTube channel, he regularly shares videos about his life and travel experiences, exploring cuisine across Vietnam, attracting hundreds of thousands of views.

Papaken, who has a deep understanding of Vietnamese culture and is fluent in the language, often acts as a guide for Japanese visitors exploring Vietnam.

A few months ago, Papaken welcomed his friends Fukuda and Asano to Hanoi and took them to try local dishes such as pho, bun cha, broken rice, and grilled foods at the night market. Pho was the dish that left the most lasting impression on them.

Papaken introduced his friends to his favorite pho spot on Hang Giay Street in Hoan Kiem District, which was also the first pho restaurant he visited after moving to Vietnam.

"I’ve tried pho at different places, but in my opinion, this is the best. The first time I came here, I ate two bowls of pho. This place has become my go-to for pho in Vietnam," Papaken told his friends.

The pho shop, which Papaken praises highly, was once named by travel magazine The Culture Trip as one of the top six pho places to visit in the capital.

At the shop, the Japanese group ordered three bowls of pho, with fried dough sticks and iced tea, for a total of 200,000 VND (approximately $8.50 USD).

As soon as the steaming bowls arrived, Asano exclaimed, "Wow, it looks amazing!" He even mistook the thin slices of onion for transparent noodles, which made Papaken and Fukuda laugh.

Papaken encouraged his friends to taste the broth first to appreciate the authentic flavor of Hanoi pho, suggesting they add vinegar, lime, or chili sauce afterward if they wanted to adjust the flavor.

Fukuda and Asano, eager to experience the dish authentically, decided to try the pho as it was before adding any seasonings. Papaken, however, admitted he liked adding vinegar and chili sauce right from the start.

"Adding vinegar enhances the flavor of beef pho, but go easy with the chili sauce - it’s quite spicy," he advised.

Fukuda kept exclaiming, “It’s so good!” He enthusiastically picked up the noodles and repeatedly sipped the broth, clearly enjoying the experience.

Next to him, Asano slurped his pho with gusto, nodding approvingly, even as he began to sweat.

Halfway through his bowl, Asano added fish sauce, vinegar, and chili sauce. He admitted the broth’s flavor improved noticeably with the additional condiments.

Papaken described the pho here as having a clear and mild broth with tender beef. Diners could choose rare beef, well-done beef, or a combination, according to their preference.

Despite having eaten at this pho shop many times, Papaken never grew tired of it and was thrilled that his friends also enjoyed it.

At the end of the meal, Asano admitted that beef pho hadn’t originally been on his list of dishes to try in Vietnam, as he wanted to focus on more unique options.

"Honestly, I thought it wouldn’t matter if I missed out on pho, but now I understand why Papaken insisted. I’m really glad you brought me here," Asano said.

Thao Trinh

Photos: Papaken – Life in Vietnam Family