A Vietnamese tourist recently shared her disappointing experience of having to pay more than 284 Swiss Francs (about 8.3 million VND) for a meal consisting mainly of pho, vermicelli and drinks for 6 people in Switzerland.
This story has caused a stir in the overseas Vietnamese community, and at the same time highlighted the difference in price and quality of Vietnamese cuisine abroad.
Ms. Le Thanh Van, who has lived in Prague, Czech Republic for 20 years, said that during her trip to Switzerland, when she visited the Sapa Canteen restaurant in Luzern, she was shocked by the quality and price of the pho at the famous restaurant.
“I was mentally prepared that the taste might not be 100% the same as in Vietnam, but when the dish was brought out, I was really shocked,” Ms. Van shared.
The image of the bowl of pho that Ms. Van shared was commented to be watery, with little meat, and the broth, according to Ms. Van, had "no taste other than saltiness".
Notably, the way pho is served is also different from the traditional way. Instead of pouring broth into the pho bowl to soften the noodles and cook the beef before serving it to the customer, the restaurant staff brings the dry pho to the table and then pours broth into it.
Ms. Van said she only gave this experience 1/10 points, while the Vietnamese pho restaurants in France or Italy that she tried got 5 points, even though the taste was not outstanding.
The price of the meal is worth mentioning. A bowl of pho costs up to 875,873 VND. Ms. Van's group of 6 people, each person ordered a bowl of noodles or pho, along with drinks including 5 glasses of water and 1 glass of orange juice, the total bill was up to 284 Swiss Francs (equivalent to 8.3 million VND).
So, after splitting the bill, each person has to pay about 50 Euros (1.3 million VND) for a meal including pho or vermicelli and a drink.
"Don't let anyone tell you that because you're greedy for cheap food you have to eat bad food," Ms. Van expressed her indignation.
Explaining why the high prices do not match the quality of the food, Kenny Nguyen, a resident of Switzerland for nearly 3 years, explained: “The prices in Switzerland are very high compared to the rest of Europe because of the high standard of living and high labor costs. Although the quality of European food is often delicious and commensurate with the price, the quality of Vietnamese food in Europe is not like that.”
Also according to Mr. Kenny Nguyen, on average, if eating out, people in Switzerland can spend about 45 Euros (about 1.2 million VND)/main meal. Breakfast is cheaper, only about 10 Euros (about 280,000 VND)/meal.
If you go shopping and cook at home, the cost will be much cheaper, on average only about 500 Euros (13.8 million VND)/person/month.
Ms. Trang Lastella, a Vietnamese pho business owner in Geneva, shared more about the reality of the culinary business: “I sell a bowl of pho take-away for 17 Euros (about 471,000 VND) but still have not made a profit. Restaurants in Geneva sell pho for 22 to 28 Euros (610,000 to 776,000 VND). High labor costs are the main reason for the high prices, the average salary of the lowest serving staff is about 4,000 Euros (about 110 million VND)/month.”
The story above not only reflects the price differences between countries, but also highlights the challenge of maintaining the traditional taste of Vietnamese cuisine abroad. For Vietnamese tourists, finding a delicious and affordable bowl of pho abroad is not easy.
