Ton Ngoc Hiep, who already opened 10 Vietnamese “pho” (noodle soup) restaurants in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, is planning to bring the brand to the UK and the US.
A Pho Vietz restaurant at Utama shopping mall in Malaysia (Photo: VNA) Ton Ngoc Hiep, who already opened 10 Vietnamese “pho” (noodle soup) restaurants
in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, is planning to bring the brand to the UK and the US.
Speaking with the
Vietnam News Agency (VNA)’s reporters, he expressed his hope to introduce
Vietnamese cuisine to Malaysian and international friends. If the COVID-19
pandemic had not occurred, he would have opened “Pho Vietz” restaurants in the
UK and the US last year.
Although Malaysia
boasts a diverse cuisine, the chef has gained a foothold in the country’s food
market as there are 10 “Pho Vietz” restaurants with 120 employees in Kuala
Lumpur, only six years after its establishment.
Ton Ngoc Hiep (third from left) in front of his restaurant (Photo: VNA)
Hiep plans to open five
more restaurants this year, along with managing another in Hong Kong and
promoting the brand in Manchester and New York.
When working at a
five-star hotel in Ho Chi Minh City in the 1990s, he was tasked with
introducing Vietnamese cuisine to Switzerland diners during a three-month
programme.
That working trip kindled
his pride when foreigners highly appreciated Vietnamese cuisine, he recalled.
During a trip to
Malaysia, he had a chance to meet with foreign chefs who wished to introduce
Vietnamese dishes in their menus.
Hiep emphasised that
he spares no efforts in gathering fresh materials, in a bid to retain the
“soul” of the iconic Vietnamese dish as much as possible.
To run 10 restaurants
at the same time while ensuring food quality at each of them, the chef set up a
centre for food processing and manufacturing./.