In mid January 2026, a new museum officially opened in the heart of Ho Chi Minh City. The Pho Museum - branded as Vietnam’s first food museum - is dedicated to telling the story of pho, the country’s most iconic dish.
With tickets priced at 750,000 VND (US $28.5), the museum promises to “introduce Vietnamese culinary culture to the world through innovative and distinctive forms of presentation”. Curious to see whether the experience lives up to that ambition (and its price tag), we visited the museum to find out what it actually offers.
The 100-year journey of pho at the Pho’s Museum
The Pho Museum experience spans several exhibitions : a short film showcasing pho’s evolution over the past century; an interactive game; an installation-art section about pho; and a dining experience featuring a curated bowl of pho served in an immersive setting.
The movie about Pho
The journey begins on the top floor with the first stop: a movie about pho. The screening room is defined by the warm scent of cinnamon and star anise - two spices closely associated with pho. Lining the walls are photographs that document the dish’s century-long journey, from black-and-white images on one side to full-colour photographs on the other.
Branded as the “Pho Movie,” the film functions less as a cinematic experience and more as an educational short, introducing visitors to the history and evolution of pho. That said, the storytelling itself is effective, supported by thoughtful use of animation, music, and the oft-quoted line: “Wherever there are Vietnamese, there is pho.”
An Interactive Game
After the ten-minute film, visitors are directed to the second exhibition, which features an interactive game. The activity takes place on an LCD screen, where participants arrange ingredients to assemble a bowl of pho. Beyond the standard options of beef and chicken pho, the game also allows players to create variations such as pho cuon (pho rolled with beef and herb) and pho xao (stir-fried beef pho)
Once the virtual bowl is “cooked,” participants are asked to answer a short quiz about pho to receive a small prize - which, based on observation, is capped at a 5 percent discount voucher for the museum’s gift shop.
The game is engaging and helps visitors better understand the flavor profile of a bowl of pho. We opted for a less conventional choice of pho cuon and noticed that some options were limited, with certain ingredients even auto-selecting before users could make a choice.
Exhibition space and installation art
The exhibition space features more than 200 artifacts and objects tracing the history of pho, accompanied by an installation showcasing contemporary works that offer diverse perspectives on pho culture and everyday Vietnamese life.
The installation comprises 27 bowls of pho, each representing a distinct occupation of the Vietnamese. The bowls are arranged on a bed of rice - a staple ingredient deeply intertwined with everyday life in Vietnam.
The installation showcase of 27 bowls of pho - Picture: Vietnam News
Despite a strong underlying concept, the spatial arrangement of this area has yet to fully convey that intention. The contemporary art section is positioned at the center, surrounded by artifacts and objects, resulting in a confusing visitor flow. This spatial constraint is understandable given the museum’s location in one of Ho Chi Minh City’s busiest areas
The immersive dining experience
We then moved to the most anticipated part of the pho journey: enjoying a bowl of pho in an immersive setting. This is the museum’s signature pho, a carefully balanced blend of two of Vietnam’s most popular variations: Northern-style pho,served with quẩy and no herbs; and Southern-style pho, featuring a richer taste broth accompanied by bean sprouts, fresh herbs, and dipping sauces. Visitors enjoy the dish inside an immersive showcase that recreates the natural landscapes of Vietnam’s three regions: the North, the Central, and the South.
In terms of flavor, the bowl leaned more towards Southern-style pho, with a broth that felt slightly richer than traditional Southern pho, yet not light enough for a Northern pho. Taste, of course, is subjective. However, in our view, the Pho Museum’s signature bowl would benefit from a more distinctive flavor profile, which would be strong enough to leave a lasting impression and draw diners back.
In our verdict, the immersive dining experience fell short of its potential, as the low-resolution screens and repetitive landscape visuals, sometimes at times overlapping, made it difficult to sustain a truly immersive atmosphere.
Our final verdict: a promising concept that still needs refinement
Pho Museum is an ambitious project with a clear intention: to elevate pho from a beloved everyday dish into a cultural narrative worthy of a museum setting. Its strengths lie in its concept, visual storytelling, and willingness to experiment with multimedia and contemporary art.
At its current stage, the Pho Museum may appeal most to first-time visitors curious about pho as a cultural symbol, or those seeking a novel, visually driven experience. With clearer storytelling, improved interactivity, and a more distinctive culinary signature, it has the potential to become a meaningful cultural landmark and to justify its premium ticket price. For now, it stands as a promising concept that still needs refinement before it can truly earn a place as a must-visit destination in Ho Chi Minh City.