Vietnam's President Tries Banh Mi in Japan

President Vo Van Thuong on November 28 thanked generations of Tokyo leaders for actively supporting the multifaceted cooperation between the capital city of Japan and Vietnamese localities, especially the Hanoi capital, VNA reported.

The leader, who is paying an official trip to Japan, made the remarks while joining Tokyo Governor Koike Yuriko in visiting “Banh mi Xin chao”, a Vietnamese sandwich restaurant opened by two former students from Vietnam.

President Vo Van Thuong, his spouse, Tokyo Governor Koike Yuriko and other officials at the “Banh mi Xin chao” restaurant in Tokyo on November 28. Photo: TG&VN

The chain of “Banh mi Xin chao” restaurants was established in 2016 by Bui Thanh Duy, 37, and Bui Thanh Tam, 32, who are brothers from the central province of Quang Nam.

Weathering numerous initial difficulties, they have created many new flavors from the original “banh mi” of Quang Nam’s Hoi An city. The chain now has 15 restaurants across Japan.

Via “banh mi”, they hope to help popularize the Vietnamese cuisine and culture as well as enthusiasm and wisdom of young Vietnamese people to locals, contributing to the solidarity and development of the Vietnamese community in Japan and to the cultural and economic ties between the two counties.

Bui Thanh Tam, the owner of the restaurant, shared, "Today's dishes of the President, his spouse and the delegation are no different from the dishes we serve to customers every day."

Bui Thanh Tam, the owner of the restaurant, shared, "Today's dishes of the President, his spouse and the delegation are no different from the dishes we serve to customers every day.

At the restaurant imbued with Vietnamese characteristics in Tokyo, President Thuong, his spouse, and Japanese officials tasted typical dishes of Vietnam such as “banh mi”, the Quang noodles, “pho”, coffee, fresh spring rolls, and sweetened porridge.

Appreciating generations of local leaders’ promotion of multifaceted ties between Tokyo and Vietnamese localities, President Thuong also highly valued their facilitation for Vietnamese enterprises and people to do business and work in the city.

He noted that Vietnam and Japan share many cultural and culinary similarities which have contributed to the particularly good relations between the two countries and their peoples.

The State leader said he is proud that more and more young people of Vietnam like the two founders of “Banh mi Xin chao” have been exerting efforts to grasp development opportunities in Japan. He also considered their efforts as a contribution to the popularization of the Vietnamese culture here and the enhancement of bonds between the two peoples.

President Vo Van Thuong (second from left) and his spouse in a joint photo with brothers Bui Thanh Duy and Bui Thanh Tam, the founders of “Banh mi Xin chao”. Photo: VNA

Governor Koike stressed that Tokyo is deploying a high-tech anti-flooding system, and it is ready to cooperate with Vietnamese cities in this field.

President Thuong called on Koike to continue creating favorable conditions for Vietnamese people to work, live, and study in Tokyo. He also asked the Tokyo Governor to promote the sharing of the city’s anti-fire and anti-flooding experience with Hanoi and other Vietnamese localities.

Earlier, President Thuong met with representatives of the Vietnamese community in Japan, lauding them for their unique position to further develop relations between the two countries.

He called on overseas Vietnamese in Japan to make more contributions to the host country, and step up the bilateral relations, adding that this is the best foundation to maintain and promote the Vietnam-Japan relations.

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