Vietnamese Embassy Working to Spread Awareness of Culture and Cuisine in Israel

A Vietnamese cultural, culinary space is opened in Israel’s Netanya city on April 16. Photo: VNA

A cultural and culinary space showcasing the culture of Vietnam was organised by the Vietnamese Embassy in Netanya city, Israel on April 16, according to the Vietnam News Agency (VNA).

The enchanting beauty of Southeast Asian country’s culture, cuisine, and tourism are set to be popularized through this space, encouraging the promotion of business cooperation and people-to-people exchanges between the two countries.

According to the Vietnam News Agency correspondent in Tel Aviv, Vietnamese Ambassador to Israel Ly Duc Trung and Netanya city Mayor Miriam Feirberg-Ikar attended the event’s opening ceremony.

The City Council, the City Hotel-Tourism Association, and hundreds of guests from the diplomatic corps, the business world, the Vietnamese community in Israel, and international friends who are passionate about Vietnamese cuisine were all represented at the event.

Ambassador Ly Duc Trung declared that the space will host multiple events monthly, including seminars, business meetings, art performances, and fashion shows.

Mayor Miriam Feirberg-Ikar stressed that, as a tourism destination, the locality enthusiastically welcomes visitors from all over the world and many people are stunned by Vietnamese food and culture.

On the special occasion, the embassy presented a tripartite model event that involved Vietnam, Israel, and another nation, such as Italy, Switzerland, Canada, Colombia, or the Dominican Republic.

A Vietnamese cultural, culinary space is opened in Israel’s Netanya city on April 16. Photo: VNA

The Vietnamese-Israeli cultural space was selected to be situated in Netanya, as this city is renowned for being the Israeli equivalent of the renowned French Riviera and Cote d’Azur.

Mayor Miriam Feirberg-Ikar emphasized that Netanya is a tourist destination, welcoming visitors from across the globe. Today, she is especially delighted to participate in the opening of this event and to witness so many people gathering here to experience Vietnamese food and culture.

Asher Fettmann, the owner of the renowned Viet-Taam restaurant, revealed that he married a Vietnamese woman, motivating him to create a place that is deeply entrenched in Vietnamese culture, allowing tourists and diners from around the world to learn and experience the Asian culture and cuisine, particularly Vietnam’s.

The people of Netanya city are passionate about Vietnamese food, often coming here for a visit. Not only that, but diners from other cities in the North and Central Israel, are also drawn to the city due to its renowned Vietnamese cuisine, as the local man added.

Earlier this month, the Food Lovers’ Association of the Ambassadors’ Club of Israel held a “Night of Pho” event in Or Yehuda city to introduce locals to one of Vietnam’s most popular noodle soups. This event was part of a series of activities to celebrate the 75th Independence Day of Israel and the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Israel. Earlier this month, a “Night of Pho” event was held in Or Yehuda city introducing one of Vietnam’s most popular noodle soups to locals, as part of a series of activities of the Food Lovers’ Association of the Ambassadors’ Club of Israel, on the occasion of the 75th Independence Day of Israel, and towards the 30th anniversary of the diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Israel.

To organize the event, he stated that the Vietnamese Embassy had invited the chefs from the renowned Sofitel Metropole hotel in Hanoi to provide guidance to the chefs at Attilio Cooking School through video conferencing. All the necessary ingredients had already been prepared by the staff of the Vietnamese Embassy.

The Vietnamese diplomat expressed his aspiration that the event would provide participants with a more comprehensive knowledge of Pho, helping to bring the traditional Vietnamese dish closer to both international friends and local people alike.

The introduction of Vietnamese Pho is being celebrated as part of activities in honor of Israel’s Independence Day (April 26) and to commemorate 30 years of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Israel this year.

For his part, Chico Karolizky, the director of Attilio cooking school, expressed his pride in organizing the “Night Pho” event and learning more about traditional Vietnamese dishes. “This is my first time enjoying Pho, and it’s absolutely delicious. It’s great that we can learn more about the traditional dishes of different countries.”

Vietnam and Israel formally established diplomatic ties in 1993. That same year, Israel opened an embassy in Hanoi. Subsequently, in 2009, Vietnam also established an embassy in Tel Aviv.