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The Taste of Pho

Original title: Smak pho
  • 20192019
  • 1h 24m
IMDb RATING
6.3/10
163
YOUR RATING
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • IMDbPro
Smak pho (2019)
Trailer 1
Play trailer1:43
1 Video
4 Photos
  • Drama

A Warsaw-based Vietnamese cook struggles to fit into the European culture, which his ten-year-old daughter has already embraced as her own. A story about love, misunderstanding and food.A Warsaw-based Vietnamese cook struggles to fit into the European culture, which his ten-year-old daughter has already embraced as her own. A story about love, misunderstanding and food.A Warsaw-based Vietnamese cook struggles to fit into the European culture, which his ten-year-old daughter has already embraced as her own. A story about love, misunderstanding and food.

IMDb RATING
6.3/10
163
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Mariko Bobrik
  • Writer
    • Mariko Bobrik(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Thang Long Do
    • Lena Nguyen
    • Aleksandra Domanska
Top credits
  • Director
    • Mariko Bobrik
  • Writer
    • Mariko Bobrik(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Thang Long Do
    • Lena Nguyen
    • Aleksandra Domanska
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 1User review
    • 5Critic reviews
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 win & 3 nominations

    Videos1

    The Taste of Pho
    Trailer 1:43
    The Taste of Pho

    Photos

    Lena Nguyen in Smak pho (2019)
    Thang Long Do in Smak pho (2019)
    Smak pho (2019)
    Add photo

    Top cast

    Edit
    Thang Long Do
    • Longas Long
    Lena Nguyen
    • Majaas Maja
    Aleksandra Domanska
    Aleksandra Domanska
    • Kasiaas Kasia
    Gia Khai Ton
    • Hienas Hien
    Thi Thanh Minh Tran
    • Cucas Cuc
    Wojciech Zielinski
    Wojciech Zielinski
    • Krukas Kruk
    Boguslawa Pawelec
    Boguslawa Pawelec
    • Grandma Grazynaas Grandma Grazyna
    Jakub Baranowski
    • Bartekas Bartek
    Kalina Florczak
    • Kamilaas Kamila
    Oliwier Kurdek
    • Kacperas Kacper
    Vibhu Sharma
    • Satyajitas Satyajit
    Vinay Gangvani
    • Sandipas Sandip
    Giang Nguyen
    • Vietnamese helperas Vietnamese helper
    Tami Kyanh
    • Vietnamese helperas Vietnamese helper
    Sarah Banasiak
    • Waitressas Waitress
    Paula Korycka
    • Waitressas Waitress
    Krzysztof Jach
    • Glazieras Glazier
    Szymon Znojek
    • Selleras Seller
    • Director
      • Mariko Bobrik
    • Writer
      • Mariko Bobrik(screenplay)
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
    • All cast & crew

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    Storyline

    Edit
    10-year-old Maja hides from her classmates the lunch of traditional meals prepared for her every morning by her father, a Vietnamese chef and master of pho soup, who is trying to find his own path in the reality of Warsaw. When his long-term boss decides to return to his homeland, he has to face the requirements of the new restaurant owner. However, mastering new cooking skills is a minor challenge, compared to raising his daughter as a single parent: the growing-up girl is incredibly perceptive. —ron_whisky
    • daughter
    • Plot summary
    • Add synopsis
    • Taglines
      • Wietnamsko-polski przepis na rodzine
    • Genre
      • Drama
    • Parents guide
      • Add content advisory

    User reviews1

    Review
    Top review
    8/10
    Good portrait of life of a Vietnamese immigrant to Poland
    Long, a cook in Warsaw has multiple personal challenges. He is an immigrant from Vietnam, a visible minority adjusting to western culture. He Polish wife is deceased, and he has a 10-year-old daughter Maja who is worried he may too soon move on from her mother, and wants to be more westernized, like her friends. He seems wedded to the restaurant where he lovingly makes pho.

    But times are changing. His boss sells the restaurant and moves back to Vietnam. The new owner upscales it to Sushi and Thai, and Long has to learn new skills, delegating the final assembly of pho to an assistant. Back at home, Maja is spying on a women across the street, and Long has to break the ancient washing machine and has a hard time getting a replacement part.

    I saw this at the online Toronto Reel Asian Film Festival, which was a help. I caught the Q+A with the writer / director, and could re-view parts of the film both before and after the Q+A. I wasn't dreaming, but the woman's picture in the shrine was a blonde Pole. There are certain ritual scenes that are repeated, but may only show the hands (e.g. adding incense to his wife's shrine, ironing his daughter's dress) or just an object (the washing machine) - all of which was the director's choice of focus. The director also likes to shoot down at feet / footwear, in cases implying the character from the shoes. Long also replaces the washing machine (not obvious at 1st glance, since both are front loaders, but obvious once I looked at the controls at the top).

    This is a good portrait of someone in a diaspora, not really able to "go home" (likely not permanently with a mixed-raced daughter), and adapting as well as possible to his life choice. There are some parts of the story I find questionable, but find this is a film I recommend.
    helpful•6
    0
    • chong_an
    • Nov 19, 2020

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • July 3, 2020 (Poland)
    • Countries of origin
      • Poland
      • Germany
    • Official sites
      • Official site (Poland)
      • Official site (Poland)
    • Languages
      • Polish
      • Vietnamese
    • Also known as
      • Вкус Фо
    • Filming locations
      • Warsaw, Mazowieckie, Poland
    • Production companies
      • Rohfilm
      • Lava Films
      • Opus Film
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 24 minutes
    • Color
      • Color

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