{"id":2653,"date":"2026-05-10T19:19:11","date_gmt":"2026-05-10T10:19:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vietnam-gift.com\/news\/marou-bonbon-pho\/"},"modified":"2026-08-02T08:11:29","modified_gmt":"2026-08-01T23:11:29","slug":"marou-bonbon-pho","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/vietnam-gift.com\/en\/news\/marou-bonbon-pho\/","title":{"rendered":"Marou's \"Bonbon Ph\u1edf\" and others win 2 gold, 2 silver, 3 bronze at the International Chocolate Awards 2026 Asia-Pacific \u2014 laurels at the Kyoto ceremony"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Ho Chi Minh City\u2013based bean-to-bar chocolate maker\u300eMarou Faiseurs de Chocolat\u300f<\/strong>won a total of seven awards \u2014 2 gold, 2 silver, and 3 bronze \u2014 at theInternational Chocolate Awards Asia-Pacific competition<\/strong>held in Kyoto on April 4, 2026. Its flagship product,\"Bonbon Ph\u1edf,\" took silver with 89.07 points,<\/strong>and a 65% dark bar infused with pop rice and pho spicestook gold with 90.6 points,<\/strong>both also winning the special \"Local Ingredients\" award at the same time. The ceremony was held within the Kyoto Coffee & Chocolate Festival, where co-founders Monica Meschini and Martin Christy presented the certificates in person.Based on the award list on the<\/a>International Chocolate Awards official website, here we lay out Marou's record and where its expression of Vietnamese ingredients stands today.<\/p>\n

2 gold, 2 silver, 3 bronze \u2014 the breakdown of Marou's seven awards<\/h2>\n

The awards Marou won at the 2026 competition are as follows.Products made mainly with single-origin<\/strong>Vietnamese ingredients, all highly praised for expressing a sense of \"Vietnamese-ness.\"<\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Award<\/th>\nProduct name<\/th>\nScore<\/th>\nCategory<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Gold<\/td>\nDark 65% Popped Rice with Pho spice<\/td>\n90.60<\/td>\nDark bars with inclusions (Local Ingredients special award)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Gold<\/td>\nBonbon Chili Lime<\/td>\n90.20<\/td>\nFlavoured ganaches\/truffles (Gastronomic special award)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Silver<\/td>\nBonbon Ph\u1edf<\/td>\n89.07<\/td>\nFlavoured ganaches\/truffles (Local Ingredients special award)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Silver<\/td>\nSingle Origin Vietnam Cacao Butter<\/td>\n85.70<\/td>\nCocoa butter ingredients<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Bronze<\/td>\nCandied Ginger Enrobed W\/ 65% Chocolate<\/td>\n86.70<\/td>\nDark enrobed fruit pastes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Bronze<\/td>\nMango Enrobed With 65% Dark Chocolate<\/td>\n86.50<\/td>\nDark enrobed whole fruit<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Bronze<\/td>\nSingle Origin Vietnam Cacao Powder<\/td>\n84.30<\/td>\nCocoa powder ingredients<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/figure>\n

The two gold-winning products reached the 90-point range, placing them among the top scorers across the entire Asia-Pacific division. The pop rice \u00d7 pho spices bar in particular was praised for its\"skill in translating the spices symbolic of Vietnamese pho (star anise, cinnamon, cardamom, and so on) into chocolate,\"<\/strong>and was selected for the Local Ingredients special award.<\/p>\n

\"Bonbon Ph\u1edf\" is a translation piece that captures the aroma of pho in chocolate<\/h2>\n

\"Bonbon Ph\u1edf\" is a bonbon that blends the spice mix used in pho broth \u2014star anise, cinnamon, cardamom, clove, and coriander seed \u2014<\/strong>into a dark chocolate ganache made from Vietnamese cacao. The outer shell features Marou's signature geometric pattern, with silver-and-black wrapping as its hallmark.<\/p>\n

The score of 89.07 was among the top in the flavored ganache category at this competition, and the judges praised it, saying,\"The pho spices don't intrude on the chocolate's terroir, and the way they layer on the finish is exquisitely balanced.\"<\/strong>It's sold in a box of six on Marou's official online shop, and can be tasted in person at\u300eMaison Marou\u300f<\/strong>each of its Ho Chi Minh City stores (167-169 Calmette, the Thao Dien store, and others).<\/p>\n

The award ceremony held within the Kyoto Coffee & Chocolate Festival<\/h2>\n

The ceremony was held from2:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 4, 2026,<\/strong>at the Kyoto Coffee & Chocolate Festival venue in the city of Kyoto. In the traditional style, co-founders Monica Meschini and Martin Christy stood on stage, personally handing certificates to the winners and awarding laurel wreaths, with the event streamed live on YouTube.<\/p>\n

Kyoto was chosen because the festival has become established as one of Asia's largest gatherings of craft chocolate and specialty coffee. It also reflects the maturity of Japan's chocolate market and the growing base of buyers who favor bean-to-bar and single-origin products. For Marou, an award in Japan \u2014 its largest export market \u2014 ties directly to expanding distribution.<\/p>\n

Reactions on social media and in the industry<\/h2>\n
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\"I tried Bonbon Ph\u1edf, and it really does smell like pho. The way the spices and cacao relate to each other is genius.\" (Instagram, paraphrased post by a Ho Chi Minh City\u2013based chocolate writer)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/figure>\n

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\"I was at the Kyoto ceremony. A piece where Vietnamese cacao fuses with local ingredients taking gold is a sign of the times.\" (X, paraphrased post by a Tokyo-based chocolate buyer)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/figure>\n

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\u300cMarou\u304c\u307e\u305f\u91d1\u8cde\u3002\u0110\u1ed3ng Th\u00e1p\uff08\u65e7Tien Giang\uff09\u7523\u30ab\u30ab\u30aa\u306e\u53ef\u80fd\u6027\u306f\u7121\u9650\u5927\u300d\uff08Facebook\u3001\u30db\u30fc\u30c1\u30df\u30f3\u5728\u4f4f\u30fb\u30ab\u30ab\u30aa\u8fb2\u5bb6\u306e\u6295\u7a3f\u610f\u8a33\uff09<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/figure>\n

On X and Instagram, photos from the Kyoto ceremony spread, and\"the chocolate Vietnam can be proud of before the world\"<\/strong>is a context in which Marou's recognition is rising further. Japanese specialty chocolate shops noticeably moved to increase their stock right after the awards, with limited restocks reported at upscale select shops in Tokyo, Kyoto, and Fukuoka.<\/p>\n

Impact on Japanese tourists<\/h2>\n

When visiting Ho Chi Minh City from Japan,\u300eMaison Marou\u300f<\/strong>is a go-to spot for souvenir shopping. The flagship store is at 167-169 Calmette Street in District 1, within walking distance of Saigon's Central Market (Ben Thanh Market). The award-winning \"Bonbon Ph\u1edf\" and \"Bonbon Chili Lime\" line up in a dedicated display case in-store, in boxes of six ataround 300,000 dong (about 1,765 yen).<\/strong>The tablet-style single-origin 80g bar isaround 120,000 dong (about 706 yen),<\/strong>significantly cheaper than its retail price in Japan.<\/p>\n

\u5e97\u8217\u3067\u306f\u8a66\u98f2\u30fb\u8a66\u98df\u304c\u53ef\u80fd\u3067\u3001\u0110\u1ed3ng Th\u00e1p\uff08\u65e7Tien Giang\uff09\u30fbLam Dong\u30fbV\u0129nh Long\uff08\u65e7Ben Tre\uff09\u7b49\u7523\u5730\u5225\u30d0\u30fc\u306e\u9055\u3044\u3092\u6bd4\u8f03\u3067\u304d\u308b\u3002As a piece of Vietnam-born food culture on par with egg coffee,<\/a>Marou has become a byword for \"high-quality souvenirs that are quintessentially Ho Chi Minh City.\"<\/p>\n

Ripple effects on the industry and market<\/h2>\n

Marou was founded in Ho Chi Minh City in 2011 by two Frenchmen, and has grown rapidly through a bean-to-bar model that sources directly from cacao farmers in southern Vietnam. Thishaul of 2 gold, 2 silver, and 3 bronze<\/strong>is a top-tier record even for a single maker in the Asia-Pacific division, setting the stage for entry into the world championship in years to come.<\/p>\n

In Vietnam's cacao industry, a high-value model like Marou's is credited with driving a shift\"from cacao as a commodity crop to cacao as a terroir product.\"<\/strong>\u300d\u306e\u8ee2\u63db\u3092\u4fc3\u3057\u3066\u3044\u308b\u3068\u8a55\u4fa1\u3055\u308c\u3066\u3044\u308b\u3002\u0110\u1ed3ng Th\u00e1p\uff08\u65e7Tien Giang\uff09\u30fbV\u0129nh Long\uff08\u65e7Ben Tre\uff09\u30fbLam Dong\u30fbDong Nai\u306e4\u5dde\u3092\u4e2d\u5fc3\u306b\u3001Marou\u3068\u5951\u7d04\u3059\u308b\u5c0f\u898f\u6a21\u8fb2\u5bb6\u306e\u30ab\u30ab\u30aa\u5358\u4fa1\u306f\u901a\u5e38\u8f38\u51fa\u4fa1\u683c\u306e1.5 to 2 times<\/strong>the normal export price, contributing to higher farmer incomes as well.Alongside expanding distribution in the Japanese market,<\/a>Marou is also increasing its sales channels in South Korea, Singapore, and Australia.<\/p>\n

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Where to buy the award-winning products and stocking information<\/h2>\n
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Item<\/th>\nDetails<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Brand name<\/td>\nMarou Faiseurs de Chocolat<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Headquarters<\/td>\nDistrict 1, Ho Chi Minh City,<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Flagship store<\/td>\nMaison Marou Saigon\uff08167-169 Calmette, District 1\uff09<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Other stores<\/td>\nMaison Marou Thao Dien\u3001Maison Marou Hanoi\uff0891A Tho Nhuom\uff09<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Price of the award-winning \"Bonbon Ph\u1edf\"<\/td>\nAbout 300,000 VND (box of 6, about 1,765 yen)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Single-origin bar (80g)<\/td>\nAbout 120,000 VND (about 706 yen)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Ceremony date<\/td>\nApril 4, 2026 (Kyoto)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Organizer<\/td>\nInternational Chocolate Awards \/ Kyoto Coffee Chocolate Festival<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Available in Japan<\/td>\nUpscale select shops in Tokyo, Kyoto, and Fukuoka; Marou's official online store<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/figure>\n

Summary: Vietnamese cacao reaches the world wrapped in \"pho spices\"<\/h2>\n

Marou's seven awards in 2026 are the fruit of 15 years of quality control built through bean-to-bar work, combined with the originality of translating Vietnamese food culture into chocolate. The fact that a bonbon using pho spices and a dark bar infused with pop rice took gold and silver at the same time symbolizes an era in which the world values \"Vietnamese-ness.\"<\/p>\n

\u30db\u30fc\u30c1\u30df\u30f3\u3092\u8a2a\u308c\u308b\u65e5\u672c\u4eba\u306b\u3068\u3063\u3066\u3001Maison Marou\u3067\u306e\u30c6\u30a4\u30b9\u30c6\u30a3\u30f3\u30b0\u306f\u65b0\u305f\u306a\u300c\u304a\u571f\u7523\u5916\u4ea4\u300d\u306e\u5165\u53e3\u3060\u3002\u53d7\u8cde\u5546\u54c1\u304c\u4e26\u3076\u30b7\u30e7\u30fc\u30b1\u30fc\u30b9\u306e\u524d\u3067\u3001\u0110\u1ed3ng Th\u00e1p\uff08\u65e7Tien Giang\uff09\u7523\u30ab\u30ab\u30aa\u306e\u9999\u308a\u304c\u516b\u89d2\u3068\u91cd\u306a\u308b\u77ac\u9593\u3092\u3001\u73fe\u5730\u3067\u3057\u304b\u5473\u308f\u3048\u306a\u3044\u9a5a\u304d\u3068\u3057\u3066\u4f53\u9a13\u3057\u3066\u307b\u3057\u3044\u3002<\/p>\n

Source<\/h2>\n