in Saigon Hẻm Gems

Hẻm Gems: In a D3 Hẻm, 40 Years of Bún Ốc and Other Northern Treats

As a resident of Saigon, I’m well-acquainted with the city's vibrant food scene, which features cuisines from various regions of Vietnam, and how these dishes blend local recipes with flavors that resonate with Saigon locals. But Bún Ốc Thanh Hải is quite the opposite. Its dishes, snacks, drinks, and even atmosphere carry a distinct northern identity, so much so that upon visiting the place, I felt as if I was on a culinary adventure within my own city.

Khôi Phạm

in Saigon Hẻm Gems

Hẻm Gems: While the Day Away Under the Green Canopy of Cỏ Cafe

Under a thick canopy of verdant vines and minuscule pink flowers, it’s easy to indulge in the cooling comfort of a glass of iced tamarind juice and while the day away.

in Saigon Hẻm Gems

Hẻm Gems: Come up, We're Watching Old Movies on the Neighbor's Wall

“Thank you for contacting Khôngtrung.bar. Our business hours are 6pm to 1am, Monday to Sunday. Open doors. Cocktails, craft beer, outdoor screening — Thursday and Sunday. Thank you and we hope to bump into you in Không!”

Khôi Phạm

in Food Culture

This Tết, I'm Finally Learning Our Family Recipe for Candied Coconut 'Flowers'

Tết is the perfect occasion of the year to go ham on the sugar.

in Saigon Hẻm Gems

Hẻm Gems: Hủ Tíu Mực Ông Già's Squid Game Is to Die For

It’s safe to say that one of the most authentic culinary experiences one could have in Vietnam is to sit on a stool, in an eatery that feels very much like someone’s house, and slurp on a bowl of piping hot noodles. The noodles here can be any dishes from the plethora of noodle dishes so dominant in Vietnamese cuisine, and this hủ tiếu mực, or squid vermicelli, establishment has got all of the above to offer.

in Saigon Hẻm Gems

Hẻm Gems: Reading Cabin Sells Stationery, Serves Drinks, and Builds Friendships

If I had to describe Reading Cabin in one phrase, it would be “every cafe in Saigon all at once.”

in Food Culture

Meet the Hội An Family Making Cao Lầu Noodles From Scratch

Amid Hội An’s treat-filled culinary landscape, cao lầu emerges as something that’s both simple and one-of-a-kind.

Paul Christiansen

in Dishcovery

A Flaky Pâté Chaud That's Been a Saigon Institution Since 1930

It took me 37 years to have my first pâté chaud.

Back Eat & Drink

in Saigon Hẻm Gems

Hẻm Gems: In Tan Binh, VND4,000 Is All You Need for Good Bia Hơi

Bia hơi for the people.

in Food Culture

New Cookbook 'Vegetarian Vietnam' Boldy Reinvents Traditional Classics

In his new cookbook Vegetarian Vietnam, Canadian chef Cameron Stauch boldly reinterprets traditional Vietnamese dishes while retaining their authenticity.

in Hanoi Ngõ Nooks

Ngõ Nooks: Craft Beer and Deep Conversation in a Cargo Ship Container

From Pasteur Street to Standing Bar, the capital hides a plethora of hop spots, but its newest entrant might be the most unique.

in Food Culture

A Street Food History: The Curious Encounters Behind How Ramen Got Its Name

The origin of the Japanese staple as well as how the dish got its name are still up for debate. 

in Hanoi Ngõ Nooks

Ngõ Nooks: The Bánh Cuốn That’s Worth a Year of Waiting

Mrs. An’s bánh cuốn won the heart of world-renowned chef Bobby Chinn, kept lines of die-hard fans waiting outside and left a number of hearts broken when it disappeared for almost a year.

in Saigon Hẻm Gems

Hẻm Gems: Cozy Autumn Flavors at Tokyo Moon, Japan Town's Korean Cafe

Tokyo Moon's presence is an odd-but-welcoming representation of South Korean hospitality in the heart of Le Thanh Ton's "Japan Town" with its mysterious herbal tonic, sweet potato pastry and pumpkin c...

in Food Culture

After Milk Tea-Flavored Water, Japan Now Has Transparent Coffee Because Why Not

So this is why scientists have been too busy to cure cancer, send a human to Mars or successfully bring Tasmanian tigers back from extinction?

Thi Nguyen

in Food Culture

A Tale of Two Fruits: The Colonial History of Durian and Mangosteen

Although both durian and mangosteen are native to Southeast Asia, their reputation — especially from a western point of view — leads two very contrasting fates: the latter is considered a luscious del...

Khoi Pham

in Saigon Hẻm Gems

Hẻm Gems: At Things Café, Humans, Cats and Nat King Cole Coexist in a Harmonious Ecosystem

I admit that it’s taken me great pains to write this week’s Hẻm Gem.

Khoi Pham

in Food Culture

A Food Folk Tale: Vietnam’s Unexpected Watermelon Tycoon

If you’ve been around a traditional Vietnamese household during Tet, you have probably noticed the presence of gargantuan, child-sized, dark green watermelons on the altar. These behemoths are both in...

in Saigon Hẻm Gems

[Video] Hẻm Gems: 80 Years of Cà Phê Vợt in Saigon's Oldest Cafe

Is there anything as iconically Saigon as having a cup of joe in a hẻm while watching traffic roll by?

Khoi Pham

in Saigon Hẻm Gems

Hẻm Gems: The Best Bánh Căn Da Lat...in Saigon

Is there any cooking utensil that’s as magical as the bánh căn mold?

Chris Humphrey

in Hanoi Ngõ Nooks

Ngõ Nooks: Homemade Chilli Sauce and Aromatic Broth at Ever-Moving Spicy Pho Bay

Despite having changed locations twice in the last three years, Spicy Pho Bay remains one of Tay Ho’s most popular street food spots.

Chris Humphrey

in Hanoi Ngõ Nooks

Ngõ Nooks: Duy Tri - One of Hanoi’s Original Cafes

Modern-day Hanoi is a labyrinth of new developments, with some areas already feeling the effects of gentrification. That certainly wasn't the case back in 1936, when Café Duy Tri first opened its door...

Thi Nguyen

in Saigon Hẻm Gems

Hẻm Gems: Refreshing Đá Me and a Touch of Pre-1975 Tunes at 81 Cafe

Given the city’s hot weather, cold drinks are Saigon's very own specialty. While cà phê sữa đá and trà đá are timeless staples, in recent years we have also witnessed the rise of milk tea shops in alm...

in Eat & Drink

[Video] Japanese Competitive Eater Visits Vietnam, Eats 15 Bánh Xèo in One Sitting

Yuka Kinoshita loves a good food challenge.

Chris Humphrey

in Hanoi Ngõ Nooks

Ngõ Nooks: Tender Strips of Garlic-Infused Beef at Pho Thin

In the midst of a Hanoian winter, all you want is warmth. The houses aren't built for the cold, and on a bike at night, the chill seeps right into you. At lunch or after work, there's nothing better t...

in Food Culture

[Video] BuzzFeed Employees Try Vietnamese Noodles, Choke, Cry, Make Disgusting Phở Puns

Another day, another BuzzFeed-branded “Americans Try…” video.

Chris Humphrey

in Hanoi Ngõ Nooks

Ngõ Nooks: Refreshing Cocktails at Hanoi’s Best Hole-in-the-Wall

Bars in Hanoi don’t come much smaller than Dot. Its width is no more than the span of my arms, but what it lacks in size it more than makes up for in value and substance. You’d barely notice the place...

Chris Humphrey

in Hanoi Ngõ Nooks

Ngõ Nooks: Vegan Buffet, Nourishment That Makes You Feel Good

Anyone who’s lived in Vietnam for any reasonable length of time will have heard of cơm bình dân – rice buffets offering an abundance of meat and vegetables during lunch hours. In recent years, however...