Back in 2014, amid the weekly cycle of news, a particular image was more striking than most: Doctor and Professor Ngo Bao Chau stood in the middle of a makeshift classroom in a rural village in Thai Nguyen Province while teaching local kids.
Despite being only 20 years old, when Nghi Dao Kinh took the stage at Vietnam’s Shark Tank, she made an instant impression.
Every foodie who has visited the island-nation of Singapore has probably heard about about a local specialty known as Hainanese chicken rice. With a Michelin star and Michelin Bib Gourmand title, two extremely popular chicken rice stalls draw awe of how a simple commoner’s meal managed to leap to international stardom in such a short span of time.
Succulent chicken ensconced in light, crispy buttermilk batter harmonizes with crunchy kale and cashew slaw with sriracha mayo for a complex balance of spicy, rich and subtly nutty flavors.
Nha Trang has been a favorite weekend getaway for Saigoneers for decades thanks to its sweeping beaches, blue waters, cool climate and fresh seafood.
A plan by Saigon authorities to make the city motorbike-free by 2030 is getting closer to becoming a reality.
The accelerated urbanization of Saigon has led to the rapid metamorphosis of its landscape. This process, however, is hardly evenly distributed. While residents living in the inner city's center enjoy the convenience of having a variety of transport infrastructures that makes getting around an easy task, the same is not always true for dwellers in the outskirts of the city.
A grin creeps across the face of East West Brewing Co.’s executive chef Matt Venzke when he recalls the first time he ever had Vietnamese food.
While some of Saigon's most extreme changes over the years have occurred in suburban areas like District 7 or Binh Thanh, central District 1 is obviously no stranger to transformations either.
Before modern roads and bridges connected the Mekong Delta with Saigon, its tangled network of rivers, canals and swamps isolated it from the rest of Vietnam and a vibrant cuisine reliant on the area’s bountiful seafood, fruit and vegetables arose.
My earliest memory of ice cream in Saigon involves savoring Kem Bach Dang’s renowned kem trái dừa: scoops of coconut ice cream in a coconut husk topped with an assortment of fresh and jammed fruits.
The sturdy wood homes with Japanese support joists, Chinese tiled roofs, French louvered shutters and bright yellow walls that line Hoi An’s lantern-lit stone streets, canals and bridges are relics from the city’s unique history of foreign influence.
![[Video] Up Close and Personal With Vietnam's Most Critically Endangered Primates](http://media.urbanistnetwork.com/saigoneer/article-images/2018/09/Sep12/monkey/D71I9178s.jpg "[Video] Up Close and Personal With Vietnam's Most Critically Endangered Primates")
![[Photos] A Visit to Landmark 81, the Roof of Saigon](http://media.urbanistnetwork.com/saigoneer/article-images/2018/09/Sep10/landmark/IMG_6084s.jpg "[Photos] A Visit to Landmark 81, the Roof of Saigon")
![[Photos] A Two-Minute Ride on Saigon's Shortest, Most Anticlimactic Ferry Trip](http://media.urbanistnetwork.com/saigoneer/article-images/2018/08/Aug29/Ferry/20180730_Ferry-052-SGRs.jpg "[Photos] A Two-Minute Ride on Saigon's Shortest, Most Anticlimactic Ferry Trip")
![[Photos] 20 Black-and-White Snapshots of 1920 Saigon by Ludovic Crespin](http://media.urbanistnetwork.com/saigoneer/article-images/2018/09/Sep17/Saigon1920BW_SGRs.jpg "[Photos] 20 Black-and-White Snapshots of 1920 Saigon by Ludovic Crespin")
![[Photos] Walk the Streets of 1965 Da Nang](http://media.urbanistnetwork.com/saigoneer/article-images/2018/09/Sep12/old/16s.jpg "[Photos] Walk the Streets of 1965 Da Nang")
![[Photos] Saigon Then & Now: Rue Catinat, Tu Do and Dong Khoi Street](http://media.urbanistnetwork.com/saigoneer/article-images/2018/08/Aug31/thennow/4s.png "[Photos] Saigon Then & Now: Rue Catinat, Tu Do and Dong Khoi Street")
![[Photos] 20 Snapshots of Saigon in 1969 by George Lane](http://media.urbanistnetwork.com/saigoneer/article-images/2018/08/Aug29/georgelane/GeorgeLane-3s.jpg "[Photos] 20 Snapshots of Saigon in 1969 by George Lane")
![[Photos] On the Road to Nha Trang in the 1960s, a Medley of Spartan Fields](http://media.urbanistnetwork.com/saigoneer/article-images/2018/08/Aug21/phan-rang/PhanRang-30s.jpg "[Photos] On the Road to Nha Trang in the 1960s, a Medley of Spartan Fields")
![[Photos] A Rare Aerial Perspective of Saigon in the 1920s](http://media.urbanistnetwork.com/saigoneer/article-images/2018/08/Aug13/leon-ropion/LeonRopion5s.jpg "[Photos] A Rare Aerial Perspective of Saigon in the 1920s")
![[Photos] Rare Black-and-White Photos of Downtown Saigon in 1938–1939](http://media.urbanistnetwork.com/saigoneer/article-images/2018/08/aug7/Saigon1930s/Vietnam1930s-0s.jpg "[Photos] Rare Black-and-White Photos of Downtown Saigon in 1938–1939")
![[Photos] Have a Glance at Saigon's Snacks Through These Photos of Street Vendors in 1966](http://media.urbanistnetwork.com/saigoneer/article-images/2018/07/vendor-oldsaigon/1966SaigonFood_SGRs.jpg "[Photos] Have a Glance at Saigon's Snacks Through These Photos of Street Vendors in 1966")
Saigon Needs Smart Cards for Public Transport Instead of Single-Use Tickets: Experts
Could a single contactless card allow riders access to bus, water taxi, tram, monorail and metro routes?
Weekend News Roundup: Vietnam to Work With Japan in Marine Plastic Waste Reduction
Stay connected with Saigoneer on Twitter and Instagram and like us on Facebook .
Each morning, we select some of the most impor...
Hẻm Gems: Cam Cam Kafe and the Fujian Pagoda That Inspired Its Name
I wish I could claim that I discovered Cam Cam Kafe by myself. Tucked away in a corner unit up the second floor of a non...
Saigoneer's Weekend Event Picks
Looking for something to do this weekend? Check out our favorite events happening around Saigon.
Vietnam President Tran Dai Quang Passes Away at 61
Vietnam President Tran Dai Quang passed away early this morning, according to state television and radio.
Vietnam's Increased Green Tax on Fuels Next Year Will Bring in $677m Yearly
An extra VND15.7 trillion each year for environmental projects will be added to the national budget thanks to the new ta...
Upcoming Events
Today
18:00
Enjoy The True BBQ Party @ The Rooftop BBQ
18:30
Film Talk: The Laughing Age @ Hoa Sen University
19:00
VJseason Posthuman @ Yoko Cafe
19:00
Meditation: benefits, techniques, myths @ Think in a Box
20:00
1 for 1 Specials @ Snuffbox
20:00
Trivia Night @ The White House
21:00
Afro Tuesday @ Broma
21:00
Ladies Night @ The Lighthouse
21:00
Yoko Openstage Tuesday Night @ Yoko Cafe
06:57
Burger Wednesday Buy 1 Get 1 @ The Diner V
Tomorrow
18:00
Mad Wine Wednesdays @ Q.itchen Factory
20:00
A Tale of Modern Jazz @ Social Club Above Saigon
21:00
Valkyrie @ Arcan
Soon
27/09
Launch event for motorbike safety in Vietnam @ British International School - Ho Chi Minh City
27/09
Vinoteca Craft Beer Tasting @ InterContinental Saigon
Full Events Calendar
Arts & Culture
No Turnbuckles, No Ropes, No Problem for Saigon's Pro Wrestlers
Damien Wolfe rained down blow after blow on spindly Phong Tran (not pictured above), with onlookers jeering and questioning his humanity. Th...
[Illustrations] Revisit Your Childhood Mid-Autumn Memories Through This Hanoi Designer's Artwork
![[Illustrations] Revisit Your Childhood Mid-Autumn Memories Through This Hanoi Designer's Artwork](http://media.urbanistnetwork.com/saigoneer/article-images/2018/09/Sep20/trungthu/trungthu2s.png)
Every season in Vietnam is marked by a festive occasion that gets the entire country into a mood to revel.
Eat & Drink
Bánh Pía: The Dreamy Mooncake Alternative With a Side of Teochew History
From sweet treats such as yam paste, chè bạch quả (ginkgo soup) and bite-size pastries to savory staples such as lotus root soup, bánh củ cải (r...
Hẻm Gems: Cam Cam Kafe and the Fujian Pagoda That Inspired Its Name
I wish I could claim that I discovered Cam Cam Kafe by myself. Tucked away in a corner unit up the second floor of a nondescript apartment i...
Hẻm Gems: On Eating Greek With Chopsticks
Who says excellent Greek food can't be served on the same menu as Korean tofu along the Nhieu Loc-Thi Nghe Canal?
Sponsored Content
Same as it Never Was: Di Mai Offers an Old Saigon Vibe and Modern Takes on Classic Dishes
Like a bundle of bamboo rising out of a patch of grass, Landmark 81 towers triumphantly above Saigon’s skyline.
With Fashion App Phleek as Showcase, Conceptual Studio Aims to Empower Vietnamese Startups
Despite being only 20 years old, when Nghi Dao Kinh took the stage at Vietnam’s Shark Tank, she made an instant impression.
Exploring Authentic Delta Cuisine at Mekong Kitchen
Before modern roads and bridges connected the Mekong Delta with Saigon, its tangled network of rivers, canals and swamps isolated it from the ...
Saigon’s Modernist Apartment Units Get Sleek Makeovers
Through a dark alley off Pasteur Street, a set of scuffed stairs leads up a cramped corridor, past a restaurant's food-strewn kitchen and th...
Elite Dental Vietnam Adopts New Technology to Advance Speed and Quality of Services
A radiant smile makes all the difference for first impressions, attracting admiring attention and instilling self-confidence.
Corked Tales: Where Every Cocktail Tells a Story
Opening the doors to Corked Tales is like opening the pages of a fairy tale and stepping into an enchanted forest. As your eyes adjust to the ...
How a 16th Century Love Story Inspired Hotel Royal Hoi An’s Design
The sturdy wood homes with Japanese support joists, Chinese tiled roofs, French louvered shutters and bright yellow walls that line Hoi An’s...
L’Usine Introduces New Menu Catering to Adventurous Palates
Succulent chicken ensconced in light, crispy buttermilk batter harmonizes with crunchy kale and cashew slaw with sriracha mayo for a complex...
Finding Seclusion at Boutique Mia Resort in Nha Trang
Nha Trang has been a favorite weekend getaway for Saigoneers for decades thanks to its sweeping beaches, blue waters, cool climate and fresh...
Stories
Saigon Needs Smart Cards for Public Transport Instead of Single-Use Tickets: Experts
Could a single contactless card allow riders access to bus, water taxi, tram, monorail and metro routes?
Morning Stories Roundup: More Prehistoric Artifacts, Freed Turtles and Vietnam's UN Peacekeepers
Stay connected with Saigoneer on Twitter and Instagram and like us on Facebook .
Each morning, we select some of the most important stories from Sa...
Bangkok Banned Street Vendors Last Year. Now, Merchants Are Fighting Back.
Last year, Bangkok's military junta imposed a ban on street vendors on the grounds of maintaining the city's "order and hygiene."
Old Saigon
Old Saigon Building of the Week: The Glitz and Glam of Tu Do Nightclub
While today’s Dong Khoi Street is peppered with tourist-centric shops and restaurants, just half a century ago, the downtown street was the ...
[Photos] Tet Trung Thu Celebrations in Old Hanoi
![[Photos] Tet Trung Thu Celebrations in Old Hanoi](http://media.urbanistnetwork.com/saigoneer/article-images/legacy/A7lN3g0s.jpg)
As this year’s Mid-Autumn Festival approaches, more than a few Saigoneers have shown a renewed interest in the holiday’s traditions.
A Brief History of Saigon's Now-Defunct Thu Thiem Ferry Service
While the Thu Thiem Bridge and Thu Thiem Tunnel allow easy access to the District 2 peninsula from nearby districts, for decades past Saigon...
Society
Saigon Architects Clinch Sustainability Award at Regional Event in Tokyo
Architecture firm Tropical Space received distinctions in the categories of sustainable design and single family residential project at the ...
A Month After Launch, Go-Viet Claims 15% Market Share in Saigon, Gears up for Hanoi Debut
Commuters in Saigon are apparently welcoming new ride-hailing service Go-Viet with open arms.
68% of Vietnamese Children Suffer Physical, Mental Punishment From Parents: Experts
Misguided attempts to discipline children can result in real harm to their psychological well-being.
