Bình Thạnh’s Best Budget-Friendly Off-Menu Bánh Mì by the Canal
- Details
- Published on 15 September 2026
- Written by Paul Christiansen. Photos by Jimmy Art Devier.
I trust the philosophy that, to find the best places to eat, look for those crowded with locals. Such logic would lead you to Xôi Thị Nghè near the five-way intersection close to Chợ Thị Nghè in the former Bình Thạnh District.
In 1992 Vietnam, the Streets Were Brimming With Love and Life
- Details
- Published on 14 September 2026
- Written by Saigoneer. Photos by Mark Hodson.
How has your life been transformed in the past 30 years? Changes might materialize overnight, but some tend to creep up on you at a glacial pace. Through this collection of images from 1992, mull over how Vietnam as a country has grown with every 12-month cycle.
5 Indie Bookstores in Saigon for Those Who Are Addicted to the Scent of Paper
- Details
- Published on 12 September 2026
- Written by Khôi Phạm. Top graphic by Vi Nguyễn. Photos by Khôi Phạm.
Most Saigoneers who spent their formative years in the 2000s and 2010s probably grew up amongst the aisles of bookstores, not because we were particularly bookaholic, but because they were pretty much the only third place around with free air-conditioning.
In Defense of Vietnam's Iced Beer and Why, in My Beer, I Want Ice Ice Baby
- Details
- Published on 11 September 2026
- Written by San Kwon. Photo by Brandon Coleman.
The snobby beer connoisseur may scoff at those who drink beer with ice. But in Vietnam, as much as 75% of drinkers enjoy their beer with ice, a habit I myself have picked up and have grown to love whilst living in Saigon. If I’m having beer, I’m almost certainly having it on the rocks, be it room-temp or already chilled; a cheaper beer from a convenience store or a craft IPA at a pub — in which case I will somewhat embarrassingly ask for a separate glass of ice. Iced beer is far superior to normal, boring beer. Below, I offer my five-point defense of why.
Living, Learning, Loving From the Earth at Ninh Bình's Lá Library
- Details
- Published on 11 September 2026
- Written by Elise Luong. Top photo by Ellie Shipman.
A stone's throw away from Cúc Phương National Park in Ninh Bình Province sits Lá Library, an education center promoting sustainable living through sustainable agriculture farming, earthen building techniques and the art of chilling out.
Review: Saigon Soul Revival Returns to Familiar Inspiration on 3rd Album ‘Chốn Ta Về’
- Details
- Published on 10 September 2026
- Written by Paul Christiansen.
More ambitious and self-assured than ever, Saigon Soul Revival (SSR) embraces their own sound and its many influences on their latest album, “Chốn ta về.”
Hẻm Gems: The Izakaya Where Happiness Is Wrapped in Pork Belly and Grilled
- Details
- Published on 09 September 2026
- Written by Rhianna Morris. Photos by Alberto Prieto and Pete Walls.
It took a few visits before I noticed that the music at Sakaba Sasuke was always the same.
Phương Mỹ Chi's Latest MV Tells Eternal Love Story in Vietnam's Khmer Community
- Details
- Published on 08 September 2026
- Written by Saigoneer.
After forays into the worlds of reality TV and cinema, Vietnam’s folk pop princess Phương Mỹ Chi has returned to her roots with a fresh new full-length album, pioneered by the lead single ‘Thiên đường với người thương’ (lit: In heaven with my beloved).
Observing the Day-to-Day Care and Diligence at Ardingly College Vietnam (ACVN), Vietnam’s First Authentic British Boarding School
- Details
- Published on 07 September 2026
- Written by Saigoneer. Photos by ACVN.
Education is a lifelong journey, so it’s no surprise that some parts of learning require a trip away from the familiar. Within the rolling hills of Lào Cai stands Ardingly College Vietnam (ACVN), an institution dedicated to providing a space and community that nurtures not only students from Vietnam, but also from across the globe.
Tracing My Family's Fondness for French Tunes, From Colonial Times to Vietnamese Versions
- Details
- Published on 04 September 2026
- Written by Khuê Anh. Graphic by Vi Nguyễn.
“Tombe la merde; tu ne viendras pas ce soir [Shit is falling; you’re not coming tonight]”: an outburst of laughter and applause would inevitably fill the room as my dad, in his deep, mellifluous voice, put his own profane twist on Salvatore Adamo’s ‘Tombe la neige.’ This track, like ‘Paroles… Paroles…’ by Dalida or Christophe’s ‘Aline,’ are widely known and adored in both France and my family in Vietnam. My childhood unfolded against these rhythms, melodies, and lyrics, whose origins were so far removed from me, both temporally and geographically.
The Saigon House That Swapped Its Front Door for a Moat
- Details
- Published on 04 September 2026
- Written by Saigoneer.
Does a house need walls?
A Brief History of Saigon's Art Deco Eye Hospital, Formerly the Clinique Saint-Paul
- Details
- Published on 03 September 2026
- Written by Tim Doling.
For those condemned to a long daily commute along that busiest of city arteries, Điện Biên Phủ Street, the clean, elegant lines of the Hồ Chí Minh City Eye Hospital offer a refreshing contrast to the surrounding urban clutter. The compound was formerly known as Clinique Saint-Paul, so many older Saigoneers still refer to it by the name Bệnh viện Xanh-Pôn.
But What Even Is an Expat: Unpacking the Highly Contentious Term, in Vietnam and Abroad
- Details
- Published on 02 September 2026
- Written by San Kwon. Graphic by Mai Khanh.
“Expat is a racist as hell term” — this is the take of Misan Harriman on the popular internet show SubwayTakes. The reasoning goes that the term expat, short for expatriate, is racist because it is applied to migrants unevenly. Along this line, Mawuna Remarque Koutonin writes in Silicon Africa: “Africans are immigrants. Arabs are immigrants. Asians are immigrants. However, Europeans are expats because they can’t be at the same level as other ethnicities. They are superior. Immigrants is a term set aside for ‘inferior races.’”
The Enigmatic Neon-Lit World in the Mist of Sapa
- Details
- Published on 31 August 2026
- Written by Adrien Jean. Photos by Adrien Jean.
Is there a more atmospheric place in Vietnam than Sapa on a misty night?
Ngõ Nooks: On Hàng Bài, Golden Bún Cá Thái Bình in a Hole in the Wall
- Details
- Published on 28 August 2026
- Written by Hà Tạ. Photos by Long Nguyễn.
When a friend of mine returned home after living abroad last year, he longed for a bowl of bún cá. I suggested the classic Hanoi dish, with satisfyingly oily deep-fried fish, but he had other ideas — a fresh feast originally from Thai Binh, located almost 100 kilometers from the capital.
From Fine Dining to Comfort Food: Why Chef Thierry Mounon Followed up La Villa with La Fontaine
- Details
- Published on 27 August 2026
- Written by Saigoneer. Photos by La Fontaine.
“Beyond awards or recognition, a restaurant is about welcoming people, creating memories and bringing joy around a table,” explains Chef Thierry Mounon of his decision to expand from French fine dining into comfort food.
Review: Pieces of Me | Nao Yoshioka (feat. Mỹ Anh)
- Details
- Published on 27 August 2026
- Written by Khôi Phạm.
Mỹ Anh has come a long way since becoming the runner-up of The Heroes in 2021. Five years later, now with a full-length album and a spectrum of singles and extended plays under her belt, the Hanoi-based artist has proven to be one of the most dynamic singer-songwriter-producer of her generation.
Exploring Chợ Quán Asylum, Saigon’s Oldest Prisoner-of-War Camp
- Details
- Published on 26 August 2026
- Written by Tuyết Nhi. Photos by Tuyết Nhi.
In a secluded corner of Saigon’s Bệnh viện Nhiệt đới, or Hospital for Tropical Diseases, a prison continues its century-long existence hidden from public memory and discourse.
Art Exhibition ‘Limerence’ Explores Where Romantic Desire Distorts Into Obsession
- Details
- Published on 25 August 2026
- Written by Saigoneer.
Thom Nguyen utilizes portraiture and depictions of mushrooms and organic objects to explore the concept of limerence in a solo exhibition at Permanently Closed Gallery in Thảo Điền, beginning Friday, August 28.
How Vinahouse Fosters Sonic Belonging in Modern Saigon's Queer Collectives
- Details
- Published on 24 August 2026
- Written by Đỉnh Nguyễn. Top graphic by Vi Nguyễn.
If you spend a night wandering along Bùi Viện Walking Street and its dense concentration of bars and clubs, you will almost certainly hear the same sound spilling from multiple directions: fast, pounding basslines layered with Vietnamese pop melodies, punctuated by dramatic buildups and explosive drops. If you fall into the right algorithm on TikTok, you might encounter these same sounds circulating as background audio. This music is Vinahouse. Its ever-presence in both physical and digital spaces makes it one of the most recognizable yet least critically examined musical forms in contemporary Vietnam.
