Hẻm Gems: A Night of Love, Poetry, and the Pursuit of the Sublime at Emme Bar
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- Published on 23 February 2025
- Written by Garrett MacLean. Photos by Mervin Lee.
“So what makes Emme House different?” the head bartender Dũng asked during our earlier conversation with Trực, the bar’s owner. “Emme House is not a bar,” he explained. I further inquired then about the layers of storytelling embedded into every detail, to which he replied with a smile, “I’ll tell you the whole story.”
Đờn Ca Tài Tử Captures the Soul of Southern Vietnam in Every Melody, Every Word
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- Published on 22 February 2025
- Written by Thảo Nguyên. Graphic by Ngọc Tạ.
“It’s not something unfamiliar, but it’s been a few years since I last heard it. Stumbling upon this beautiful bucolic scene now has made me fall in love with the Mekong Delta’s đờn ca tài tử melodies again.”
Đàng Trong Cafe Marries Gò Công's Nhà 3 Gian Design With Modern Cafe
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- Published on 19 February 2025
- Written by Saigoneer.
Major metropolises like Saigon and Hanoi might boast the most concentrated distributions of coffee shops in Vietnam, but a new crop of fresh faces in other up-and-coming towns have emerged in the scene, offering sterling brews, spacious seats, and, in some cases, delightful interior design that blends modern cafe conventions with uniquely local flairs.
Fried Floating Rice with Dried Cá Chốt and Lotus Tells a Complete Vietnamese Narrative
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- Published on 16 February 2025
- Written by Saigoneer
Chef Peter Cường Franklin shared a powerful narrative to introduce the dish he prepared for Saigoneer. Rice symbolizes the nation’s most important carbohydrate and its agrarian culture; cá chốt represents the ubiquity of local seafood and vital waterways; and lotus provides a metaphor for Vietnamese resilience because it grows in the mud and produces a beautiful, useful flower.
A Folk Symbol and Cash Animal, King Cobras Just Really Want to Be Left Alone
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- Published on 14 February 2025
- Written by Paul Christiansen. Graphic by Ngọc Tạ.
The king cobra, or rắn hổ mang chúa in Vietnamese, has great personal branding. For proof, one need look no further than the recent flower display on Nguyễn Huệ celebrating the Year of the Snake: the largest, most impressive statue bore the telltale hood of a cobra.
A Light Bánh Cuốn Quảng Đông to Break Your Fast the Chợ Lớn Way
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- Published on 13 February 2025
- Written by Uyên Đỗ. Photos by Jimmy Art Devier.
Meeting up for a Chinese-style breakfast often means gathering around stacked baskets of dim sum or diving into hearty bowls of wonton noodles. But if you're looking for something lighter, a serving of cheung fun might offer the perfect balance.
Ngõ Nooks: Miến Lươn Is a Classic Hanoian Breakfast for Cold Rainy Days
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- Published on 13 February 2025
- Written by Khôi Phạm. Photos by Chris Humphrey.
I am Hanoi’s hungriest tourist; and the capital welcomes me into its flavorsome, umami-rich warmth with open arms.
How You Can Think and Live Sustainably
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- Published on 11 February 2025
- Written by Saigoneer.
Frequently touted as environmentally friendly options that help preserve the planet, cotton tote bags require so much energy and freshwater to produce that you must use one at least 7,000 times to make it an effective alternative to plastic bags. Finding out that purchases, habits, and initiatives you thought were good for the planet, such as using tote bags, are in fact not likely to help our current climate crisis can be disheartening. Recognizing how the sustainability movement is rife with performative acts, corporate greenwashing and good intentions thwarted by misinformation threatens to discourage people from the entire concept.
Vietnamese American Lo-Fi R&B Star Keshi Adds HCMC Show to World Tour
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- Published on 11 February 2025
- Written by Saigoneer.
As a pleasant post-Tết gift for fans in Vietnam, a stop in Saigon was announced as part of the Asian leg of keshi’s world tour.
Ly Mí Cường Takes the Sounds of Sáo H'Mông From Hà Giang to International Stages
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- Published on 10 February 2025
- Written by Xuân Phương. Photos by Xuân Phương.
Born in 2005, Ly Mí Cường has brought sáo Mèo to international music competitions twice in his life — and he managed to take home the first prize both times. Cường’s anchor is always H’Mông culture, the wellspring that has nurtured his soul ever since he first took up the flute of his people, sáo H’Mông.
Insights, Polished History Lessons Await in Hanoi's Massive, Brutalist Military Museum
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- Published on 10 February 2025
- Written by David McCaskey. Photos by David McCaskey. Top graphic by Dương Trương.
When I pitched a review of Hanoi’s massive new Vietnam Military History Museum to the Saigoneer editorial staff, I expected to find the museum somewhat boring. After all, although I am a historian, I am not really that interested in military stuff, and I’d been to the original location on Điện Biên Phủ Street several times — how could this new museum improve on the old one? What could this new museum say that the old one didn’t? What could I learn here that I haven’t already learned at Saigon’s War Remnants Museum and Hồ Chí Minh Campaign Museum, at Điện Biên Phủ’s war museum, at Hải Phòng’s naval museum, and at the countless other shrines to Vietnamese martial prowess across the country? Quite a lot, it turns out.
Cua Cà Mau Consommé Evokes Nostalgic Summer Beach Holidays
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- Published on 08 February 2025
- Written by Saigoneer. Photos by Saigoneer.
Seafood reminds chef Nghiêm Minh Đức of childhood vacations to northern beaches with his family. But since moving to Saigon, he has been exposed to southern products including cua Cà Mau’s which inspire him to experiment with new dishes.
'The Colors of April' Invites Numerous Generations of Vietnamese to Reflect on War
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- Published on 05 February 2025
- Written by Paul Christiansen.
“If the rain could wash away everything, maybe we could all find peace. For the third generation after the war, what was left behind wasn’t anger or bitterness, but an enduring sorrow that echoed from the heart.”
The Rickety Last Days of Hanoi's Tramway System in the 1990s
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- Published on 04 February 2025
- Written by Saigoneer.
Vietnam residents are rightfully celebrating recent advances in public transit.
Adding Billiards to Saigon's Pantheon of Pastimes
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- Published on 03 February 2025
- Written by Paul Christiansen.
The clink of cue sticks on eight-ball muffling the clank of whisky glass ice cubes and the slap of cards as boozehounds hide their addictions in the shadows of sport and hobby? Dense plumes of Bastos smoke obscuring illicit activities and immoral affairs? Are Saigon's pool halls the seedy dens of patriarchal indulgence their reputation and pop culture representations suggest?
In Vietnam, Joss Papers Link Life and Death, Modernity and Tradition
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- Published on 01 February 2025
- Written by Thi Nguyễn. Illustration by Hannah Hoàng. Photos by Thi Nguyễn.
Joss papers and effigies consumed my experiences before I began to even question their meaning. On the anniversary of my grandfather’s death (giỗ), my grandmother routinely set up a large pot in our tiny front yard and burned a stack of replica paper money. It is quite a scene to watch — the fire turned the paper to smoke and ash, and within minutes it was as if the paper never existed.
Every Mùng Một, My Family Organizes Our Own Temple Run to Visit 10 Temples
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- Published on 28 January 2025
- Written by Phương Nghi. Graphic by Dương Trương.
According to Vietnamese traditions, the first, second, and third days of Tết are reserved for one’s paternal family, maternal family, and teacher’s family, respectively.
In Vietnam, ‘Golden Babies’ Are Choking Public Services, Parents and One Another
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- Published on 26 January 2025
- Written by Khôi Phạm. Illustration by Hannah Hoàng.
The year is 2013. Linh lies awake in the attic bedroom of her cozy childhood home in Saigon. Tomorrow is her first day at primary school, and sleep doesn’t come easily with the all butterflies fluttering in her stomach. She’s worried, but mom assured her that she would be okay, because she is special.
Tết Tales: The Many Folk Stories Behind Vietnam's Bánh Chưng, Bánh Tét
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- Published on 26 January 2025
- Written by Thi Nguyễn. Illustration by Hannah Hoàng. .
To me, there's nothing that screams Tết as much as sticky rice cake. However one wants to spice up the usual celebration by replacing some dishes with something new each year, sticky rice cakes remain a must-have in Vietnamese households. Try searching for an image of the Lunar New Year and there’s a high chance that you’ll spot the cakes amongst the first ten results.
On Hội Xuân, the Harbinger of Tết for High School Students
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- Published on 24 January 2025
- Written by Khang Nguyễn. Graphic by Dương Trương.
When I was a high school student, Lunar New Year brought with it a lot of excitement. Not only did we get a week-long break, we also got plenty of fun school activities leading up to the holidays. For me, one of my most anticipated events during this period of time was the high school Tết concerts.
