A Culinary Celebration of the Watermelon That Would Make Mai An Tiêm Proud
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- Published on 30 September 2025
- Written by Jessi Pham. Photos via Sóno
I never imagined there could be more than one way to eat a watermelon. Yet here it was, transformed beyond recognition, via a bold experiment and a deeply personal story, challenging everything I thought I knew about such a simple fruit. Only later did I realize it was part of Sonó’s new tasting menu, “Tales & Tastes.”
Local Designers Create Entire Family of Mascots for Vietnam's 63 Provinces, Cities
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- Published on 29 September 2025
- Written by Saigoneer.
If given the opportunity, what would each of Vietnam's provinces select as a mascot?
Amid Saigon, a Traditional Lantern Craft Village Stands the Test of Time
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- Published on 26 September 2025
- Written by Thảo Nguyên.
Cellophane lanterns, the nostalgic anchors of our past full-moon festivals, are still alive thanks to the nimble fingers of craftspeople at the Phú Bình lantern “village” in Saigon.
Bimbim, Snack and Oishi: A Brief History of Vietnam's Regional Terms for Packaged Snacks
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- Published on 26 September 2025
- Written by Khôi Phạm. Illustration by Dương Trương.
The differences between regional dialects across Vietnam is a fascinating field of research that can spawn days of discussion, but no other pairs of words has the power to mystify the internet like the dichotomy between bimbim and snack, both used in the Vietnamese language to describe bags of crackers made of rice, corn, or wheat flours. In today’s Snack Attack feature, Saigoneer is digging into the surprisingly recent history of why northern Vietnamese use the term “bimbim” while it has always been “snack” in Saigon and southern provinces.
On Grappling With Our Complicated Bond With Single-Use Raincoats
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- Published on 25 September 2025
- Written by Uyên Đỗ. Photos by Cao Nhân.
Like many Vietnamese, I have owned more crumpled raincoats than I can count. They're the disposable kind, cinched with a few rubber bands, folded into a misshapen rectangle, then stuffed unceremoniously into a scooter’s under-seat compartment or a desk drawer.
To Teach Children the Importance of Play, First Bring Playgrounds Back to Hanoi
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- Published on 24 September 2025
- Written by Elise Lương. Photos by Alberto Prieto.
In rapidly developing urban Hanoi, finding engaging outdoor play areas for young children is near impossible. But since 2014, the social enterprise Think Playgrounds has colored public spaces across Vietnam with wildly unique and legitimately sustainable designs, engaging with local communities to give children back their right to play.
'Lẽ Sống' Documentary Celebrates Strength, Resilience of Mekong Delta Women
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- Published on 23 September 2025
- Written by Saigoneer.
Sometimes, just surviving is remarkable.
How 'Hãy Đợi Đấy!' Introduced a Generation Vietnamese to Glimpses of Russian Culture
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- Published on 22 September 2025
- Written by Vĩnh An. Top graphic by Ngọc Tạ.
It was an ordinary Saturday summer afternoon in the late 2000s, and I was sitting in my mom’s office while waiting for her to finish her work, watching YouTube on one of the computers in the room. It wasn't just any video for kids, but a scene where a wolf downs a whole pack of cigarettes at once and blows the smoke into a locked telephone booth to try to suffocate a hare inside. That seemingly absurd scenario came from none other than Hãy Đợi Đấy!, one of my favorite cartoon shows.
Hẻm Gems: Bánh Canh Nam Phổ, Huế's Hearty, Homey Afternoon Snack
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- Published on 18 September 2025
- Written by Khôi Phạm. Photos by Alberto Prieto.
There’s a commonly acknowledged nugget of folk wisdom amongst foodies that hole-in-the-wall eateries almost always have the best food. In the context of Vietnam’s street food landscape, this concept could extend to cart on the pavement, table in the hẻm, coffee on a bike, and even wackier contexts. The star of today’s Hẻm Gems feature, however, is a true-blue hole-in-the-wall, both in physical manifestation and in spirits.
Wartime Sketches, Stamps, Typography Transcending Time in ‘Collection+’
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- Published on 17 September 2025
- Written by An Trần.
Fragments of history, whether through imagery or text, often feel distant in time, yet so familiar when encountered visually. Combat sketches, postage stamps, and typography from propaganda posters invite viewers to ask: how do they speak to today’s generation, living half a century after the war, and what do they reveal about our collective memory of Vietnam today?
Old Saigon Building of the Week: The Glitz and Glam of Tự Do Nightclub
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- Published on 16 September 2025
- Written by Khôi Phạm.
While today’s Đồng Khởi Street is peppered with tourist-centric shops and restaurants, just half a century ago, the downtown street was the nightlife hotspot for Saigon’s cool kids to congregate.
After Coconut and Salt, Is Peanut Butter Coffee Saigon's Next Drink Trend?
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- Published on 15 September 2025
- Written by Paul Christiansen. Photos by Jimmy Art Devier.
After egg coffee, coconut coffee, and salt coffee, is the next coffee trend going to be peanut butter coffee?
Uncovering the Mystery of 'Ai Ai Ai I'm Your Butterfly' on Chinese Toy Phones
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- Published on 12 September 2025
- Written by Khôi Phạm.
There’s a particular sequence of sounds that many, if not all, of us would remember by heart: two rings of the phone, a high-pitched female voice saying “Can I help you?”, some dog barks, and then “Ai ai ai, I’m your little butterfly.”
In Hội An’s Pottery Museum, Mini Clay Landmarks Hold Unexpected Memories
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- Published on 12 September 2025
- Written by Paul Christiansen. Photos by Alberto Prieto.
When preparing to visit Hội An’s Thanh Hà Pottery Museum, I didn’t anticipate an opportunity to reminisce. I hadn’t been to the museum dedicated to the region’s pottery traditions before, so how could it illicit fond memories?
Revisit the Colorful, Diverse Universe of Multinational Xe Đò in 1990s Saigon
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- Published on 11 September 2025
- Written by Saigoneer.
Saigoneers who spent their formative years in the 1990s will remember an era of secondhand products of mixed origins. This unique feature of daily life also extended into the transportation realm.
As Wind Power Struggles to Thrive in Southeast Asia, Vietnam Leads With Early Momentum
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- Published on 10 September 2025
- Written by Tyler Roney.
Countries in mainland Southeast Asia have stark differences in renewable energy strategies, balancing them with ample but controversial hydropower and entrenched interests. While solar power has become accessible and cost effective, many of these nations have struggled to make wind power an essential part of renewable energy strategies, despite having locations with high potential. Meanwhile, others have become regional wind power leaders, such as Vietnam. In this explainer, we explore how various mainland Southeast Asian countries are engaging with wind power development.
The Double-Edged Allure of Indochic in Postcolonial Vietnam
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- Published on 10 September 2025
- Written by Vinh Phu Pham. Illustration by Ngọc Tạ.
Bordering the Temple of Literature in Hanoi is Nguyễn Thái Học Boulevard, where a number of art shops sit side by side. Among them, tourists and visitors can find an endless supply of varying iterations of socialist iconography, gold-plated replicas of Đông Sơn drums, and faux-impressionist paintings of colonial Indochina. In Mũi Né, a 127-room resort unironically called The Anam Mui Ne boasts its Indochine allure with “Indochine Charm. Modern Luxury” on its home page. Throughout the resort are paintings depicting women in traditional áo dài and scenes of tranquil fishing villages, gesturing toward the bucolic past of Vietnam. In Saigon, numerous cafes and eateries are decorated in encaustic cement tiles with intricate floral, pastel designs, while brandishing French names and wrought iron railings on their balconies.
Hẻm Gems: The Legendary Miến Trộn That Feeds Saigon's Architecture Students
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- Published on 09 September 2025
- Written by Đình Phúc. Photos by Jimmy Art Devier.
Upon finding out that I’m a student at the University of Architecture HCMC, people tend to bombard me with a barrage of questions: if my coursework is tiring, if my school fees are skyhigh, and what my plans for after graduation are. These curiosities are understandable, but in the past years, one peculiar query has popped up more frequently: “I heard there’s a really good miến trộn place outside your school, is it true?”
Review: Watch a Family's Trauma Unravel in Real Time in 'No Crying at the Dinner Table'
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- Published on 06 September 2025
- Written by Vĩnh An.
I had little to no expectation when I started watching No Crying at the Dinner Table, especially since the topic of generational distance in Vietnam has been discussed time and time again by many other media, including Bố Già and Nhà Bà Nữ, both feature films by Trấn Thành.
Destruction, Rebirth Enmeshed in Ngô Đình Bảo Châu’s Exhibition 'Projecting a Thought'
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- Published on 06 September 2025
- Written by An Trần.
Darkness fills the space and a flame fiercely burns on the large screen, while dim lights and floating fabric linger behind. Ngô Đình Bảo Châu transforms domestic and bodily forms into works that explore the interconnectedness between the human body and the surrounding environment within this evolving world — in between destruction and rebirth.
