The Rise and Fall of Phượng Vĩ, the Summer Icon of Our Teenage Dreams
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- Published on 18 May 2023
- Written by Khôi Phạm. Graphic by Phạm Hoàng Ngọc Mai and Mai Khanh.
I was a teenage cliché. No matter how much I try to rack my brain to find any other personal connection to the incandescently red tree that is phượng vĩ, I keep going back to my middle school crush and that one tree in the front yard of our school.
A Brief History of Cung Văn Hóa Lao Động and Saigon's First Swimming Pool
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- Published on 17 May 2023
- Written by Tim Doling. Graphic by Phạm Hoàng Ngọc Mai.
Once a fashionable rendezvous for the elite of colonial society, the Labour Culture Palace (Cung Văn hoá Lao động) at 55B Nguyễn Thị Minh Khai is today one of Hồ Chí Minh City’s most popular sports and recreation facilities.
The Simple Pleasures of Kite-Flying in Thủ Thiêm
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- Published on 16 May 2023
- Written by Paul Christiansen. Photos by Paul Christiansen.
One of the most elegant means to observe the textured heft and untethered strength of otherwise-invisible wind — there is plenty one could say about the poetry of flying kites.
Fruity, Creamy, Icy: A Bingsu Corner in D7 for Those With a Sweet Tooth
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- Published on 12 May 2023
- Written by Uyên Đỗ. Photos by Cao Nhân.
As summer draws closer, bringing with it a sweltering sun and drenched T-shirts, one's mind can't help but drift to the incomparable delight of a snowy treat that can ward off the season's heat.
For the Love of Our Cooling, Affordable and Ubiquitous Trà Đá
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- Published on 12 May 2023
- Written by Khôi Phạm. Illustration by Phạm Hoàng Ngọc Mai.
In Saigon, trà đá vendors don’t exist, simply because every single eatery is in itself a trà đá vendor.
Nem Cuốn Is the Refreshing Rolls We Need in Saigon’s Sweltering Summers
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- Published on 12 May 2023
- Written by Paul Christiansen. Photos by Cao Nhân.
Even during the summer, when the sun bares its teeth and snarls at passing clouds, one must eat. But lugging a belly stuffed with hot, heavy soup, rice and meat through days devoid of shade sounds horrible. So I often settle for lighter fare. Fruit, salads, cold noodles. One of my favorite items for supplying nutrients without overburdening the little thermal factory that is my metabolism is rice paper rolls.
Review: Wow! This Brochure for Vietnam Tourism Has a Plot and a Romance.
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- Published on 11 May 2023
- Written by Khôi Phạm.
I was prepared to hate A Tourist’s Guide to Love on sight. As a movie setting, Vietnam has been burned by foreign productions one too many times, so I often find myself dry-heaving whenever any international project announces its intention of portraying Vietnam on screen.
An Ode to Saigon’s Chò Nâu Trees
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- Published on 10 May 2023
- Written by Paul Christiansen. Illustration by Hannah Hoàng. Photos by Kevin Lee.
It’s too cold for chò nâu to grow where I’m from, but we still gave it an English name: dipterocarp.
Hẻm Gems: At a Corner of Nguyễn Văn Linh, Saigon's Best Korean Cold Noodles
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- Published on 08 May 2023
- Written by Khôi Phạm. Photos by Alberto Prieto.
Much like a stereotypical meet-cute in a romantic comedy, the majority of my most memorable food experiences often involve a faux pas of varying degrees of humiliation.
Summer 2023 Is the Hottest on Record in Vietnam Due to El Niño
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- Published on 08 May 2023
- Written by Saigoneer. Photo by Alberto Prieto.
While the past weeks have felt like living in a sauna for Saigoneers, north-central Vietnam provinces experienced even hotter temperatures this summer.
Hẻm Gems: In a Saigon Hẻm Lives a House for Rare Regional Delights
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- Published on 06 May 2023
- Written by Uyên Đỗ. Photos by Cao Nhân.
One fine day a few months ago, I embarked on a search for the flavors of faraway lands across Vietnam, all of which are present in a hẻm in the middle of Saigon.
A Memoir Ruminates on Saigon in the Now and via Childhood Memories
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- Published on 04 May 2023
- Written by Paul Christiansen.
Born in Saigon in 1977, Tuan Phan and his parents left for America via boat in 1986. Remembering Water includes depictions of the voyage including lengthy stops in refugee camps followed by acclimation to a new country and culture. It articulates struggles of exile and assimilation similar to many other diaspora experiences, but his story is unique because Tuan returns to live in Saigon as an adult and encounters a place significantly different from his childhood recollections. The memoir concerns itself not just with the changing city and his relationship with it, but also with more illusive ideas regarding the fallibility of memory and if one can feel more at home in the past than the present.
What Leadership Means to Walter Power, Grand Ho Tram’s CEO
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- Published on 04 May 2023
- Written by Saigoneer. Photos by Saigoneer.
While Vietnam has resorts of every kind, one particular property’s dizzying array of offerings and guest profiles may make you wonder: “How does this all work?” The Grand Ho Tram works in large part due to the leadership of its CEO, Walter Power.
Society Cafe's Cơm Xá Xíu Fine-Tunes a Cantonese Classic With New Techniques
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- Published on 27 April 2023
- Written by Hương Lê. Photos by Alberto Prieto.
Inspired by a Cantonese classic, Society Cafe & Dining’s char siu pork is carefully seasoned and prepared over two days, while the accompanying daikon and radish were pickled from scratch. Put together by famous food YouTuber Culinary Frank, cơm xá xíu is notable for the sous vide method used to marinate the meat more evenly. This technique brings out the char siu's full flavor while keeping the meat's original texture.
At Culinary Frank's Cozy Saigon Cafe, YouTube Food Comes to Life on the Plate
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- Published on 26 April 2023
- Written by Hương Lê. Photos by Alberto Prieto.
“Every restaurant is a miniature society,” says Phương Phạm (Frank Phạm), a Melbourne-based Vietnamese chef and famous YouTube food blogger who recently returned to Saigon to open his passion project, a cafe restaurant named Society Cafe & Dining. “In this miniature society, we welcome people from different backgrounds, yet they all share the same passion for food and the culinary experience. Whatever we have in this ‘society,’ we show all to our visitors.” Frank told me about his newest brainchild. “Our cafe is a home they can return to after a busy day at work.”
Saigon’s Vibrant Charm and Energy Captured at RBar and Viet Kitchen
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- Published on 26 April 2023
- Written by Saigoneer. Photos by Saigoneer.
Can one long for Saigon, even when in Saigon? The metropolis’ international influences and connections mean one can find cuisines, products and aesthetics from just about everywhere in the world here. This allows for a wonderfully convenient life, but sometimes it can be difficult to remember that Saigon has its own unique style and traditions. It’s important to have places to immerse in those flavors and aesthetics.
Vietnam Airlines Sells VND14bn Worth of Inflight Bubble Tea Last Year
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- Published on 25 April 2023
- Written by Saigoneer.
Gone were the days of brackish peanuts and lukewarm apple juice, today’s flyers can satiate their sugar cravings right in the air.
Another Hoàn Kiếm Turtle Dies in Hanoi, Setting Back Conservation Efforts
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- Published on 24 April 2023
- Written by Saigoneer.
It’s reported that a “Hoàn Kiếm turtle” living in Hanoi has died, further impeding efforts by conservationists to keep the species from extinction.
As Science Advances and Stigma Fades, Quy Hòa Leprosy Village Seems Frozen in Place
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- Published on 23 April 2023
- Written by Paul Christiansen and Phương Phạm. Photos by Alberto Prieto.
Many of the images conjured by the word leprosy (bệnh phong) can be unsettling to some. Yet, the misunderstood disease exposes the capacity for human care and empathy. Quy Nhơn’s Quy Hoà leprosy village exhibits how communities can come together to lovingly help the less fortunate.
In Bình Định, a Museum Retells Nguyễn Huệ's Glorious Life via Vivid Murals
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- Published on 21 April 2023
- Written by Paul Christiansen. Photos by Alberto Prieto.
About 45 kilometers from downtown Quy Nhơn stands the Quang Trung Museum (Bảo tàng Quang Trung), one of Vietnam’s finest museums.
