Khôi Phạm in Natural Selection
A Case for the Sweet-and-Sour Tamarind as Saigon's Official Municipal Tree
What is the municipal tree of Saigon? In popular culture, Hanoi is perhaps intricately linked with the paralyzing but often romanticized aroma of hoa sữa, while just over a hundred kilometers to the e...
Khôi Phạm in Vietnam
Cold War History With a Side of Nem Rán in Prague's Little Hanoi
Across English-speaking countries such as the US and Australia, the Vietnamese diaspora established close-knit “Little Saigon” towns whenever they settled down, founding large markets, starting financ...
Khôi Phạm in Music & Arts
5 Albums to Put on While Driving Home at 12am Pretending You're in an MV
It’s 12:03am in Saigon. You've just finished a movie at the last screening of the day. The asphalt in the parking lot is coated in a layer of golden light from the streetlight. You walk gingerly to yo...
Khôi Phạm in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: Reliving the Joy of Jollof Rice at Saigon's Only Nigerian Eatery
Food is history. For some, it may just be sustenance, fuel for life, something to wash down quickly with sips of water to keep the body going. But the reality is that many food types have directly inf...
Khôi Phạm in Food Culture
From Kuy Teav to Hủ Tiếu: How a Phnom Penh Classic Became Hủ Tiếu Nam Vang
Originally from Cambodia, made popular by Chinese vendors and enjoyed by local diners, hủ tiếu Nam Vang captures the essence of Vietnamese history in one hearty bowl of noodles.
Khôi Phạm in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: A Streetcart Named Aoya and the Comfort of Sidewalk Ramen
The first time I tried to visit Aoya Ramen was on a Monday. The pavement where the stall should be was empty, without any trace of noodles or noren. I learned quickly that they’re closed on Mondays. T...
Khôi Phạm in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: An Alternative Cao Lầu in Saigon for Full-Topping Eaters
If I have to use one word to describe the food philosophy of Saigoneers, it would be maximalist. Those who have had the gluttonous joy of hunkering down on a plastic chair on the sidewalk and demolish...
Khôi Phạm in Saigon
Letter to the People I Met as We Hid From the Rain Under a Bridge Together
“Do not be angry with the rain; it simply does not know how to fall upwards.”— Vladimir Nabokov.
Khôi Phạm in Music & Arts
The 1st Vietnamese Song With 1bn Views on YouTube Is About Ducks
It’s not Hoàng Thùy Linh’s catchy dance track ‘See Tình’ or the crossover Mekong Delta hit ‘Con gái miền Tây,’ the first Vietnamese song to amass one billion — or bill-ion, if you will — on YouTube is...
Khôi Phạm in Natural Selection
10 Species of Lesser-Known Fruits to Get to Know Vietnam's Biodiversity
In the Vietnamese language, the suffix “cỏ” — meaning “grass” in the literal sense — is often used to signify that something is locally grown, no frills, and charmingly rustic; grassroots, if you will...
Khôi Phạm in Culture
Xe Trái Cây: If You Can't Find Lovingly Sliced Fruit at Home, Cart-Bought Is Fine
Nature has numerous ways to make itself known: male peacocks fan out their glorious tail made up of iridescent eye-patterned feathers to attract peafowls; blue-ringed octopuses don’t need to invent an...
Khôi Phạm in Natural Selection
Trái Thị: The Fruit of Heavenly Smell and Infernal Taste
If you had to pick a national smell that represents Vietnam, what would it be? There are a host of strong contenders: durian, lotus-scented green tea, fragrant pandan sticky rice, that enticing aroma ...
Khôi Phạm in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: Sip on Mugwort Lattes, Make Ceramics, and Unwind at Haru Cottage
“I’m basically Demi Moore from Ghost,” this intrusive thought plagued my mind occasionally during our visit to Haru Cottage to participate in the cafe’s ceramic class.
Khôi Phạm in Food Culture
What to See, Taste, and Do on a Late-Afternoon Walk in Phú Mỹ Hưng
There are probably Saigoneers who will grow old without ever setting foot in Phú Mỹ Hưng, just like how several of my relatives living in District 8 have never visited Nguyễn Huệ Walking Street. Havin...
Khôi Phạm in Rewind
For a Horror Film About an Ageless Portrait, 'Mười' Hasn't Aged Well
It’s undeniable that Mười: The Legend of a Portrait has left a lasting impression in the minds of a generation of Vietnamese, as the first collaboration between Vietnam and South Korea’s cinema indust...
Khôi Phạm in Society
Nhiêu Lộc Canal Hosted Trudeau's Night Run. Why Is It Not as Famous as Obama's Bún Chả?
You know how much Vietnamese culture revolves around food by the fact that one of the first questions we pose to any foreign visitor is “What’s your favorite Vietnamese dish?” Asking about other aspec...
Khôi Phạm in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: While the Day Away Under the Green Canopy of Cỏ Cafe
Under a thick canopy of verdant vines and minuscule pink flowers, it’s easy to indulge in the cooling comfort of a glass of iced tamarind juice and while the day away.
Khôi Phạm in Culture
On Delving Into Vietnam's Eras of Tết Firecrackers via My Family History
Is it a valid reverie or just mere misguided nostalgia to feel a sense of yearning for lives you’ve never lived?
Khôi Phạm in Food Culture
This Tết, I'm Finally Learning Our Family Recipe for Candied Coconut 'Flowers'
Tết is the perfect occasion of the year to go ham on the sugar.
Khôi Phạm in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: The Best Cao Lầu Outside of Hội An Is in Tân Bình
Years ago, the first time I ate cao lầu, I committed a cardinal sin. As I gazed upon my freshly assembled bowl of noodles, without much thought, I asked the waitress for more sauce.
Khôi Phạm in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: What Bún Cua Gia Lai Taught Me About Vietnam's Bond With Bún
Not being a picky eater was somewhat of a personal point of pride for me growing up. I have my family to thank for this, as their immense patience and open-mindedness have encouraged me to explore as ...
Khôi Phạm in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: From Nghệ An, a Turmeric-Tinged Miến Lươn Feast in D7
Once upon a time, deep in the distant kingdom of District 7, there was a miến lươn place.
Khôi Phạm in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: A Trip to Bàn Cờ for Lạng Sơn’s Sweet and Sour Dry Phở
There’s not much you can say about phở that hasn't already been said. From its complicated origin to its deliciousness to its ubiquity on Saigon’s streets, the subject has been covered ...
Finding Solace in the Placid Water of Trị An Lake as a City Dweller
I took a deep breath, realizing that I was suspended in the midpoint of everything, above the calm, glassy surface of Trị An Lake and beneath the vast, enveloping azure sky that blanketed Mã Đà forest...
Khôi Phạm in Film & TV
Review: 'Bến Phà Xác Sống' Is the 2nd-Worst Movie I've Ever Watched. I'm Sad It's Over.
The day when the Saigoneer team organized a little get-together to watch Bến Phà Xác Sống in the cinema, I was running seriously late.
Khôi Phạm in Travel
Train to Biên Hòa: A Day Trip Into Suburbia From Saigon
When Saigoneer first announced a few weeks ago that Vietnam’s railway network would be the centerpiece of our next themed article series, a number of readers joked in the comment section that who in t...
Khôi Phạm in Rewind
1735 Km, the 2005 Road Trip Romcom That Could Have Been
In 2005, I was in middle school. I had never had a cellphone nor known what the internet was — our home didn’t have ADSL until ninth grade. Life as a fledgling pupil in Saigon revolved around homework...
Khôi Phạm in Film & TV
A (Non-Exhaustive) Ranking of 10 Vietnamese Queer Movies in History
How would you define a “queer” film?
Khôi Phạm in Food Culture
Opinion: With New Vietnam Guide, Michelin Has Failed Asian Street Food Again
Nothing gets Saigon foodies up in arms faster than the ratio of 10 phở restaurants to zero bánh mì place, but this disproportionate phở favoritism is just one of many ways the Michelin Guide has fumbl...
Khôi Phạm in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: The 40-Year-Old Phở Gà in Kỳ Đồng, Now Michelin-Approved
If you’re ever lost in District 3, Kỳ Đồng’s famous phở gà place will be the oasis you need in those trying times.
Khôi Phạm in Natural Selection
The Rise and Fall of Phượng Vĩ, the Summer Icon of Our Teenage Dreams
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 an...
Khôi Phạm in Snack Attack
For the Love of Our Cooling, Affordable and Ubiquitous Trà Đá
In Saigon, trà đá vendors don’t exist, simply because every single eatery is in itself a trà đá vendor.
Khôi Phạm in Film & TV
Review: Wow! This Brochure for Vietnam Tourism Has a Plot and a Romance.
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 intern...
Khôi Phạm in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: At a Corner of Nguyễn Văn Linh, Saigon's Best Korean Cold Noodles
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.
Khôi Phạm in Quãng 8
Hanoi Indie Duo Limebócx Brings Tried-and-Trù Traditions to Young Ears
A grazing buffalo, frolicking water puppets, mystifying tam cúc cards, an insolent maiden in áo tứ thân, a rustic meal around cái mâm. These are just a few standout visuals that will haunt your brain ...
Khôi Phạm in Culture
What to See, Taste, and Do If You Have a Free Morning in Tân Định
There’s not much you’ll need to do to persuade me to drive, walk, crawl, scuttle or skate along the Nhiêu Lộc-Thị Nghè Canal — I adore its shaded, tree-lined pavements that much.
Khôi Phạm in Culture
What to See, Taste, and Do If You Have 3 Hours to Kill in Chợ Lớn
One of my favorite parts about being in a new city is dropping by any random neighborhood and just walking around until my feet get sore. Walking affords me the leisurely pace and multi-dimensional fr...
Khôi Phạm in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: From a Historic D5 Shophouse, An Duyên Serves up Tasty Chợ Lớn Classics
An Duyên Chợ Lớn transcends Chợ Lớn quán stereotypes of rustic mom-and-pops with rickety amenities to provide a comfortable dining experience, made memorable thanks to aesthetically pleasing décor and...
In 2022, Vietnam's Domestic Tourism Flourished, but International Arrivals Lagged Behind
The most recent Tết holiday witnessed an outstanding performance by Vietnam’s domestic tourism sector, while international tourism had a year of underwhelming figures.
Khôi Phạm in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Saigoneer's Picks of Saigon's 5 Best Cafes to Poop At
What brings you to coffee shops? Novelty beverages, mellow playlists, a feeling of home, proximity, or just simply convenience — all are valid attributes that have endeared me to many of my favorite c...
Khôi Phạm in Literature
From Architecture to Folklore: 5 Indie Book Projects for Vietnamese Culture Buffs
In our years of writing about Vietnam, Saigoneer has had the pleasure to meet many passionate, inquisitive individuals whose creative and academic projects inspired us to appreciate the many facets of...
Khôi Phạm in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: We Found Huế's Roast Pork Chè in Saigon, but It's Complicated.
When the parent ingredients are such top-tier performers in their respective categories, it’s natural to feel disappointed that the resulting combination is so subpar.
Khôi Phạm in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: Bún Bò Đà Nẵng Will Change How You Feel About Bún Bò in Saigon
Have you ever wondered who named our food? Oftentimes I do, and I daydream of traveling back in time to those monumental moments in the past when a famous dish or ingredient earned its title to slap s...
Khôi Phạm in Music & Arts
Two Decades of Women's Vintage Fashion in Saigon, as Illustrated by a Young Hanoian
In conversations surrounding Vietnam’s fashion history, it’s impossible not to discuss áo dài and its many iterations across the eras as symbols of Vietnamese femininity, but it would be amiss to leav...
Khôi Phạm in Quãng 8
Hồ Trâm Anh Writes Music for Those Who Walk City Streets Yearning for the Open Sky
When I begin my interview with Hồ Trâm Anh, a light shower starts sprinkling over Saigon’s overcast maudlin sky. I apologize if any errant pitter-patter might distract our call, but Trâm Anh brushes i...
Khôi Phạm in Film & TV
Review: 'Cù Lao Xác Sống' Is the Worst Movie I've Ever Watched. I Love It to Death.
When we entered the auditorium to watch Cù Lao Xác Sống, no theater attendant was there to check our tickets. Perhaps the telling emptiness of the room made them realize they could be doing better thi...
Khôi Phạm in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: Indonesia's Ayam Penyet Is a Smashing Celebration of Spices
The most straightforward definition by which to explain ayam penyet to the Vietnamese layperson is perhaps “cơm gà Indo.” It’s technically not wrong: the dish has rice and chicken, and originates from...
Khôi Phạm in Film & TV
Review: 'Maika' Is What Happens When You Take Children Seriously
Maika is a loving tribute to Vietnam’s childhood icon of the 1980s, but for those who didn’t grow up with the original Eastern European series, what’s in it for us?
Khôi Phạm in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: 60 Years of Guangdong-Style Chinese Food at Chợ Cũ's Chuyên Ký
Besides being the “it” place to obtain imported goods, Saigon’s chợ cũ, or Old Market, is also a treasure trove of hidden eateries.
Khôi Phạm in Film & TV
Review: 'U Linh Tích Ký' Shows Made-in-Vietnam Animation Prowess, but Is Light on Narrative
Premiered less than 24 hours ago, a made-in-Vietnam animation project has quickly become the talk of the town in the local cybersphere thanks to its high production values and intriguing concept.
Khôi Phạm in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: Eggs? On My Bánh Cuốn? It's More Likely Than You Think.
The simplicity of an egg is an underrated beauty that we often take for granted.
Khôi Phạm in Stories
A Letter From Saigoneer
Saigoneers ơi!
Khôi Phạm in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: The Dream of the 2010s Is Alive at Pacey Cupcakes
Pick your favorite cupcake flavor; perhaps a pitcher of hot fragrant tea too. Ascend the dizzyingly steep flight of stairs. Mind your head. Tread gently on the wooden attic floor. There your friends a...
Khôi Phạm in Dishcovery
Naengmyeon, the Korean Cold Noodles to Ward Off the Heat of Summer
As Saigon inches towards the hottest months of the year, I find myself shying away from steaming hot soups while craving a little cooling treat to ward off the heat. Luckily for Saigon’s foodies, Dist...
Saigon to Renovate Bến Thành Market, Replace Metal Roof With Tiles
The 110-year-old market will receive a new tiled roof, as well as infrastructure and gate upgrades.
Khoi Pham in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: Curry Shika and 12 Years of Making Memories in Saigon
Unlike a normal human, there is a chance that my body is not 70% water, but 70% curry; and a good 50% of that might actually be Japanese curry.
Khoi Pham in Natural Selection
A Eulogy for the Last Wild Cọp of Vietnam
The story of Vietnam and cọp is not one where we will come out looking good.
Khoi Pham in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: In D6, Oyster Omelette, Porridge and Bột Chiên for the Soul
“He was a bold man that first ate an oyster,” satirist Jonathan Swift wrote in the 1700s. Famously fearful of the now-prized bivalves, Swift eventually grew to appreciate their briny, ocean-forward es...
Khôi Phạm in Music & Arts
Year in Review: Saigoneer's 30 Picks for Best Vietnamese Music of 2021
Despite the drab outlook enveloping the entertainment industry for most of 2021, this year saw a boom in new faces across genres and the release of many pandemic albums.
Khôi Phạm in Natural Selection
Lêkima: The Flower Worthy of a National Heroine
Don’t you find it bewildering when you have existed for centuries, and are suddenly thrust into stardom due to a small cameo in a nationalist saga?
Da Lat Installs First-Ever Traffic Lights to Stem Road Congestion
A new era has begun for the increasingly busy mountain city.
In Q3 of 2021, Vietnam's Economy Shrinks for the First Time Since 2000
The ongoing COVID-19 outbreak, combined with severe lockdown restrictions, has led to Vietnam's worst economic quarter in decades.
Khôi Phạm in Tech
Review: Vietnamese Indie Game 'Hoa' Is a Soothing Oasis in the Age of Anxiety
There is an exquisite but hard-to-name feeling that engulfs me every time I finish watching a particularly outstanding movie. It’s a lingering mixture of awe, fulfillment, wistfulness, anguish, contem...
Khôi Phạm in Natural Selection
Lá Dứa: The OG Queen of Vietnamese Desserts
There’s a 99% chance that a Vietnamese child’s first exposure to lá dứa, or pandan, is in the form of rau câu.
Khoi Pham in Music & Arts
A Halcyon Hanoi in the Art of Joseph Inguimberty, the Professor Who Taught Lê Phổ
In 1925, Joseph Inguimberty stepped into the tropical humidity of Hanoi for the first time. Despite having been to Italy, Greece and even Egypt, the 29-year-old art professor probably couldn’t imagine...
Khoi Pham in Architecture
On Phu Quy Island, a Curious Collection of Modernist Houses From Central Vietnam
From the 1960s towards the end of the 1970s, urban centers in southern Vietnam saw robust and widespread growth of modernist influences in architecture. Still, outside the usual foci of the movement l...
Khoi Pham in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: A Nasi Lemak in Saigon That Evokes Memories of Hawker Centers
As I gaze at the glorious eight-dish Malaysian banquet on our table at Makiucha, perfectly spaced by our photographer, popping with colors and wafting off aromas of rich spices, it becomes apparent to...
Khôi Phạm in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: From Ohio to D7, the Serendipitous Story of Saigon's Lamb Phở
A highlight of my last visit to Phở Lạc Việt was a special moment when I reached out and the tips of my fingers touched a warm bowl inside the heating cabinet.
Khoi Pham in Music & Arts
A Designer From Da Lat Brings His Hometown's Beauty to a Calendar Project
Da Lat is not merely a place, it’s a state of mind.
Khoi Pham in Vietnam Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: Da Lat's Ngàn Cafe Is as Comforting as an Embrace
Walking down Da Lat’s Robin Hill amid emerald pine trees and languid fluffs of cloud, one’s eyes will inevitably encounter a visual disturbance in the form of bright orange plastic maple trees. They a...
Khoi Pham in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: D6's Hot and Sour Suan La Fen Is the Noodle Dish to Conquer
Every time I lap up a spoonful of searing broth that’s so spicy I could almost count the number of times my face pulses, I feel grateful for taste buds.
Khôi Phạm in Music & Arts
Year in Review: Saigoneer's 20 Picks for Best Vietnamese Music of 2020
Despite the uncertainties and upheavals of 2020, Vietnamese artists have continued to produce excellent music that defies genres, merges past influences, and exceeds expectations.
Khôi Phạm in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: Saigon's Hakka Culture Lives in D5's Khổ Qua Cà Ớt
Stuffing food inside other food is an ingenious human invention on par with refrigeration, chopsticks, and Gmail’s “undo” button.
Khôi Phạm in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: A Vietnamese Curry That Makes the Case for Coconut Milk
If you’re not usually a fan of Vietnamese curry, Cà Ri Gà 3T’s signature dish is a surprisingly well-balanced offering. And If you are indeed a fan, then you’re in luck.
Khôi Phạm in Film & TV
Review: 'Đoạn Trường Vinh Hoa' Is Cải Lương at Its Most Heart-Wrenching
As the screening came to an end, there were quiet sobs echoing softly across the auditorium. For a lot of us viewers with water in our eyes, it was a complete surprise that a documentary about a seemi...
Want to Learn About Saigon History? Scan These New QR Codes on Street Signs.
Saigoneers interested in finding out more about the history of their hometown now have a new avenue to expand their knowledge.
Khôi Phạm in Film & TV
'Ròm' Review: A Sterling Portrait of Saigon's Dark Underbelly, Despite Falling Short of Its Potential
I stepped out of the theater after watching Ròm with a heaviness weighing down my shoulders. It was, however, a refreshing feeling that one rarely experiences after a Vietnamese feature film these day...
Khôi Phạm in Culture
These Illustrations of Vintage Trung Thu Lanterns Are a Ticket to Your Childhood
There are many harbingers of mid-autumn in Saigon: the mushrooming of street-side mooncake vendors, the gradual arrival of corporate mooncake boxes, and a kaleidoscopic tapestry of lanterns along...