Hẻm Gems: Time-Tested Sâm Bổ Lượng Versus Wacky Quail Eggs in a Dessert
As a kid, my mom would often buy me chè when the weather was too hot to keep me from drinking Coca-Cola. Chè made by Hoa people always got my attention, thanks to its distinctive presentation. Though, to get to it, I would usually drive to Chợ Lớn, which is fine, but it often involves traversing through traffic jams. So when I discovered Chè Sâm Bổ Lượng 399 on a random Google search, a long-established chè shop run by a Hoa family just 7 minutes from my office, I had to check it out.
The Unbearable Lightness of An Giang's Bánh Bò Thốt Nốt Chảo
Some simple delights can capture the flavor of an entire region.
Thi Nguyễn in Snack Attack
In Bánh Củ Cải, a Curious Slice of Bạc Liêu's Teochew Heritage
You know a dish is special when it can spark conversation with a stranger on a bus. Halfway through the scrumptious bánh củ cải (radish cake) from our last-minute trip to the market, I shared the other half with my mom. "You're full?" asked a lady in the bunk next to us, which was then followed by a long discussion. I came home with several handy tips on how to recreate and elevate the already flavorful treat.
Ngõ Nooks: This Modern Co-op Serves up One of Hanoi's Best Skewer Bánh Mì
Hợp Tác Xã Thịt Xiên is more than just a bánh mì eatery, it’s a place to rekindle your childhood nostalgia and take in the ambiance of the street.
Paul Christiansen in Dishcovery
Saigon's Most Famous Cua Rang Me Is a Tangy Tamarind Party
It started with tamarind, and ended with crab.
This Charming Northern-Style Country House Is Made Entirely of Mooncake
Another Trung Thu season is just around the corner, and bakeries across Vietnam are busy at work churning out thousands of mooncakes to be given out as gifts or relish at home with family and friends. One meticulous local baker, however, had a different idea.
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 demolishing a giant tumbler of full-topping bubble tea will know what I’m talking about.
Hẻm Gems: A Long-Anticipated Bowl of D10's Pre-Eminent Mì Vịt Tiềm
Rarely have I gone into a meal with such anticipation.
Hẻm Gems: Time-Tested Sâm Bổ Lượng Versus Wacky Quail Eggs in a Dessert
As a kid, my mom would often buy me chè when the weather was too hot to keep me from drinking Coca-Cola. Chè made by Hoa people always got my attention, thanks to its distinctive presentation. Though,...
The Unbearable Lightness of An Giang's Bánh Bò Thốt Nốt Chảo
Some simple delights can capture the flavor of an entire region.
Thi Nguyễn in Snack Attack
In Bánh Củ Cải, a Curious Slice of Bạc Liêu's Teochew Heritage
You know a dish is special when it can spark conversation with a stranger on a bus. Halfway through the scrumptious bánh củ cải (radish cake) from our last-minute trip to the market, I shared the othe...
Ngõ Nooks: This Modern Co-op Serves up One of Hanoi's Best Skewer Bánh Mì
Hợp Tác Xã Thịt Xiên is more than just a bánh mì eatery, it’s a place to rekindle your childhood nostalgia and take in the ambiance of the street.
Paul Christiansen in Dishcovery
Saigon's Most Famous Cua Rang Me Is a Tangy Tamarind Party
It started with tamarind, and ended with crab.
This Charming Northern-Style Country House Is Made Entirely of Mooncake
Another Trung Thu season is just around the corner, and bakeries across Vietnam are busy at work churning out thousands of mooncakes to be given out as gifts or relish at home with family and friends....
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...
Hẻm Gems: A Long-Anticipated Bowl of D10's Pre-Eminent Mì Vịt Tiềm
Rarely have I gone into a meal with such anticipation.
Hẻm Gems: Mơ Đi Hội, When Florists Dream of Opening a Cafe
When book lovers open a café, we are blessed with book cafes; when animal lovers open a café, we are given a myriad of animal cafes; what happens when florists open a café? This is the case of Mơ Đi H...
Hẻm Gems: The Ghé Coffee Tucks Art, Fragrant Coffee Into a Quiet D1 Crevice
Delivering premium origin coffee and fine art from artists across Vietnam in a tiny room that dates back to French colonial times, smack dab in the middle of District 1, The Ghé Coffee balances the fi...
Paul Christiansen in Food Culture
Into the Beguiling Backyard Rice Wine Distilleries of Long An
The highway eases into sand and gravel the way history descends into myth and legend when traveling towards Long An. A mere 27 kilometers outside of Saigon, the province feels a world away: the differ...
From a Blend of Cultures, Phá Lấu Became a Beloved Saigon Street Snack
When the word phá lấu is mentioned, two genres of dishes will appear in the mind of Vietnamese. One is a small bowl of orange broth that sings of coconut milk, another is slices of caramelized offal a...
Gỏi Đu Đủ Reflects the Mekong Region's Culinary and Cultural Wisdoms
As the cicadas begin to sing in the tamarind canopies along Pasteur Street after the first monsoon rain, vivid scenes from my formative years flash by in my mind. My cheeks became flushed and my eyes ...
Hẻm Gems: In D5, a Family Durian Xôi Xiêm Recipe Inspired by Cambodia
At first glance, xôi xiêm sầu riêng — or sticky rice with egg custard and durian — may appear plain-looking, but apart from being a tasty sweet treat, this simple dish also holds stories of life durin...
A Pilgrimage to Sơn La, Vietnam's National Mận Capital, as a Devoted Fan
There’s a kind of sweet, sour, and slightly tannic fruit that never fails to make our mouths water every summer.
Paul Christiansen in Food Culture
Banana Is a Paragon of Neutrality. I Propose Using It as a Metric to Rank All Fruits.
Line up all the world’s fruits, best to worst, taking into account every rateable aspect imaginable including taste, appearance, price, reliability and seasonality — the banana rests at the exact midd...
An Ode to Dried Fruit, Vietnam's Parent-Approved Way for Children to Sugar Load
I first knew dried fruit as a category of munchy snacks that had my parents’ approval.
Paul Christiansen in Dishcovery
We Should Offer Gỏi Măng Cụt a Full-Time Position in Saigon's Food Scene
The mangosteen salad trend hit TikTok in 2023, creating a demand that led locals to quit their jobs and take on more lucrative full-time fruit-peeling duties.
Thi Nguyễn in Snack Attack
A Tale of Two Fruits: The Colonial History of Durian and Mangosteen
Although both durian and mangosteen are native to Southeast Asia, their reputation — especially from a western point of view — leads two very contrasting fates: the latter is considered a luscious del...
Hẻm Gems: At Sakaba Sasuke Izakaya, Happiness Is Wrapped in Pork Belly and Grilled
It took a few visits before I noticed that the music at Sakaba Sasuke was always the same.
