Khôi Phạm in Saigon Hẻm Gems
6 Saigon Eateries With Rare Cuisines to Expand Your World Culinary Experiences
In Vietnam’s history, Saigon has always been a city of dynamic immigration, where people from across the nation arrive every day to seek better opportunities for work, study, and to settle down. As Vietnam becomes more open to the world, this attraction has extended to other corners of the globe as well.
Hẻm Gems: At Den the Bar, Making Friends Is as Easy as Finding a New Favorite Drink
At Den the Bar, you first come in for a drink, maybe stay a little longer to chat, then come back to catch up. And before you know it, you've become a regular, made a few friends, and sometimes even end up as part of the next generation of bartenders. For over 10 years, Den has become a place where human connections, creativity, and knowledge sharing matter more than fancy bottles. And behind it all lies a slightly bigger ambition: changing the way bartending is seen in Vietnam.
Khôi Phạm in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: In Huế, Cơm Hến Bé Liêm Is Breakfast With a Side of Warm Hospitality
One of the small joys in life is having a favorite dish readily available whenever you crave it. Ever since I discovered the little hẻm in Saigon where Cơm Hến O Thu lies, my life has been ever so uplifted by the comfort that, every fortnight or so, I can hop on my motorbike, sit for 15 minutes, and have cơm hến on the table in a blink of an eye for gulping pleasures. Cơm hến is one of my favorite things, so naturally, when I got a chance to visit Huế, the dish’s hometown, there was no way I could miss out on this small joy that packs big flavors.
Feeling Peckish at the End of the Work Day? Have a Bánh Chiên, or Two, or Four.
The rainy season is upon us in Saigon. Bouts of rain from ferocious to gentle have helped tempered the searing heat of summer. At one corner of the city, amid the moisture of freshly rained-on atmosphere is the bittersweet caramel scent of sugar syrup bubbling on the stove and of fried dough. It fills me with both nostalgia and a craving for golden, crispy bánh chiên hidden at every market and alley across Saigon.
Paul Christiansen in Dishcovery
The Shrimps Are to Die for at This Riverside Nhậu Spot on the Outskirts of Saigon
“We eat so many shrimps, I got iodine poisoning,” rapper Pimp C famously proclaimed . But how many shrimps would that requ...
Khôi Phạm in Dishcovery
Gỏi Khô Bò Lê Văn Tám Connects Generations of Saigoneers Over Papaya Salad
My favorite genre of Saigon food places is most definitely address-less street vendors. With no name, no fixed location, no menu, no contact information, before Google Maps and smartphones, whether you can satisfy your craving for their food purely depended on the strength of your memory (to find them again) and the level of luck the universe bestowed on you that day.
Hẻm Gems: Wake up Early, We're Getting Hủ Tiếu Cá for Breakfast
When I used to live in Hanoi, I always knew that if an eatery only opens for half a day, the food is probably certified, at least by the locals, to be not only good, but excellent. There is something written in the local traditions that specific dishes should be served at particular times of the day.
By Preserving Tradition, Honoring Creativity and Showcasing Sustainability, Young Vietnamese Chefs Excel at Ngon Challenge by Marriott International
The glossy menus, sleek decor, and iconic logos of international hotel restaurants often obscure the human stories behind each dish. While catering to global guests, these restaurants often serve meals with origins in family kitchens and regional culinary traditions. Young, local chefs balance nostalgic associations with contemporary techniques and creative expression to create these menus. Returning for its second year this past September, Ngon Challenge continued to celebrate and nurture Vietnamese culinary talent across Marriott International’s hotels and resorts in Vietnam.
Brian Letwin in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: Kura Bar, a Veritable Treasure Trove of Rare Japanese Sakes Amid Saigon
Saigoneers are spoilt for choice when it comes to Japanese eateries in the city. Dozens, if not hundreds, of sushi, ramen and izakaya spots dot its districts. And if you're in the mood for something s...
Khôi Phạm in Food Culture
How Cá Cắt Khúc Becomes My Personal Touchstone of Vietnamese Cuisine
It was 13 years ago when Christine Ha auditioned for and eventually won the third season of MasterChef US. Christine was a grad student from Texas then, and her victory was a watershed moment in the h...
Hẻm Gems: A Night of Love, Poetry, and the Pursuit of the Sublime at Emme Bar
“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 t...
Fried Floating Rice with Dried Cá Chốt and Lotus Tells a Complete Vietnamese Narrative
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 repres...
Uyên Đỗ in Dishcovery
A Light Bánh Cuốn Quảng Đông to Break Your Fast the Chợ Lớn Way
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 serv...
Khôi Phạm in Hanoi Ngõ Nooks
Ngõ Nooks: Miến Lươn Is a Classic Hanoian Breakfast for Cold Rainy Days
I am Hanoi’s hungriest tourist; and the capital welcomes me into its flavorsome, umami-rich warmth with open arms.
Cua Cà Mau Consommé Evokes Nostalgic Summer Beach Holidays
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 inspi...
Thi Nguyễn in Food Culture
Tết Tales: The Many Folk Stories Behind Vietnam's Bánh Chưng, Bánh Tét
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...
Tôm Sú Kakiage with Floating Rice Noodles is a Crisp, Cool Dish for Steamy Saigon Afternoons
Phở, bún, hủ tiếu, cao lầu and bánh tằm are stand-outs in Vietnam’s impressively diverse portfolio of noodles made with rice. The ones Saigoneer tasked Anaïs Ca Dao van Manen to create a dish with wer...
Re-imagining a Streetfood Staple with Sustainable Ingredients: Cơm Tấm Ốc Bươu with Floating Rice
Cơm tấm is “all about utilizing, minimizing food waste and, basically, not giving anything away,” explains Chef Trụ Lang of Mùa Sake, as he stands in front of ingredients from the Mekong Delta. “That ...
Tâm Lê in Ănthology
Charles Phan's Bánh Mì Is Not Here to Take You Down Memory Lane
“Charles Phan had more impact on Vietnamese food than any other chef in the country.” — Michael Bauer, San Francisco Chronicle.
Hẻm Gems: Cô Chi Creates a World of Northern Noodles Right in Her Living Room
Bún Cô Chi offers a great introduction to the wonderful world of northern noodles.
From Sticky Rice and Sugar, Bánh Tổ Binds Me With Tết and My Hoa Vietnamese Roots
This Tết, you’re invited to my grandma’s house for a true-blue Tết meal of Hoa Vietnamese, comprising char siu, khâu nhục (braised pork belly), cured duck meat, etc. Then, you can think of the best we...
Khôi Phạm in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: At D5's Sủi Cảo Đại Nương, a Song of Chives and Fire
One night after my meal at Sủi Cảo Đại Nương, I find myself in a mystifying dream about chives.
Hẻm Gems: In a Hẻm, on Plastic Chairs, One of Saigon's Best Pizzas Beckons
“The leopard spots. They hate them,” Hiếu Trần explains to me. “They think it means the pizza is burnt.”
Savoring the Spectacular Views from Zion Sky Lounge & Dining
When the sun starts to fall, glazing a glittering expanse of skyscrapers with orange light, Saigon’s skyline reveals its most beautiful, energetic character. The view from Zion Sky Lounge & Dining imp...
Uyên Đỗ in Snack Attack
A Shelf-Stable History of Why Vietnam Loves Mì Gói
Instant noodles are more or less a religion. They have widely spread to many lands, where they are adapted to suit the culture and people there. Most importantly, they offer us salvation in some of th...
How to Know You're in Mỹ Tho? The Sugarcane Juice Has Roasted Peanuts.
In Marcel Proust’s In Search of Lost Time, when the protagonist tastes a piece of tea-dipped madeleine, the flavor combination immediately transports him back to the childhood memories he’s buried dee...
Khôi Phạm in Dishcovery
Sấu, Mơ, and Lotus Tea: The Delight of Freezedom Hanoi's Creative Gelato Flavors
Apart from a rather ambitious list of Hanoi-specific dishes to sample, my itinerary for the capital includes three personal wishes: ride the Hanoi Metro, visit Sonder Coffee Bar, and try out Freezedom...
Thi Nguyễn in Food Culture
History in a Tin: The Colonial Past of Vietnam Through Popular Canned Food
Whether it is fish placed neatly inside rectangular tins or uniform meat slabs stored in cylindrical cans with colorful packages, eating canned food is a strange experience. Unlike sitting in street f...
