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 Chro...
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 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.
Ngõ Nooks: Three Generations of Noodles on the Pavement at Bún Riêu Hồng Phúc
Connecting Hòe Nhai and Hàng Đậu, Hồng Phúc is one of the shortest alleys in Hanoi. However, this small alley is a paradise for people who love bún, especially if one is craving a meticulously prepared bowl of bún riêu.
Hẻm Gems: Just a Short Walk From Bến Thành, a Hearty Bún Chả for Lunch
In his essay collection Hà Nội 36 Phố Phường (The 36 Streets of Hanoi), Thạch Lam famously writes "Ngàn năm bửu vật đất Thăng Long / Bún chả là đây có phải không?" The couplet compares bún chả to a thousand-year-old delicacy that only Hanoi has.
Linh Pham in Hanoi Ngõ Nooks
Ngõ Nooks: At Ốc Cô Nhung, an Affordable Five-Course Banquet of Snails and Snacks
If there is a restaurant in Hanoi that embodies the proverb “good wine needs no bush,” it’s Ốc cô Nhung. Though in this case, instead of wine, it is snails.
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 are. They’re giggling over a joke. Their faces light up in the warm golden ambiance. Let’s have a blast.
Pack a Basket, Fill up Your Water Bottle, It's Sugarcane Harvest Season in Đắk Lắk
In March, at early dawn in M'Drắk, long baskets follow farmers to sugarcane farms to bring back wealth. The people here were in the midst of a sweaty and sweet season.
Saigon's Famous 'Lunch Lady' Set to Open in Canada
With help from the Lunch Lady herself, a team of restauranteurs in Vancouver is opening a dining establishment inspired by the humble Saigon street food stall made famous by the late Anthony Bourdain....
Michael Tatarski in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: In Praise of D1's Cheap, Dependable Sidewalk Cơm Trưa
In these trying times, the comfort of familiarity goes a long way.
Michael Tatarski in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: Handmade Noodles Hidden Amid the Mayhem of Hang Xanh
The traffic-choked wastelands of Hang Xanh are one of the last places you'd expect to find an incredible meal of noodles.
Khoi Pham in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: The Refreshing Simplicity of Veggies, Roots and Mushrooms
Explaining the food at Rau Củ Nấm Vegan Restaurant is simple; it’s all in the name: vegetables, tubers, and mushrooms.
Michael Tatarski in Food Culture
One's Expired Craft Beer Is Another's Hand Sanitizer Ingredient
Amid the relentless pace of upsetting news related to the coronavirus pandemic, bright spots of ingenuity and compassion have shone through.
[Photos] A Saigon Studio Made 'Cơm Tấm' Out of Discarded Styrofoam and Sponges
Are you tired of your trash looking plain-ol' trashy and your food too temporal and foody?
Afro Mini Mart: What's Inside Vietnam’s First African Grocery Store?
At first glance, it looks just like any other convenience store. The same strings of Oishi shrimp snacks and revolving wire rack of Orion Marine Boys adorn either side of its entrance, just as they do...
Thi Nguyen 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...
Ngõ Nooks: Sumptuous Vegetarian Ramen in a Quiet Truc Bach Hideaway
If you’ve ventured to the land of ramen, it’s likely you have a Japan hangover. Vege-ro’s authentic, rich meals could, for a while at least, help you recover.
[Illustrations] A Playful Look Into Vietnamese Ingredients by Lucia Pham
Lucia Pham has created a set of four illustrations of Vietnamese cuisine featuring whimsical, personified ingredients.
Michael Tatarski in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: Piquant Thai Noodles in D7 for the Age of Takeout
It's the simple things in life that sometimes bring the greatest pleasure.
Thi Nguyen in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: At Sadec Quan, a Celebration of Mekong Delta Noodles
While bánh tằm is more often regarded as a popular street food dish in the Mekong Delta, my entrance to the world of this dish was family gatherings in Saigon.
Ngõ Nooks: Vegetarian Fusion Food, Artwork and Leafy Surrounds All Feature in This Urban Oasis
In cacophonous cities like Hanoi, spaces that combine greenery with tranquility are vital.
Khoi Pham in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: In Saigon's Greenest Cafe, a Rabbit, Cotton and Succulents Galore
On a windy autumn day of 2019, I did what any existentially precarious millennial would eventually do some time in their 20s: I bought a houseplant.
Ngõ Nooks: In Phủ Cafe, Community Engagement Brings a Sense of Belonging
Three flights of stairs separate the street from Phủ Café’s timeworn interior. Their small sign won’t grab your attention if you’re passing by, but attracting new customers isn’t necessarily the aim.
Hẻm Gems: Pho Chay Nhu and 35 Years of Serving Tasty Vegetarian Meals
A bowl full of noodles is one of the things that make me feel lucky to be alive, and alive in Saigon in particular.
Japanese Fast Food Chain MOS Burger Is Coming to Vietnam This Year
Japan’s second-largest fast food franchise, MOS Burger, is arriving in Vietnam this year.
Michael Tatarski in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: A Japanese Bánh Mì to Win Over Fusion Food Skeptics
When it comes to discussions of cuisine, I'd argue that "authentic" is the most overused word in writing and marketing, followed closely by "fusion."
Hẻm Gems: In D7, Home-Cooked Korean Comfort Food for the World-Weary
Growing up in South Korea's extremely competitive and high-stress education system, combined with strict Asian parenting, my relationship with my parents has never been easy.
A Bún Đậu Mắm Tôm in Singapore That Tastes (and Smells) Just Like Home
Joo Chiat, a neighborhood in the eastern realms of Singapore, is hardly a forgettable area.
