This Tết, Learn to Wrap Bánh Chưng in One of Hanoi's Oldest Villages
Much like the peach blossom or the lucky money envelope, bánh chưng is a staple part of Tết.
Hẻm Gems: In Đà Nẵng, Góc Nhà Tụi Mình Is Where Tea Time Feels Like Home
As a Đà Nẵng native, I often get asked where and what to eat and drink by friends who are in town. The tried-and-true list of places in my mind always includes Góc Nhà Tụi Mình, which I’ve frequented nearly constantly for the past six years.
Bánh Thuẫn Anchors Central Vietnam Kids' Tết Anticipation and Childhood Joy
Bánh chưng and bánh tét are the two reigning monarchs of Tết food, representing the north and south of Vietnam. Still, no...
The Year of the Horse Gallops into The Grand Ho Tram
Inspired by the spirit of the horse, The Grand Ho Tram encourages you to have a year of success, confidence, and new horizons. Traditional Tết performances and activities alongside special feasts and opportunities for revelry will usher in a year of remarkable achievements and memorable moments.
Hẻm Gems: Beloved in Korea, Dwaeji-Gukbap Is a Hearty Soup for Saigon's Cold Days
When the owner of a popular restaurant in South Korea specializing in dwaeji-gukbap, a dish widely beloved in Korea but little known outside, visited Vietnam for vacation for the first time around a decade ago, he saw a real possibility of bringing and introducing this special Korean dish to Vietnam. Fast forward to today, his vision has materialized into the quite remarkable scene of a restaurant in Thảo Điền bustling with Vietnamese customers who come to enjoy the humble dish.
5 Cozy Saigon Coffee Shops With Outstanding Cat Residents to Befriend
I almost never remember the faces of the employees at cafes that I’ve been to, but I am strangely attuned to the existence of their cats. I remember the textures of their fur when I gave them pets, the little squeaks when they jumped up and down the furniture, and the subtle ways they expressed their personality during our fleeting but memorable encounters.
Hẻm Gems: Woko Brings the Comfort of American Chinese Food to Saigon
When a dish travels far from its homeland to take root somewhere else, one common yardstick for judging it is “authenticity.” Is the seasoning true to form? How closely do the ingredients match the original? Has the cook stuck to tradition, or wandered too far into improvisation? But what if an entire cuisine was born and shaped in defiance of that very idea?
From Abroad to My Favorite Bún Riêu: A Brief History of Trứng Vịt Lộn
I pride myself on being a child of Hanoi, but only after nearly 20 years, did I realize that trứng vịt lộn is not exactly an authentic topping in Hanoi-style bún riêu.
Cà Rem Cây, Kem Chuối and the Frozen Tickets to Our Childhood
Sometimes, when I hear the distant sound of a tinkling bell, fond memories of summer days from my wonder years come flooding back to me.
Fresh Lobster Served with Salted Egg Cream Sauce
Seafood buffets in Saigon are all about the lobster. Anyone who has visited an upscale buffet here knows that the fresh crustaceans are the star attraction and often the first item guests place on the...
Ngõ Nooks: What a Tea Ceremony Taught Me About Our Lotus Tea Traditions
“The lotus is our national flower, and lotus tea is regarded as the national tea.”
Fruity, Creamy, Icy: A Bingsu Corner in D7 for Those With a Sweet Tooth
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
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
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 hor...
A Creative Caramel Pork Lunch at BARSON
From cơm tấm to thịt kho to giò thủ to bún chả, Vietnamese cuisine has perfected pork preparations. Saigon’s pork enthusiasts thus enjoy many options when deciding where to enjoy the protein for lunch...
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.
Hẻm Gems: In a Saigon Hẻm Lives a House for Rare Regional Delights
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.
Okra Food Bar’s Pork Chop Finds Unexpectedly Bold Flavors in Familiar Ingredients
Widely available and inexpensive, okra may not immediately come to mind when listing vegetables frequently found in memorable dishes. Yet, with enough skill and creativity, okra can anchor tastebud-ti...
Society Cafe's Cơm Xá Xíu Fine-Tunes a Cantonese Classic With New Techniques
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 togethe...
At Culinary Frank's Cozy Saigon Cafe, YouTube Food Comes to Life on the Plate
“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,...
Saigon’s Vibrant Charm and Energy Captured at RBar and Viet Kitchen
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....
A Mojito Made with Saigon’s Steamy Summer in Mind
Born in Cuba, mojitos have spread throughout the world and are particularly popular in tropical regions where the cocktail’s mint, lime juice, simple sugar and white rum prove particularly refreshing....
The Good, the Fresh and the Crispy: Quy Nhơn's Wondrous Cuisine in 3 Dishes
A beautiful coastline, stunning rolling mountainscapes, and multiple historic vestiges are not the only merits of Quy Nhơn City.
Hẻm Gems: Quy Nhơn's Unique Take on Bánh Khọt and Peanut Sauce
You’ve probably never had bánh khọt like this before.
Experience Elevated Dining with Le Méridien Saigon's A La Carte Brunch and Set Lunch
Many variables determine what you want to find on your lunch plate. While you certainly must eat something, the particulars of how long you have free in your schedule, the company you are with, the mo...
Classic Foie Gras with a Saigon Street Food Twist at Latest Recipe
“I like making the foie gras best; it's famous,” said Latest Recipe's executive chef Phi Công in regard to the new a la carte menu items featured at the esteemed restaurant’s Sunday Brunch. Indeed, fo...
Ngõ Nooks: In a 95-Year-Old House, Mết Coffee Sells Drinks, Cozy Conversations
It was a drizzly day. The chilliness and the weepy mood of Hanoi weather drenched me in an unnamed melancholy. I was ambling aimlessly on the street when I came across Mết, a coffee shop in ngõ Yên Th...
Ngõ Nooks: Hanoi's Phố Vũ Thạnh Offers a Nice Egg in This Trying Time
“Is there any food we can eat for breakfast, afternoon snack and supper?”