A Singaporean-Vietnamese Couple Refreshes Hakka Offal Soup With Trứng Cuộn
When my mother, a native of Singapore’s oft-visited Chinatown, described a pork offal soup stall with meatballs that “tasted suspiciously like that vermicelli dish we had in Huế back in 2013,” I knew I had to trek out to Chinatown Complex Food Centre to find it.
Entertainment Abounds at The Grand Ho Tram
Many of Vietnam’s resorts take advantage of the country’s stunning natural features to captivate their guests. Those that stand out not only offer plenty of interaction with their surrounding beaches and waters, but also put an emphasis on in-house entertainment.
Ngõ Nooks: The 'Tiny' Cafe That Contains Multitudes
Hidden down a quiet alley opposite the B-52 Victory Museum on Đội Cấn in Ba Đình District is the gateway to Tiny Cafe. Make sure you look carefully, as the sign is easily missed, and this isn’t somewhere you’ll want to miss out on.
Hẻm Gems: A Cafe-Snack Bar Hybrid in Bình Thạnh Offers Portals to Japanese Nostalgia
Bình Thạnh’s Ward 19 is snuggled between Xô Viết Nghệ Tĩnh and Nguyễn Hữu Cảnh, creating a surprisingly quiet area just across from District 1. As a neighborhood, it offers an eclectic mix of local and foreign.
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.
Paul Christiansen in Vietnam Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: In Đà Nẵng, Bánh Xèo Bà Dưỡng's Sauce Is Good Enough to Drink
The secret is the sauce. And the sauce is a secret. The owners of Đà Nẵng’s Bánh Xèo Bà Dưỡng refuse to reveal the recipe for the rich, meaty, and multi-faceted sauce that falls somewhere between hex colors #A07212 and #A0522D. It elevates a familiar bánh xèo into a meal that draws in enough guests to have essentially taken over an entire downtown hẻm.
Ngõ Nooks: Bud'mo, a Ukrainian Welcome as Warm as a Shot of Nastoyka
“O sultan, Turkish devil and damned devil’s kith and kin, secretary to Lucifer himself…You will not, you son of a bitch, make subjects of Christian sons; we've no fear of your army, by land and by sea we will battle with thee, f*** your mother.”
Hẻm Gems: Café Slow Cultivates a Natural Habitat for Creature Comforts
It's incredibly challenging to set yourself apart in Ho Chi Minh City's overcaffeinated café scene. The city's narrow streets and hẻms are brimming with beans.
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 prepare...
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 ...
Saijo, Huế's Sister City in Japan, Adds Bún Bò to School Lunch Program
Another step toward bún bò domination has been taken.
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 a...
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.
Hẻm Gems: Cô Thủy and 25 Years of Breakfast Bò Né in D4
Historically, District 4 has been known for snail and barbecue restaurants. As a long-term resident, I suggest it should also be famous for having the most delicious bò né place as Bò Né Thanh Tuyền d...
In Thailand, Selling Unripe Sầu Riêng Could Land You in Jail
Harvesting durians before they are ripe in Thailand can land a first-time offender in jail for up to three years, while recidivists face even stricter sentences.
Hẻm Gems: In Warmth and Good Drinks, an Amiable Cafe's Spirit Lives On
How would you feel if everything about your favorite spot suddenly changed one day? Would the same attachment still stand? Those were the questions that popped into my head the afternoon I paid my vis...
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.
Hẻm Gems: In Saigon, Go Mô Rứa for a Well-Crafted Huế Culinary Feast?
In the Huế dialect, mô rứa is a phrase one might encounter often in daily conversation. When a Huế resident asks “Mi đi mô rứa?” they might be wondering where you’re heading.
Linh Pham in Food Culture
How It's Made: Bánh Chưng
Much like the peach blossom or the lucky money envelope, bánh chưng is a staple part of Tết. It is a Vietnamese tradition for families to wrap and cook their own bánh chưng — a tradition that I have ...
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...
What We Talk About When We Talk About Tết Snacks
While Tết is filled with many traditions, perhaps nothing is more central to the holiday than the food that families prepare and share together.
A Tale of Two Rượus
The first time I bought rượu, it was from Lang Giang, my tour guide in Sa Pa. We were staying in a Red Dao village known for its rice liquor production, and that night I received three water bottles, ...
US Eatery Targeted by Angry Reviewers for Providing Raw Beef With Takeaway Phở Tái
Customers ordering phở tái to go were confused to receive raw beef, not understanding they were expected to cook it, and responded with cruel reviews.
A Feast for Your Eyes, Ears and Soul in Culinary Frank's ASMR Cooking
Based in Melbourne, a Vietnamese chef-turned-YouTuber has been cooking up a delicious storm of homey dishes and global cuisines imbued with ASMR, inspiring home cooks to go on culinary adventures in t...
Hẻm Gems: In the Mood for Lẩu? A Ngưu Offers Hong Kong Vibes and Tasty Bites.
I visit Tiệm Lẩu A Ngưu on a rare wintry Saturday evening in Saigon, the perfect occasion to fill one’s stomach with warm broth, noodles, and a host of other tasty accouterments.
Ngõ Nooks: A Salted Coffee in Gạt Tàn Is Not What It Sounds Like
Is it not just the weirdest combination ever, coffee and salt?
