in Dishcovery

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 ri...

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 a must-have in Vietnamese households. Try searching for an image of the Lunar New Year and there’s a high chance that you’ll spot the cakes amongst the first ten results.

in Dishcovery

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 matches with the ethos of what these crops are trying to do … show a different way of thinking, a different way of agriculture, a different way of using the land, and using the relationship that we have with the land to coexist.”

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 Chro...

in Saigon Hẻm Gems

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.

in Snack Attack

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 well-wishing for my grandparents, after which they will give you a red envelope. In my experience, the cleverer and more sincere the wish, the thicker the envelope would be. Before you leave, she would pack up a bánh tổ for you to take home, and store in your fridge to tie you over for the rest of the Tết holiday, as she believes that the core values of Tết are connections and generosity.

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.

in Saigon Hẻm Gems

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.”

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Thi Nguyễn

in Food Culture

Chè, Bánh, Chả, Nem: The Curious Lives of Vietnam’s Regional Food Names

Realizing the word that one is using refers to an entirely different object in another region is a situation many can relate to. The last time this happened to me, it almost cost me a bowl of Hanoi’s ...

Khôi Phạm

in Food Culture

From Kuy Teav to Hủ Tiếu: How a Phnom Penh Classic Became Hủ Tiếu Nam Vang

Originally from Cambodia, made popular by Chinese vendors and enjoyed by local diners, hủ tiếu Nam Vang captures the essence of Vietnamese history in one hearty bowl of noodles.

Khôi Phạm

in Saigon Hẻm Gems

Hẻm Gems: A Streetcart Named Aoya and the Comfort of Sidewalk Ramen

The first time I tried to visit Aoya Ramen was on a Monday. The pavement where the stall should be was empty, without any trace of noodles or noren. I learned quickly that they’re closed on Mondays. T...

in Snack Attack

Tracing the Roots of Bến Tre's Coconut Candy via My Grandma's Family Tales

Hometown treats encapsulate within them the flavors of memories, reminding us of a land we haven’t visited for a long time. I open the jar of coconut candies from my mother and my hometown, and immedi...

in Saigon Hẻm Gems

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,...

in Dishcovery

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...

in Hanoi Ngõ Nooks

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.

in Food Culture

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...

in Saigon Hẻm Gems

Hẻm Gems: A Long-Anticipated Bowl of D10's Pre-Eminent Mì Vịt Tiềm

Rarely have I gone into a meal with such anticipation.

in Saigon Hẻm Gems

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...

in Saigon Hẻm Gems

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...

in Snack Attack

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...

in Snack Attack

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 ...

in Saigon Hẻm Gems

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...

in Snack Attack

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...