Chợ Bà Hoa Transports Central Vietnam's Universe of Crispy, Funky, Sugary Treats to Saigon
My family lives in Saigon, a long distance from our hometown in Quảng Ngãi. We only visit a few times a year, but each time is a celebration of amazing food: bánh tráng nướng with sausages, bánh gói with spicy, garlicky nước chấm, crispy fried rolls, etc. Without fail, whenever I set food in the city again, I can’t help missing it dearly.
Hẻm Gems: An Alternative Cơm Tấm From Long Xuyên for Thịt Kho Trứng Fans
When it comes to cơm tấm, most people are familiar with cơm tấm Sài Gòn, featuring grilled pork ribs as the vedette topping. But since the dish’s creation, and as it gained popularity across the Mekong delta and southern Vietnam, another cơm tấm variant emerged alongside cơm tấm Sài Gòn. This version became so cherished by the locals that it was named after its birthplace — cơm tấm Long Xuyên.
Tâm Lê in Ănthology
Christine Ha Writes New Food Stories From Her Parents' Culinary Heritage
“I was in a creative writing program for grad school at the time, and I thought, as an artist, going on MasterChef would give me something to write about.”
Hẻm Gems: CCCP Anchors Fond Memories of Soviet Cuisine for Saigoneers, Young and Old
My earliest memories of breakfast are of Omachi beef-flavored instant noodles cooked with tomatoes and ground pork. On days where noodles sounded uninspiring, my mom would offer me the same plate as my dad: rye bread, butter, and Russian caviar. Eager to follow in his footsteps, I welcomed this addition to my breakfast menu, eventually replacing my beloved noodles.
Family-Friendly Summer Vacations Made Easy at Crowne Plaza Phu Quoc Starbay
The ripening of sweet jackfruit, mangosteen and mangos; hammocks swinging gently in patches of cool shade; and evenings that stretch on with the comfort of knowing there is no alarm clock waiting the next morning: summer arrives as opportunity. When school holidays begin, families scramble to adjust schedules and secure care and activities, creating the potential to carve out some time for a vacation to savor fresh air, explore thrills, and simply bond as a family in a beautiful destination.
Bánh Ú Tro Wraps the Childhood Joy of Tết Đoan Ngọ Within Its Green Leaves
Since the beginning of our festive history, Vietnam’s special occasions have always been closely associated with traditional dishes. Lunar New Year is the time to enjoy bánh chưng and bánh tét, while the arrival of Trung Thu is foretold by the appearance of moon cakes and bánh pía. In the case of Tết Đoan Ngọ, revelers eat bánh bá trạng and bánh ú tro to get a taste of festivity.
Hẻm Gems: Om Momo Brings Stories, Tasty Dumplings From Tibet to Saigon
Though I’ve known about momos for quite some time, it was only recently when I first visited Om Momo — a cozy little Tibetan restaurant tucked deep inside a dark nook in Thảo Điền — that I finally tried momos. Inside, one finds a world with a life of its own: at its center stands a mysterious figure, thinly veiled by a cylindrical sheath of turquoise; hung on the walls are vibrantly colored photographs and artworks; and between them sit tables of diners who gaze and converse around salt-rock lamps that warmly illuminate the room.
Uyên Đỗ in Snack Attack
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.
Linh Phạm in Hanoi Ngõ Nooks
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...
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.
Uyên Đỗ in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: The Secret Realm of Good Vibes Behind the Doors of Passengers Cafe
Like any person born after the year 1990, I am chronically affected by the condition of dawdling at a coffee shop for a supposed boost in productivity and “the vibes” when the clock strikes close to a...
Pasteur Street Brewing Company’s New Taproom Has a Story to Tell
“Wow, this is a colorful one!” we exclaimed upon approaching the bright building along the canal separating Districts 1 and Phú Nhuận. Large red and blue pipes reminiscent of the geometric designs fou...
Uyên Đỗ in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: Quán Ba Hí's Comfort Food Is Perfect for Eating Your Feelings Away
I've always found comfort food to be the most authentic passage to experience any type of global cuisine. Yet, when I try to find the word for it in my native tongue Vietnamese, the semantics just see...
Ngõ Nooks: From Nam Định, a Piquant Bánh Đa With Golden Fried Fish
On Quán Thánh Street, a lovely couple enhances their hometown’s specialty, bánh đa cua, with a fishy touch. Adding fried fish to bánh đa cua is a rather uncommon combination, but it helps their r...
Ngõ Nooks: The Peculiarity of a Coffee Sanctuary With No Menu and No Address
"SOLitude" — At first glance, the word conjures a sense of melancholic privateness in my ever-anxious soul. But not in a pessimistic way, fortunately.
Ngõ Nooks: A Spicy Bún Lòng Cá From Hải Phòng That Takes Guts to Try
Út Hà Quán looks nothing like the kind of traditional Hanoi street food eatery that makes it to glossy magazines and world-famous food channels. There’s no grumpy grandma, no mold on the walls an...
Exploring Spanish Cuisine without Leaving Vietnam
Estómago lleno, corazón contento. “When your stomach is full, your heart is happy” is a common Spanish saying that exemplifies the importance of food in Spanish society. But one doesn’t need to travel...
Ngõ Nooks: Cafe Yên, Where the Line Between Coffee Shop and Alley Blurs
Yên (adj): quiet, unmoved.
Uyên Đỗ in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: A Thai Feast on a Hẻm Pavement, With Vietnamese Fusion Twists
While Thailand and Vietnam have long been perpetual rivals in the football arena, at this streetside Hẻm Gem, the two cultures forge a harmonious relationship.
Ngõ Nooks: A Classic Thanh Trì-Style Bánh Cuốn That Took a Century to Perfect
Bánh Cuốn Bà Hoành is nearly a century old, and both the eatery’s name and the authenticity of the food they serve stem from the same source: the culinary wisdom of Grandma Hồng.
Vietnam Surpasses South Korea as World's No. 1 Consumer of Instant Noodles Per Capita
Vietnam’s penchant for mì gói has propelled us to the top position among the world’s instant noodle consumers.
Hẻm Gems: Hide From the Monsoon Rain at Đặng Thị Nhu's Lost & Found Cafe
Lost & Found Café is a newly opened sister establishment to the popular Lost & Found Bar. Both adopt a pre-1975 Saigon vibe that I, as a Gen-Z Saigoneer who is nostalgic for old Saigon, immediate...
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 prepare...
Just a Love Letter to Saigon's Tropical Fruits
How lovely to have taste buds and to have tasty things to eat.
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.
