Paul Christiansen in Snack Attack
What's the Deal With Cơm Tấm-Flavored Potato Chips?
A quirky legend surrounds the invention of the potato chip, and its identity has only gotten odder over the years.
Michael Tatarski in Food Culture
'Đùm Bọc' Uses Vietnamese Food to Raise Funds for Covid-19 Relief in Vietnam
Residents of New York City are in for a treat.
Tam Le in Ănthology
A New Generation of Vietnamese Chefs Is Shaking Things up in Prague
“Our parents met here in the Czech Republic after being invited by the government to work in [their] factories around 1983. They were one of the first Vietnamese here,” says Giang Ta, the front-of-house and fraternal half of Taro Group, a fine-dining restaurant group that currently consists of three concepts: Gao Den, Taro and Dian.
Uyen Do in Food Culture
A Shelf-Stable History of Why Vietnam Loves Mì Gói
Instant noodles are more or less a religion. They have widely spread to many lands, where they are adapted to suit the culture and people there. Most importantly, they offer us salvation in some of the darkest times.
Tam Le in Ănthology
From Saigon to Texas: The BBQ Pop-ups That Embrace Asian Flavors
If Crush the sea turtle from Finding Nemo took the form of a Vietnamese guy in his early thirties, he’d sound just like Andrew Ho, the co-founder and co-owner of Pinch Boil House andCurry Boys BBQ
Saigoneer in Food Culture
For Her Graduation Project, a Local Designer Turns Street Food Into Mobile Game
The game project, with its lusciously illustrated noodles and spring rolls, is tormenting us as we’re secluded at home not knowing when we’ll be able to feast on cơm tấm again.
Tam Le 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.”
Saigoneer in Food Culture
5 Eateries Doing Takeaway to Try Today, as Recommended by Saigoneer Staff
Starting from this week, Saigon officially enters another two weeks of social distancing orders. While staying at home, what do you miss?
Saigoneer in Food Culture
Bangkok's First Michelin-Starred Street Stall Struggles to Keep up With Newfound Fame
Just a few weeks after the prestigious restaurant guide Michelin bestowed Jay Fai's street food stall in Bangkok a coveted star, she's already struggling to keep up with her business's newfound fame.
Saigoneer in Food Culture
Quan Ut Ut Acquired by Restaurant Operator Red Wok Cuisine
Saigon’s popular American BBQ chain, Quan Ut Ut, has recently been acquired by Red Work Cuisine.
Brian Letwin in Food Culture
Hẻm Gems: In Thao Dien, a Modernist Building Houses D2's Best Bánh Canh Stall
For many Saigoneers, central Thao Dien is known for its plethora of high-end restaurants catering to the neighborhood’s large expat population. However, if one looks closely enough between the scores ...
Saigoneer in Food Culture
[Video] Japan's Maple Leaf Tempura Tastes as Beautiful as It Looks
Saigon officially has another reason to be jealous of regions that experience autumn: these dazzlingly colorful leaf tempuras that make for delicious snacks!
Khoi Pham in Food Culture
Cơm Âm Phủ: Hue’s ‘Purgatory Rice’ That Tastes Like Heaven
Throughout the Vietnam’s decades of development from a war-torn nation to one of Asia’s fastest-growing economies, rags-to-riches stories are a dime a dozen. This is especially true in the country’s c...
Saigoneer in Food Culture
Vietnam Spends $354m on Snacks in 2017: Report
We consumed a lot of snacks last year.
Saigoneer in Street Food
Saigoneer’s 5 Best Hẻm Gems of 2017
In 2017, Saigon certainly saw its fair share of the good, the bad, and the controversial, but it was without a doubt a wonderful year in eating. Across the city, we delighted in finding decades-old st...
Saigoneer in Food Culture
[Video] The Story of Japan's Only Sushi Restaurant Run by All Female Chefs
A group of intrepid female chefs has been defying the laws of tradition to combat sexism in Japan’s sushi community.
Dana Filek-Gibson in Food Culture
Tracing the Lineage of Da Lat's Delicious Bánh Mì Xíu Mại
Every morning, the corner of Da Lat’s Hoang Dieu and Tran Nhat Duat streets is a mess of plastic tables and rubbish bins, bánh mì crumbs and bodies hunched over small bowls. This particular patch of s...
Saigoneer in Food Culture
A Street Food Stall in Bangkok Was Recently Awarded a Michelin Star
Bangkok chef Jay Fai has become Thailand's first street food vendor to earn a prestigious Michelin star.
Dana Filek-Gibson in Bars & Cafes
Hẻm Gems: Cocktails and Conversation at Saigon’s Classiest Sidewalk Spot
Editor's note: This review from 2017 was of City Beer Station's first location on Pham Ngoc Thach Street, which has since closed. Over the past years, the cocktail bar has moved numerous times. Recent...
Saigoneer in Food Culture
[Video] Ain't No Sunshine When Sai'Gon: The Cake Inspired by Saigon's Rainy Days
The Saigon skyline has been the muse for many an illustration project, and now you can also enjoy the towering Bitexco Financial Tower, but in fondant form.
Dana Filek-Gibson in Street Food
From the Bottom of the Barrel to the Top of the Heap: The Rise of Cơm Tấm
Swing by chị Hien’s street cart for dinner on any given day and you’ll find a cross-section of Saigon that covers all demographics: middle-class residents from the apartment blocks up the street,...
Khoi Pham in Street Food
Hẻm Gems: In Hẻm 284, O Thu Brings a Touch of Hue to Saigon With Cơm Hến
As the sun went down and Saigon’s throngs of workers ventured out of their office nests to fill local streets, I was perched on a red plastic stool in a hẻm in District 3 weeping and snorting like an ...
Saigoneer in Food Culture
Vietnam Slurped Down Nearly 5bn Packets of Instant Noodles in 2016: Report
Is Vietnam's addiction to instant noodles on the way out?
Dana Filek-Gibson in Food Culture
Sủi Dìn’s Journey From Imperial China to the Streets of Hai Phong
The first time I stumbled upon cô Ut’s nightly sidewalk ritual, the performance was already well under way. Perched on the low steps of what serves as a VietinBank branch by day, the young woman sat r...
Dana Filek-Gibson in Street Food
Hẻm Gems: Chinese-Malaysian Noodles and Saigon's New Generation of Street Food
When it comes to Saigon’s culinary landscape, the southern hub is pretty progressive. In addition to an array of Vietnamese dishes from every corner of the country, the city has also acquired a cosmop...
Saigoneer in Food Culture
A Food Folk Tale: How a Poor Farmer Traded Starfruit for Gold
In Vietnam, fruits, especially those of the oddly shaped variety, come with a story. From pineapple to watermelon, there’s not a snack in this country that doesn’t come with a lesson attached. The jui...
Dana Filek-Gibson in Street Food
Hẻm Gems: The Ingenuity of 24-Way Grilled Oysters in D4
Innovation is important. With a healthy imagination and a bit of gusto, humans have the ability to create everything from DIY submarines to all-terrain wheelchairs to helmets specifically for married ...
Khoi Pham in Food Culture
A Food Folk Tale: The Savage Clapback That Turned a Girl Into a Pineapple
Growing up in Vietnam, it seems that everything – from common household objects to fruits – has an origin story. Some of these local folk tales have a decidedly romantic angle, but others – like the l...
