Paul Christiansen in Hanoi Ngõ Nooks
Ngõ Nooks: At Vietnam's Only Palestinian Eatery, Eating Maqluba and Dreaming of Peace
“If you have a heart and you have a mind, you must support Palestine,” Saleem Hammad emphasized as we sipped sweet tea overlooking Hanoi’s Old Quarter from the balcony of his restaurant, Oliva. The dinner we had just finished was delicious, but the visit to Vietnam’s only Palestinian restaurant felt more significant than a simple meal. Learning about Saleem’s journey, his personal relationship with Vietnam, and his efforts to deepen ties between Palestine and Vietnam underscored how cuisine can foster cultural exchange and understanding towards peace.
Hẻm Gems: Atop a Beef Bowl Eatery, the Hidden Cozy World of Shochu Bar Mitsuboshi
Looking back at my days in Japan, I cherish most the moments I decided to get lost in yokochos — small and narrow alleys filled with shops, often bars — and push on a random door, not knowing what could await me behind it. It could be a wooden stall illuminated by blinding lights, its noisy customers showered with beer; or a 19th-century-style Manhattan bar, where the only movements come from trails of smoke off the customers’ cigarettes and streams of light going through bottles of whisky behind the counter.
When Rush Hour Hits, The Straits Offers a Singaporean Alternative
Saigon’s streets snarl with hot, sticky knots of traffic every evening. As people finish their workdays and look ahead to quality time with families at home, precious hours pursuing hobbies and meeting with friends around the city, they must first contend with horrific congestion. This rush hour period, when movement is slow and frustrating, coincides with peak skyline beauty.
Hẻm Gems: Tokyo Moon Cafe Introduces Homey Korean Flavors to Japan Town
Stepping into Tokyo Moon is like venturing into a world of wonders, neatly packed within a mere 35-square-meter space.
Văn Tân in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: Inside a Modernist Abode, O Phương’s Bún Bò Harks Back to Huế Flavors
“O” is the affectionate way central Vietnamese call their sisters and aunties. For children of Central Vietnam like me, it has taken root in me like the most natural anchor of home. Sometimes when I’m out and about, glimpses of the accent of my hometown would pull me back home.
Hẻm Gems: Bánh Canh Hẹ Is Phú Yên's Homage to Chives and the Sea
Ever since I was a kid, I have had a general dislike towards vegetables, but green onion has always been an exception. I regard green onion as a garnish that can lighten up the whole dish, and it seems like whenever it’s absent from my cơm tấm or xôi mặn, I will instantly lose my enthusiasm to eat. But during my teenage years, my affection for scallion was challenged for the first time, when I encountered a photo of Phú Yên’s bánh canh hẹ online.
Khôi Phạm in Food Culture
Welcome to the New Age of Mass-Produced, Enshittified Plastic Bánh Giò
Do you always remember the first time you tried a new food? With common staples like hủ tiếu, bún riêu or cơm tấm, that might be difficult, but I can recall exactly the first time I had bánh giò: it was from a bike vendor with a very distinctive northern-accented street call of “chưng, gai, bánh giò.”
Linh Phạm in Food Culture
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.
A Bún Đậu Mắm Tôm in Singapore That Tastes (and Smells) Just Like Home
Joo Chiat, a neighborhood in the eastern realms of Singapore, is hardly a forgettable area.
The Unifying Presence of Cái Mâm, Vietnam’s Ubiquitous, Familial Food Tray
An authentic Vietnamese meal cannot be complete without cái mâm.
Step Inside Quốc Hương, the Centuries-Old Store Home of Chả and Bánh Chưng
For around 200 years, Quoc Huong store has been selling sumptuous meat delicacies to hungry Hanoians.
Michael Tatarski in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: The Porcine Pleasure of a D2 Cơm Tấm Outpost
What comes to mind when you hear the words 'District 2'?
Michael Tatarski in Food Culture
Tarantulas, Scorpions, Crickets Crawl Into Southeast Asia's Mass-Market Edibles
A spade strikes the bone-dry Cambodian dirt with a crunch, and the hunt is on. Chem Wai, a lanky, deeply tanned 53-year-old former soldier, has been collecting wild tarantulas and scorpions for most o...
Ngõ Nooks: Rice Dumplings With Bean Paste, Grated Coconut and Fiery Ginger Syrup
Bánh trôi tàu are elongated rice dumplings filled with mung bean paste, black sesame paste or grated coconut and served in a hot ginger syrup that warms one’s belly during cold winter months.
Thi Nguyen in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gem: Bún Cá Sứa With a Stock That Tastes Like the Ocean
A friend once told me that Saigon is a place that makes you feel like you can travel anywhere.
Year in Review: Saigoneer's Picks for Best Hẻm Gems of 2019
In 2019, Saigoneer reviewed a total of 38 Hẻm Gems, including 10 bars or cafes, 15 Vietnamese eateries and 13 places serving delicious non-Vietnamese cuisines.
Saigoneer's 7 Best Ngõ Nooks of 2019
2019 again witnessed the continued need for humans to consume food and drink to satisfy our energy requirements.
As Shortage Continues, Bánh Chưng Makers Start Hoarding Pork for Tet
Vietnam has been suffering from a pork shortage and thus, pork price hike, as the aftermath of the African swine fever outbreak continues to affect farmers.
Ngõ Nooks: Loading T Serves up Decadent Egg Coffee in a 1930s Architectural Gem
Travel back in time to a café within a charming 1930s building, only a few hundred meters away from St Joseph’s Cathedral.
Thi Nguyen in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: A Secret Back-Alley Bún Ngan, Hidden in Plain Sight
Several months ago, the Saigoneer team went to 89 Nguyen Du for a Hẻm Gem on Ngo 89’s Hanoian snacks. Little did I know, we’d be going to the same location for an entirely different eatery later on.
Hẻm Gems: Home-Cooked Taiwanese Comfort Food for a Cold Saigon Day
District 5, Saigon’s Chinatown, is full of delicious eateries serving Cantonese food. For something new, try Va Thanh, an unassuming restaurant with top-notch Taiwanese home-style cooking.
Khoi Pham in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: Saigon Retro Cafe Has Just the Right Amount of Sentimentality
It’s a teensy bit weird to say that my new favorite hangout is above a VinMart.
Ngõ Nooks: A Steaming Bowl of Mỳ Vằn Thắn to Ward off Winter’s Chill
The Old Quarter’s labyrinthine streets contain so many eateries that newcomers can easily feel overwhelmed.
Cơm Tấm Crisis: Price of Pork Dishes Increases as Pork Shortage Hits Saigon
Back in July, it was predicted that Vietnam's recent African swine fever outbreak might cause a pork shortage that could last until 2020.
Thi Nguyễn in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: Krua Thai's Raw Seafood Salad Is Not for the Faint-Hearted
The first role I ever took in my home kitchen was to prepare sweet fish sauce with chili and garlic to pour over rice and noodles. As simple as this may sound, I still can’t master the art after years...
Hẻm Gems: Bánh Đập Dập, an Indelible Reminder of Vietnam's Austere Eras
Although stories, photographs and artifacts may allow a child to visualize their parents’ childhood, these couriers of memory distinctively belong to the former generation and remain locked in the pas...
Ngõ Nooks: In Xoan Cafe, a Sanctuary for Art, Tea and Cats
Curious cats, steaming tea and art-lined walls make Xoan Café feel like a home away from home.
Not Just a Drink: As Vietnam's Coffee Scene Matures, It's Also Getting More Serious
If motorbikes are the choice mode of transportation in Saigon, coffee has got to be the choice stimulant and legal addiction.
