Đà Nẵng Is Michelin's New Destination for 2024 Version of Vietnam Guide
After Saigon and Hanoi, Đà Nẵng will be the next Vietnamese city with its own Michelin Guide selections.
Hẻm Gems: Flan by the Canal, a Cute, Affordable Date in the Age of Inflation
Skip the formal attire, a bit of loose change is all you need for a waterfront rendezvous in Saigon.
Hẻm Gems: In a D3 Hẻm, 40 Years of Bún Ốc and Other Northern Treats
As a resident of Saigon, I’m well-acquainted with the city's vibrant food scene, which features cuisines from various regions of Vietnam, and how these dishes blend local recipes with flavors that resonate with Saigon locals. But Bún Ốc Thanh Hải is quite the opposite. Its dishes, snacks, drinks, and even atmosphere carry a distinct northern identity, so much so that upon visiting the place, I felt as if I was on a culinary adventure within my own city.
Khôi Phạm in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: While the Day Away Under the Green Canopy of Cỏ Cafe
Under a thick canopy of verdant vines and minuscule pink flowers, it’s easy to indulge in the cooling comfort of a glass of iced tamarind juice and while the day away.
Hẻm Gems: Come up, We're Watching Old Movies on the Neighbor's Wall
“Thank you for contacting Khôngtrung.bar. Our business hours are 6pm to 1am, Monday to Sunday. Open doors. Cocktails, craft beer, outdoor screening — Thursday and Sunday. Thank you and we hope to bump into you in Không!”
Khôi Phạm in Food Culture
This Tết, I'm Finally Learning Our Family Recipe for Candied Coconut 'Flowers'
Tết is the perfect occasion of the year to go ham on the sugar.
Hẻm Gems: Hủ Tíu Mực Ông Già's Squid Game Is to Die For
It’s safe to say that one of the most authentic culinary experiences one could have in Vietnam is to sit on a stool, in an eatery that feels very much like someone’s house, and slurp on a bowl of piping hot noodles. The noodles here can be any dishes from the plethora of noodle dishes so dominant in Vietnamese cuisine, and this hủ tiếu mực, or squid vermicelli, establishment has got all of the above to offer.
Hẻm Gems: Reading Cabin Sells Stationery, Serves Drinks, and Builds Friendships
If I had to describe Reading Cabin in one phrase, it would be “every cafe in Saigon all at once.”
Ngõ Nooks: The Bánh Cuốn That’s Worth a Year of Waiting
Mrs. An’s bánh cuốn won the heart of world-renowned chef Bobby Chinn, kept lines of die-hard fans waiting outside and left a number of hearts broken when it disappeared for almost a year.
Hẻm Gems: Cozy Autumn Flavors at Tokyo Moon, Japan Town's Korean Cafe
Tokyo Moon's presence is an odd-but-welcoming representation of South Korean hospitality in the heart of Le Thanh Ton's "Japan Town" with its mysterious herbal tonic, sweet potato pastry and pumpkin c...
After Milk Tea-Flavored Water, Japan Now Has Transparent Coffee Because Why Not
So this is why scientists have been too busy to cure cancer, send a human to Mars or successfully bring Tasmanian tigers back from extinction?
Thi Nguyen in Food Culture
A Tale of Two Fruits: The Colonial History of Durian and Mangosteen
Although both durian and mangosteen are native to Southeast Asia, their reputation — especially from a western point of view — leads two very contrasting fates: the latter is considered a luscious del...
Khoi Pham in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: At Things Café, Humans, Cats and Nat King Cole Coexist in a Harmonious Ecosystem
I admit that it’s taken me great pains to write this week’s Hẻm Gem.
Khoi Pham in Food Culture
A Food Folk Tale: Vietnam’s Unexpected Watermelon Tycoon
If you’ve been around a traditional Vietnamese household during Tet, you have probably noticed the presence of gargantuan, child-sized, dark green watermelons on the altar. These behemoths are both in...
[Video] Hẻm Gems: 80 Years of Cà Phê Vợt in Saigon's Oldest Cafe
Is there anything as iconically Saigon as having a cup of joe in a hẻm while watching traffic roll by?
Khoi Pham in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: The Best Bánh Căn Da Lat...in Saigon
Is there any cooking utensil that’s as magical as the bánh căn mold?
Chris Humphrey in Hanoi Ngõ Nooks
Ngõ Nooks: Homemade Chilli Sauce and Aromatic Broth at Ever-Moving Spicy Pho Bay
Despite having changed locations twice in the last three years, Spicy Pho Bay remains one of Tay Ho’s most popular street food spots.
Chris Humphrey in Hanoi Ngõ Nooks
Ngõ Nooks: Duy Tri - One of Hanoi’s Original Cafes
Modern-day Hanoi is a labyrinth of new developments, with some areas already feeling the effects of gentrification. That certainly wasn't the case back in 1936, when Café Duy Tri first opened its door...
Thi Nguyen in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: Refreshing Đá Me and a Touch of Pre-1975 Tunes at 81 Cafe
Given the city’s hot weather, cold drinks are Saigon's very own specialty. While cà phê sữa đá and trà đá are timeless staples, in recent years we have also witnessed the rise of milk tea shops in alm...
[Video] Japanese Competitive Eater Visits Vietnam, Eats 15 Bánh Xèo in One Sitting
Yuka Kinoshita loves a good food challenge.
Chris Humphrey in Hanoi Ngõ Nooks
Ngõ Nooks: Tender Strips of Garlic-Infused Beef at Pho Thin
In the midst of a Hanoian winter, all you want is warmth. The houses aren't built for the cold, and on a bike at night, the chill seeps right into you. At lunch or after work, there's nothing better t...
[Video] BuzzFeed Employees Try Vietnamese Noodles, Choke, Cry, Make Disgusting Phở Puns
Another day, another BuzzFeed-branded “Americans Try…” video.
Chris Humphrey in Hanoi Ngõ Nooks
Ngõ Nooks: Refreshing Cocktails at Hanoi’s Best Hole-in-the-Wall
Bars in Hanoi don’t come much smaller than Dot. Its width is no more than the span of my arms, but what it lacks in size it more than makes up for in value and substance. You’d barely notice the place...
Chris Humphrey in Hanoi Ngõ Nooks
Ngõ Nooks: Vegan Buffet, Nourishment That Makes You Feel Good
Anyone who’s lived in Vietnam for any reasonable length of time will have heard of cơm bình dân – rice buffets offering an abundance of meat and vegetables during lunch hours. In recent years, however...
Chris Humphrey in Hanoi Ngõ Nooks
Ngõ Nooks: Trainspotting and Nostalgia at The Railway Hanoi
The stretch of railway between Tran Phu Street and Dien Bien Phu Street is quickly becoming one of the hippest spots in Hanoi. In the last couple of years, a social enterprise named Zo Project, a fash...
Chris Humphrey in Hanoi Ngõ Nooks
Ngõ Nooks: Yen Phu's Banh Xeo Spot Is Legit
Any street food restaurant you regularly pass on your commute, or that lies within the local area where you live, is likely to receive your patronage more often than most. Minh Banh Xeo is no exceptio...
Hẻm Gems: Mutahiro's Masterful Chicken Ramen
Ramen is often the preferred choice of Japanese comfort food in Southeast Asia, yet finding an impressive offering of the dish in Saigon has proven to be a challenge. The appearance of Mutahiro i...
Paul Christiansen in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: Pass the Bánh Ướt on the Left-Hand Side
Thanks to Banh Uot Banh Me, you can finally put to use those rolling skills you honed back in your university days...rolling gỏi cuốn, obviously (wink).
