Paul Christiansen in Dishcovery
Bored of Mundance Date Spots? Try Tân Sơn Nhất's Romantic Star Cafe.
I know a little place.
The 50 Shades of Cháo on the Palette of Vietnam's Regional Cuisines
Cháo, or congee in English, is a diverse genre of Vietnamese dishes in both executions and flavor profiles — from humble versions like pandan congee, red bean congee to more substantial and complex meals like offal congee, chicken congee and catfish congee. Each dish is a different variation, but they all share a reputation for being nourishing and a richness of regional culinary characteristics.
Brian Letwin in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: Kura Bar, a Veritable Treasure Trove of Rare Japanese Sakes Amid Saigon
Saigoneers are spoilt for choice when it comes to Japanese eateries in the city. Dozens, if not hundreds, of sushi, ramen and izakaya spots dot its districts. And if you're in the mood for something special, more obscure delicacies like tsukemen, Tokyo abura soba and Okinawa taco rice are readily available. Over the years, the epicenter of such eateries, especially those run by Japanese owners, has been slowly shifting from the upper stretches of Lê Thánh Tôn to Bình Thạnh District’s Phạm Viết Chánh neighborhood.
Hẻm Gems: Go Back in Time to Chợ Cũ's Golden Days via Cô Chánh's Hủ Tiếu Mì
In the memory-scape of children growing up in the countryside like me, there always exists the familiar sight of old wet markets and the mornings we spent there, toddling behind our moms on the hunt for snacks, CDs, and lollipops. In the afternoons, I often tagged along with my grandma to buy meat and veggies, sneaking a toy or two inside her basket. Sometimes, if I was particularly sweet, she would allow us to have lunch there instead of at home.
Khôi Phạm in Food Culture
How Cá Cắt Khúc Becomes My Personal Touchstone of Vietnamese Cuisine
It was 13 years ago when Christine Ha auditioned for and eventually won the third season of MasterChef US. Christine was a grad student from Texas then, and her victory was a watershed moment in the history of reality TV in the US and even globally. She’s visually impaired, a daughter of Vietnamese immigrants, and has a palate that even established chefs would envy. Back then, everything about Christine’s MasterChef run left an indelible mark on me, a budding food enthusiast from Vietnam, but as I grew older and embarked on my own cooking journey, there’s something about her audition that has always tugged on my heartstrings.
Hẻm Gems: A Night of Love, Poetry, and the Pursuit of the Sublime at Emme Bar
“So what makes Emme House different?” the head bartender Dũng asked during our earlier conversation with Trực, the bar’s owner. “Emme House is not a bar,” he explained. I further inquired then about the layers of storytelling embedded into every detail, to which he replied with a smile, “I’ll tell you the whole story.”
Fried Floating Rice with Dried Cá Chốt and Lotus Tells a Complete Vietnamese Narrative
Chef Peter Cường Franklin shared a powerful narrative to introduce the dish he prepared for Saigoneer. Rice symbolizes the nation’s most important carbohydrate and its agrarian culture; cá chốt represents the ubiquity of local seafood and vital waterways; and lotus provides a metaphor for Vietnamese resilience because it grows in the mud and produces a beautiful, useful flower.
Uyên Đỗ in Dishcovery
A Light Bánh Cuốn Quảng Đông to Break Your Fast the Chợ Lớn Way
Meeting up for a Chinese-style breakfast often means gathering around stacked baskets of dim sum or diving into hearty bowls of wonton noodles. But if you're looking for something lighter, a serving of cheung fun might offer the perfect balance.
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).
Chris Humphrey in Hanoi Ngõ Nooks
Ngõ Nooks: Cuoi Ngo – One of Hanoi’s Most Hidden Cafés
If you’ve managed to find Cafe Cuoi Ngo, then you deserve to see it. The place feels like a well-kept secret, but it’s so hard to find that I don’t think publishing this article will overburden the sp...
Michael Tatarski in Food Culture
From Texas to Saigon: Viet-Cajun Cuisine's Journey Around the World
Given the size of the overseas Vietnamese diaspora, it comes as little surprise that the community has had a huge influence on the cuisines of countries around the world.
Thi Nguyen in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: The Unapologetic Simplicity of Ben Thanh's Bun Rieu Ganh
Working in the middle of a market that houses a plethora of food collectives can be a double-edged sword. It's convenient when you’re pressed for time, but after a while, you tend to get lazy and just...
Khoi Pham in Food Culture
A Brief History of Hanoi's Iconic Bia Hơi Glass
Hanoi’s iconic bia hơi glass is more than meets the eye.
Hanoi's Bun Cha Huong Lien Enshrines Obama's Table, Meal Set in Glass Display
A part of Obama’s visit to Vietnam is now forever enshrined – literally – in a glass display in Hanoi.
Khôi Phạm in Snack Attack
The Yin and Yang of Saigon Street Desserts: Black Sesame Soup and Bean Curd
In the back of my mind lives a chorus of street calls: the staccato pauses in a recorded advertisement "bánh mì Sài Gòn, một ngàn một ổ" (hot Saigon bánh mì, only thousand [dong] per loaf), the clink-...
[Video] Learn How to Make Bánh Chưng in Hanoi's Storied Tranh Khuc Village
It’s hard to find a Vietnamese who isn’t familiar with the a story behind the country’s sticky rice cakes: bánh chưng and bánh giày. After all, the legend of these ceremonial fares is intertwined with...
Michael Tatarski in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: A No-Name Chợ Cũ Food Collective to Satisfy All Your Snack Cravings
Some street eateries in Saigon are so good they don't need a name.
Brian Letwin in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: Chu Se's 65 Years of Hủ Tiếu Mì by the Calmette Bridge
Saigon is home to a number of street food eateries that span generations, from a 100-year old vegetarian joint to a 70-year-old hủ tiếu Mỹ Tho restaurant right in the heart of District 1.
Pandan, Southeast Asia's Humble Leaf Set to Take the World by Storm
Pandan, an aromatic plant native to Southeast Asia, could soon have its moment in the international spotlight thanks to British chef and food writer Nigella Lawson, who extolled its virtues in an inte...
[Photos] Saigon's Forward-Looking Cafes on the Future of Coffee
In the first part of our two-part photo project on Saigon's coffee shops, Saigoneer paid a visit to two old-school cafes with decades of heritage. In the second part, we're shining the limel...
Khoi Pham in Food Culture
Milk Tea-Flavored Water Is Here. Is the Apocalypse Near?
The stark, clinical fluorescent lighting inside the convenient store casts an air of ominous dread all over the shop’s beverage section. With a glance, I find it. The blue package stares back at me me...
Michael Tatarski in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: Fine Dining at a Budget Price in Binh Thanh's Mai Sen Bistro
When it comes to dining in Binh Thanh District, most Saigoneers probably think of street food, or perhaps the strip of Japanese establishments on Pham Viet Chanh Street.
[Photos] Saigon's Old-School Cafes Hold Fast to Time-Honored Traditions
In a city of rapid change, there is no doubt that opinions on many subjects vary with passion and, sometimes, noticeable subtlety.
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.
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.
