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.
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!”
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.”
Meet the Hội An Family Making Cao Lầu Noodles From Scratch
Amid Hội An’s treat-filled culinary landscape, cao lầu emerges as something that’s both simple and one-of-a-kind.
A Flaky Pâté Chaud That's Been a Saigon Institution Since 1930
It took me 37 years to have my first pâté chaud.
Hẻm Gems: The Bowl of Cao Lầu Worth a Run Across the City
Hoi An's cuisine makes a modest appearance in District 7's food paradise.
In Northern Thailand, Cancer-Causing Local Delicacy Poses Health Risk
Northeastern Thailand's famed Isaan cuisine is bursting with flavor and is well-known throughout the country, but one beloved local delicacy poses a dangerous health risk to people who eat it.
Hẻm Gems: The D5 Beefsteak Joint That Means Business
There is no shortage of restaurants slinging beef-based dishes in Saigon, but every now and then one comes along and stands out from the pack.
[Video] Taiwan's Stinky Tofu Is Not a Dish for the Faint-Hearted
Like Southeast Asia’s slew of durian desserts, Taiwan’s stinky tofu dishes are an acquired taste.
Hẻm Gems: Co Huoi and Her West-of-the-Border Delights
One of my favorite Saigon pastimes is wandering around strange neighborhoods. If you’re feeling lost or bored or lonely or just a little too comfortable, have someone drop you off in a district you do...
Hẻm Gems: The Life-Changing Beauty of Bánh Cuốn Trứng
If I have to drive eight kilometers across the city to get breakfast, it’d better be damn good.
Hẻm Gems: Pasteur Street's Well-Hidden Cơm Trưa Mother Lode
Every once in a while, you come across a simple Vietnamese restaurant that absolutely blows you away.
Hẻm Gems: D5's Bò Xào Sa Tế, a Feast for All the Senses
Saigon is changing at a dizzying rate, and so is its food scene: forget about your favorite café or restaurant for a few months and you can come back one day to find it replaced by a convenience store...
[Photos] Sushi Chef Fuses Sneakers and Sushi to Create 'Shoe-Shi'
An artist and chef based in Italy has elevated the art of sushi to a new level by creating "shoe-shi."
Hẻm Gems: Quan 249’s Wondrous Cơm Chiên Emporium
It’s 6pm on a Thursday, and I’m up to my eyeballs in cơm chiên. Page after page, Quan 249’s excessively handled menu features a laundry list of fried rice combinations, some you’ve heard of, some you ...
Hẻm Gems: To Chan's Noodle Soup Offers Comfort in a Bowl
If you turn up to a hủ tiếu spot anywhere in this city and there is not a hand-painted, wooden noodle cart taking up one corner of the venue, you may want to think twice about sitting down.
Australian Chain Gloria Jean's Coffees Exits Vietnam After 11 Years
On the heels of homegrown restaurant chain The KAfe’s exit from the local market, Australian coffee franchise Gloria Jean’s Coffees is the next to go.
Hẻm Gems: D5's Glorious Com Tam Is the Perfect Drunk Food
Saigon is a city of a million cơm tấm carts, meaning it is easy to pick one at random and chow down. But some stand out from the crowd.
Vietnam Has the Third-Most Expensive Starbucks Drinks in the World: Survey
While getting a drink from Starbucks in the US might not be a big deal, in Vietnam, it’s something of a luxury.
Homegrown Startup The KAfe Disappears From Saigon, Hanoi
Just a year after making national headlines for successfully attracting US$5.5 million in foreign investment, Hanoi-based fusion food chain The KAfe has ended its operations in both the capital and Sa...
Hẻm Gems: Anh Tư's Dreamy Grilled Chicken in Binh Thanh
Around the Saigoneer office I've become the go-to scribe when it comes to chicken-related Hẻm Gems. Therefore, when a friend described a Binh Thanh-based restaurant with dozens of chickens hanging abo...
Bangkok to Remove All Sidewalk Vendors by End of Year
While Saigon debates the future of street vendors in the city, officials in nearby Thailand are working to remove all vendors from Bangkok's pavements by the end of the year.
Hẻm Gems: An Excursion to Tan Dinh's Secret Bún Hideout
Life is slow in the jungle of hẻms that branches out from Dinh Cong Trang Street. Here, a bún establishment offers noodles of northern heritage using recipes handed down through generations of family....
Tokyo Restaurant Dishes Out Insect Ramen
Saigon's recent In-N-Out pop-up has nothing on a ramen restaurant in Tokyo which served up an unorthodox version of the popular dish last Sunday.
America's Favorite Condiment, Sriracha, Is Not So Hot in Vietnam
After making its name in the United States, the rooster-branded hot sauce is trying its luck in Vietnam.