in Saigon Hẻm Gems

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.

in Saigon Hẻm Gems

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.

in Saigon Hẻm Gems

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.

in Saigon Hẻm Gems

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.”

in Food Culture

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.

Paul Christiansen

in Dishcovery

A Flaky Pâté Chaud That's Been a Saigon Institution Since 1930

It took me 37 years to have my first pâté chaud.

Back Eat & Drink

in Saigon Hẻm Gems

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 Food Culture

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.

Michael Tatarski

in Saigon Hẻm Gems

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.

in Food Culture

[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.

in Saigon Hẻm Gems

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...

Khoi Pham

in Saigon Hẻm Gems

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.

Michael Tatarski

in Saigon Hẻm Gems

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.

Khoi Pham

in Saigon Hẻm Gems

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...

in Food Culture

[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."

in Saigon Hẻm Gems

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 ...

in Saigon Hẻm Gems

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.

in Food Culture

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.

Michael Tatarski

in Saigon Hẻm Gems

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.

in Food Culture

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.

in Food Culture

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...

Michael Tatarski

in Saigon Hẻm Gems

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...

in Food Culture

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. 

in Saigon Hẻm Gems

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....

in Eat & Drink

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.

in Food Culture

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.