in Food Culture

Opinion: Anthony Bourdain Made Me Proud to Be Vietnamese-American

I landed Friday night in Saigon just in time for the news of Anthony Bourdain’s passing lighting up my phone in a jumble o...

Govi Snell

in Hanoi Ngõ Nooks

Ngõ Nooks: In One of Hanoi's Tiniest Shopfronts, a Phở Chay With Big Flavors

Tree-lined Lò Đúc street is home to Phở Chay: a restaurant so small it could fit in the palm of your hand. 

in Snack Attack

Bánh Ú Tro Wraps the Childhood Joy of Tết Đoan Ngọ Within Its Green Leaves

Since the beginning of our festive history, Vietnam’s special occasions have always been closely associated with traditional dishes. Lunar New Year is the time to enjoy bánh chưng and bánh tét, while the arrival of Trung Thu is foretold by the appearance of moon cakes and bánh pía. In the case of Tết Đoan Ngọ, revelers eat bánh bá trạng and bánh ú tro to get a taste of festivity.

Khôi Phạm

in Saigon Hẻm Gems

Hẻm Gems: Cleopatra Restaurant Adds Egyptian Flairs to Saigon's Dynamic Food Scene

As of 2024, Saigon remains Vietnam’s most densely populated metropolis, playing host to 9.5 million residents . In the qua...

in Food Culture

These 5 Uncommon Bánh Canh Bowls Celebrate Vietnam's Regional Diversity

Bánh canh is a quintessential Vietnamese dish. Its chewy rice noodle strands and light broth full of umami thanks to simmered pork, beef, chicken and seafood have stolen the hearts of generations of Vietnamese.

in Food Culture

Nguyễn Thị Thành, Saigon's Beloved 'Lunch Lady,' Passes Away at 59

Nguyễn Thị Thành, one of Saigon’s rare internationally renowned food icons known as the “Lunch Lady,” passed away earlier this week.

in Hanoi Ngõ Nooks

Ngõ Nooks: From Praying for Good Grades to Opening an Eatery Together, the Story of Màu

In the soft morning light, three teenagers once stood before the Temple of Literature, whispering hopes for exam success into clasped hands. A decade later, that same trio — Triết Nguyễn, Tùng Nguyễn and Dương Nguyễn — have channeled their youthful aspirations into MÀU, a gastro wine bar directly opposite their old place of pilgrimage.

Khôi Phạm

in Saigon Hẻm Gems

Hẻm Gems: The Unbearable Lightness of Eating Bò Lá Lốt Alone

There are certain activities that are best not undertaken alone: karaoke, barbeque, watching football and feasting on ốc. The consensus, however, is still out on bò nướng lá lốt mỡ chài, so I decided to take one for the team and venture into Saigon’s thriving bò lá lốt scene as a lone wolf.

Back Eat & Drink

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.

in Food Culture

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...

in Food Culture

[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.

in Food Culture

[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.

in Food Culture

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.

in Food Culture

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.

Brian Letwin

in Food Culture

Hẻm Gems: In Thao Dien, a Modernist Building Houses D2's Best Bánh Canh Stall

For many Saigoneers, central Thao Dien is known for its plethora of high-end restaurants catering to the neighborhood’s large expat population. However, if one looks closely enough between the scores ...

in Food Culture

[Video] Japan's Maple Leaf Tempura Tastes as Beautiful as It Looks

Saigon officially has another reason to be jealous of regions that experience autumn: these dazzlingly colorful leaf tempuras that make for delicious snacks!

Khoi Pham

in Food Culture

Cơm Âm Phủ: Hue’s ‘Purgatory Rice’ That Tastes Like Heaven

Throughout the Vietnam’s decades of development from a war-torn nation to one of Asia’s fastest-growing economies, rags-to-riches stories are a dime a dozen. This is especially true in the country’s c...

in Food Culture

Vietnam Spends $354m on Snacks in 2017: Report

We consumed a lot of snacks last year.

in Saigon Hẻm Gems

Saigoneer’s 5 Best Hẻm Gems of 2017

In 2017, Saigon certainly saw its fair share of the good, the bad, and the controversial, but it was without a doubt a wonderful year in eating. Across the city, we delighted in finding decades-old st...

in Food Culture

[Video] The Story of Japan's Only Sushi Restaurant Run by All Female Chefs

A group of intrepid female chefs has been defying the laws of tradition to combat sexism in Japan’s sushi community.

Dana Filek-Gibson

in Food Culture

Tracing the Lineage of Da Lat's Delicious Bánh Mì Xíu Mại

Every morning, the corner of Da Lat’s Hoang Dieu and Tran Nhat Duat streets is a mess of plastic tables and rubbish bins, bánh mì crumbs and bodies hunched over small bowls. This particular patch of s...

in Food Culture

A Street Food Stall in Bangkok Was Recently Awarded a Michelin Star

Bangkok chef Jay Fai has become Thailand's first street food vendor to earn a prestigious Michelin star.

Dana Filek-Gibson

in Saigon Hẻm Gems

Hẻm Gems: Cocktails and Conversation at Saigon’s Classiest Sidewalk Spot

Editor's note: This review from 2017 was of City Beer Station's first location on Pham Ngoc Thach Street, which has since closed. Over the past years, the cocktail bar has moved numerous times. Recent...

in Food Culture

[Video] Ain't No Sunshine When Sai'Gon: The Cake Inspired by Saigon's Rainy Days

The Saigon skyline has been the muse for many an illustration project, and now you can also enjoy the towering Bitexco Financial Tower, but in fondant form.

Dana Filek-Gibson

in Saigon Hẻm Gems

From the Bottom of the Barrel to the Top of the Heap: The Rise of Cơm Tấm

Swing by chị Hien’s street cart for dinner on any given day and you’ll find a cross-section of Saigon that covers all demographics: middle-class residents from the apartment blocks up the street,...