in Food Culture

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.

in Saigon Hẻm Gems

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.

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.”

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Brian Letwin

in Saigon Hẻm Gems

Hẻm Gems: Enter the Bánh Đúc Jungle

While many of our culinary adventures take us out of our downtown comfort zone, there are a few gems hidden among the office buildings and skyscrapers of District 1.

in Food Culture

The Saga of the Bánh Mì

While Hanoi gets all the credit for phở, touting itself as the birthplace of Vietnam's national dish, Saigon holds the distinct honor of inventing the modern-day bánh mì.

in Eat & Drink

Vietnamese Cafes Take on Global Giants, Emerge Victorious

When Starbucks first opened its doors in Vietnam in 2013, a slight panic was in the air. From abroad, news outlets wondered whether the global coffee giant could adapt to Vietnam's unique coffee ...

in Saigon Hẻm Gems

Hẻm Gems: For Good Phở in Saigon, a Dollar Is All You Need

You can really stretch a dollar in this country. That's two cà phê sữa đá or two bánh mì, a couple liters of bia hơi, a xe ôm ride, a well-bargained souvenir, enough snacks to constitute a meal or a s...

in Food Culture

[Video] Americans Fail at Eating Vietnamese Food, Love It Anyway

There are a handful of universal truths in life. For instance:

in Saigon Hẻm Gems

Hẻm Gems: The Best Bún Chả in Hanoi…in Saigon

The weather was truly Hanoian earlier this week. Outside, rain fell in sheets, flooding the pockmarked alley outside our office door. The sun had disappeared. Though a few particularly photo-obsessed ...

Brian Letwin

in Saigon Hẻm Gems

Hẻm Gems: Maison Marou: The House That Chocolate Built

Across from Ben Thanh Market sits a massive, open pit that will eventually serve as the base for a set of gleaming, modern towers housing the likes of a six-star Ritz-Carlton Hotel. But just beyond th...

in Food Culture

Hanoi World’s Greatest City for Food: Telegraph

While the international press has been fawning over Vietnamese cuisine long before US President Barack Obama shared a few bowls of bún chả with Anthony Bourdain in Hanoi a few weeks back, the visit ma...

in Saigon Hẻm Gems

Hẻm Gems: The Legend of Baby African

You'll have to clear an afternoon to get to Baby African.

in Food Culture

[Photos] South Korea's Top 10 Spiciest Dishes

From a sprinkle of freshly sliced chilis to a dash of flaming hot sauce, many cuisines around the world share a penchant for spicy food.

in Food Culture

[Video] Everyone Is Ordering Suất Obama at Hanoi's Bun Cha Huong Lien

As you might have expected, business is booming at Hanoi's Bun Cha Huong Lien.

in Saigon Hẻm Gems

[Video] Hẻm Gems: The Long but Worthwhile Wait for Xôi Chiên

They say the best things in life are worth waiting for. In the case of the elusive xôi chiên, they're right.

in Food Culture

An Abridged History of Phở

Phở is serious business.

in Saigon Hẻm Gems

Hẻm Gems: Binh Thanh's Delectable Bánh Căn

Located on a busy street in Binh Thanh District, Hai Ton Quan is a small, family-run restaurant that serves up Phan Rang-style cuisine, that glorious mixture of tasty, golden-brown rice cakes and fres...

in Eat & Drink

Vietnamese Cocoa Receives Fine Flavor Recognition

Vietnam officially earned a fancy new title this week at the 2016 World Cocoa Conference.

in Food Culture

[Video] President Obama and Anthony Bourdain Bond Over Bún Chả in Hanoi

After just 24 hours in Vietnam, the internet is jam-packed with thousands of photos and videos documenting American president Barack Obama's trip so far. Though there are plenty of gems from whic...

in Saigon Hẻm Gems

[Video] Hẻm Gems: D5’s Glorious Goat Curry

One of the benefits or writing this column is that it allows us to sample some of Saigon’s best local eateries. We may be well versed in the ways of street noshing, but once in a blue moon, we come ac...

in Eat & Drink

Why MSG Isn't Actually Bad for You

For decades, much of the western world has been skeptical of monosodium glutamate (MSG), better known as Ajinomoto to Vietnamese. However, as research has suggested time and again, there is actually n...

in Food Culture

KFC Releases Chicken-Flavored Edible Nailpolish

At long last, KFC has answered the call of your mid-afternoon snack cravings.

in Saigon Hẻm Gems

Hẻm Gems: Saigon's Sủi Cảo Street

Saigon is, in essence, a giant food court. From District 1 to Binh Chanh, the city streets are pretty much a macro version of the cooked food section at your local market, spread out over miles of une...