Hẻm Gems: At Mão A Chai, Masala Chai and Thái Nguyên Tea for the Soul
I used to be an international student living in Minnesota, where winter comes early and overstays its welcome. In those long months of snow and silence, I relied heavily on coffee, my go-to companion during late-night study sessions and early morning lectures. This changed one day when my host mom introduced me to something unexpected: Indian chai.
Private BBQs, Expansive Breakfast Buffets and Ocean-Inspired Meals Await at Non Nước Beach
The soft rhythm of an empty ocean makes an ideal background for any meal. The scene’s grandeur takes on greater intimacy when it’s a private dinner with loved ones, as is the case with a private villa BBQ at Danang Marriott Resort & Spa, Non Nuoc Beach Villas.
Hẻm Gems: A Humble Bún Riêu That Reminds a Child of the Mekong of Home
As a little boy, there were nights when I would burst into tears upon waking up suddenly and not seeing mom around, because I missed her and needed her. One night, I even crawled under the bed and threw a tantrum, demanding her to be by my side immediately. My dad and brother told me that she was off selling bún riêu and would be back later. In the mind of a four-year-old, it didn’t matter what kind of noodles and where she was selling them, he only cared about when she would return. At the time, I don’t recall ever trying her bún riêu.
Paul Christiansen in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: From Music to Mise en Place, A Thăng Is an Eatery That Friendship Built
“We want to be artists; we want to be free. Now we are free,” says Nguyễn Hoàng Anh, co-founder of A Thăng Eatery.
Uyên Đỗ in Food Culture
No Family Trip Is Complete Without Banter, Bolero and Bánh Mì Chả Lụa
Every time my extended family took a trip, it looked more like a mass exodus than a holiday — bags teetering, arms overstuffed, and enough supplies to survive a small apocalypse.
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.
Dana Filek-Gibson in Food Culture
The Evolution of Bánh Xèo: A Street Food History
While phở, bánh mì and now, occasionally, bún chả hog the spotlight in Vietnamese cuisine, everyone in Vietnam is familiar, to some degree, with bánh xèo. On street corners and in tiny, mode...
Vinacafe CEO Admits to Past Impure Coffee Products
In a surprisingly candid moment during a conference held last month, Nguyen Tan Ky, the incumbent CEO of Vinacafe, admitted to mixing soya beans into some of the company’s products in the past.
Hẻm Gems: Bún Sứa Serves Up a Jellyfish Medley Without the Sting
The menu at Bun Sua Co Hanh is geared towards diners with a hankering for seafood, and not just your regular fish and company. They serve something out of the ordinary at this slightly drab river...
Famous Civet Coffee Often the Result of Animal Abuse: Study
A study in Indonesia has found that kopi luwak, the world’s most expensive coffee, is often produced using caged civets kept under inhumane conditions.
Ice Cream Wars: Japan's Frozen Treat Makers Take on European Firms in Southeast Asia Market
Southeast Asia’s dessert market is getting some healthy competition as Japanese companies join the fray, hoping to take a piece of the pie from their European counterparts.
Dana Filek-Gibson in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: Slurping Mì Ốc Hến in District 4 With Công 'the Enforcer'
Shuffling along in flip-flops and a pair of baggy shorts, Công the Enforcer arrives at our table.
Dana Filek-Gibson in Food Culture
Chowing Down on Crickets: Vietnam’s First Mass-Market Edible Insect Business
Crickets look a lot different when they’re fried and doused in seasoning.
High Rent, Competition Challenge Saigon's Coffee Chains
Despite being well-received in Vietnam’s metropolises, coffee chains still encounter business problems due to high rent costs and a crowded market.
Vietnam Set to Become World's Top Pork Consumer
Before the next decade is through, Vietnam stands to become the world’s top consumer of pork.
Foreign Brewers Hope to Tap Into Myanmar Beer Culture
After decades of being closed off to the world, Myanmar’s newfound economic boom is attracting a slew of foreign breweries hoping to cash in on the country’s nascent beer culture.
[Photos] A Midnight Romp Through Saigon’s Wholesale Seafood Market
Around midnight, as most Saigoneers are heading off to bed, District 8’s Binh Dien is the place to be if you’re in search of seafood.
Officials Attempt to Trademark Bún Bò Huế
Officials in Thua Thien-Hue province are causing quite a stir after attempting to enact a regulation that would place trademark restrictions on the province’s signature soup, bún bò Huế.
Bia Hanoi Makers Suffer Post-Obama Marketing Fail
Three months after President Barack Obama’s historic visit to Vietnam last May, the country’s “Obama fever” seems to have subsided. However, for the folks behind Bia Hanoi, a product of the Hanoi...
The Rise and Fall of the Great Japanese Unagi
Last weekend, as Vietnam was dealing with a bout of particularly bad weather – we’re looking at you, Typhoon Mirinae – Japan was celebrating a long-held tradition: Doyo no ushi no hi, or the Mids...
[Video] Meet the Man Behind Singapore’s Michelin-Starred Hawker Stall
Last week, two Singaporean hawker stalls made history by becoming the first-ever Michelin-starred street food establishments.
Dana Filek-Gibson in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: Saigon’s Original Bánh Mì Breakfast
I am a lifetime supporter of the sandwich.
Michael Tatarski in Food Culture
Crossing the DMZ: A Visit to Saigon’s North Korean Restaurant
UPDATE: We're sad to announce that as of October 2017, Ryu Gyong has been shuttered permanently, along with a few other North Korean restaurants in Da Nang, Hanoi, and Saigon.
Spice up Your Morning Phở With These Herbs
In the wonderful world of Vietnamese soups, everyone has their preferred set of spices.
Dana Filek-Gibson in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: Dessert Happy Hour at Quynh Hoa
Just as rush hour traffic starts to pick up around me, motorbikes zipping back and forth down the wide alley, I send a message to my coworker.
Vietnam's Wrap & Roll Gets $6.9m Investment From Local Private Equity Firm
Saigon-based private equity firm Mekong Capital just announced a US$6.9 million investment in Vietnamese restaurant chain Wrap & Roll.
