Neighborhood Vibes and Modern Comforts Combine at Hotel Indigo Saigon The City
Staying in a local neighborhood means surrounding yourself with the sights, styles, routines, traditions, and history of a locale. Hotel Indigo Saigon The City, a new boutique lifestyle hotel, tells the stories of the iconic Ba Son area via its details, decor, atmosphere, and experiences, so checking in feels like taking part in a celebration of the city.
Khôi Phạm in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: In Huế, Cơm Hến Bé Liêm Is Breakfast With a Side of Warm Hospitality
One of the small joys in life is having a favorite dish readily available whenever you crave it. Ever since I discovered the little hẻm in Saigon where Cơm Hến O Thu lies, my life has been ever so uplifted by the comfort that, every fortnight or so, I can hop on my motorbike, sit for 15 minutes, and have cơm hến on the table in a blink of an eye for gulping pleasures. Cơm hến is one of my favorite things, so naturally, when I got a chance to visit Huế, the dish’s hometown, there was no way I could miss out on this small joy that packs big flavors.
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.
Paul Christiansen in Dishcovery
Huế's Palm-Sized Bánh Mì Chuột Is the Perfect Snack for Nibbling While Walking
Huế's culinary landscape is designed for snacking. From bánh khoái to bánh bèo to chè bột lọc heo quay , many of the...
Hẻm Gems: 3 Hào, a Retro Industrial Cafe in D7 for Night Owls on Deadlines
What do you think of when imagining a cafe? For me, it's plants in every corner, small and cute paintings that adorn the walls, or a light- and neutral-colored space that brings a sense of peace to customers. What would happen if a coffee shop attempted to subvert most of these elements? This is the case of 3 Hào Cafe, a combination of vintage industrial ambiance and, of course, good drinks.
Khôi Phạm in Saigon Hẻm Gems
5 Saigon Coffee Shops Based in Buildings With Southern Modernist Architecture
Saigon is a cafe enthusiast’s paradise. A decades-old coffee culture fostered by previous generations is still alive and well, in addition to the latest global trends brought over by the younger generation of baristas. When it comes to interior styles and vibes, there’s a little something for everyone, from gritty industrial to spartan Japandi chic to Saigon’s very own southern modernist architecture.
Paul Christiansen in Vietnam Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: A Bún Bò in Huế That Rivals Even Saigon's Best Bún Bò Huế
Plastic stools circling low metal tables. Staff wearing pajamas and street clothes that match patrons welcomed from all walks of life. Meagre and/or mismatched decor. Views of street traffic with motorbike engines as soundtrack. Brief menus sometimes consisting of a single dish. A strict cash-only policy (until recent years, at least). Minimal concern for health-safety regulations. No artifice of chef as artist or meal as a masterpiece. While we can quibble over a specific, all-encompassing definition for streetfood restaurant, there are many qualities most will agree they share.
Hẻm Gems: Chè Lâm Vinh Mậu Anchors the Last Remaining Hoa Vestiges of D1
Whenever I come back to Vietnam, it is a personal ritual of mine to visit locales of the past. As clichéd as it sounds, as I have been abroad in Singapore for six years, returning to Vietnam is almost synonymous with returning to places that once shaped my past selves, whose presence has been fading in my mind.
Khoi Pham in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: A Perfect Plate of Cơm Trưa by the River
In Saigon, cơm trưa is more than just a meal: it’s also a cultural trait, a community and, at times, a serious business, all wrapped up in a plate of freshly cooked rice and perfectly caramelized chun...
Saigon Among Top 10 Most Vegan-Friendly Cities in Asia: PETA
PETA Asia recently named Saigon among the top 10 most vegan-friendly cities in Asia.
Japanese Firms Are Training Flavor Experts to Better Understand Southeast Asian Tastes
Hungry for a piece of Southeast Asia’s rapidly expanding market, Japanese food companies are turning to flavorists and other experts to learn more about the region’s food preferences.
Dana Filek-Gibson in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: Lunch Hour Gone Rogue at Oc Thao
In the vast and complex world of Saigon street food, ốc is generally classified as a staple of the fourth meal: nhậu. Its various forms, whether doused in garlic, drizzled with mỡ hành or swimming in ...
Saigoneer’s 5 Best Hẻm Gems of 2016
We’ve done a lot of eating this year.
Meet the Owner of Hanoi’s Secret Cafe
Vietnam has long been a coffee-drinking country, but over the last few years a growing number of enthusiasts have started to take the brew very seriously.
Khoi Pham in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: Getting Your Fried Chicken and Noodle Fix in D4
“When in doubt, have chicken.” – Saigoneer proverb
Bánh Khúc Cây Giáng Sinh: A French Tradition Lives on in Vietnam
With Christmas around the corner, Saigon’s demand for Yule log cakes, a holdover from the days of French colonialism, has returned.
Saigon Launches New App to Track Pork's Origin
From now on, Saigoneers can get to know their pork better via a brand-new app that displays the origin of the protein along with other useful information.
Bottoms Up: Alcohol Consumption Exploding in Vietnam
While this may come as no surprise to anyone who has driven past one of Saigon's many raucous beer clubs, Vietnam is home to one of the fastest-growing alcohol markets in the world.
Dana Filek-Gibson in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: Cô Hong’s Killer Late-Night Cơm Tấm
In the 16 years she’s spent selling cơm tấm on the District 4 side of the Calmette Bridge, cô Hong has seen some things.
Brian Letwin in Food Culture
[Photos] Rita Cafe, a Lush Oasis Under Saigon Bridge
Before it was added to Google Maps a few months back, Cafe Rita was nothing more, it seemed, than a green smudge along the District 2 side of the Saigon Bridge.
Khoi Pham in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: Phu Nhuan's Beef Inferno
It might take more than a few Hẻm Gem reviews to chronicle all the things I have gone through for good food in Saigon.
[Podcast] Meet the Woman Who Introduced Denmark to Vietnamese Cuisine
Growing up in Nordjylland, Denmark’s northernmost region, chef Anh Le didn’t meet many other Vietnamese people.
Dana Filek-Gibson in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: Striking a Balance With D10's Chè
If life is all about balance so, too, is food.
Saigoneers to Consume 40m Liters of Beer, 45m Liters of Soda This Coming Tet
This upcoming Tet holiday, Saigoneers are projected to down some 40 million liters of beer and 45 million liters of soft drinks.
Khoi Pham in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: D1's Rainy-Day Cháo Mực
“A cháo a day keeps the cold at bay.” – Saigoneer proverb
[Video] Watch This Japanese Competitive Eater Wolf Down 5kg of Vietnamese Instant Noodles
Hao Hao noodles have never looked so good.
Dana Filek-Gibson in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: An Old-School Nhậu on D10's Bia Hơi Block
Any self-respecting Saigoneer has a certain reverence for the art of nhậu.
Hanoi Launches Mobile Testing Labs to Promote Food Safety
Hanoi recently launched three mobile food testing labs in an effort to reassure consumers and promote food safety.
