Khôi Phạm in Food Culture
Welcome to the New Age of Mass-Produced, Enshittified Plastic Bánh Giò
Do you always remember the first time you tried a new food? With common staples like hủ tiếu, bún riêu or cơm tấm, that might be difficult, but I can recall exactly the first time I had bánh giò: it was from a bike vendor with a very distinctive northern-accented street call of “chưng, gai, bánh giò.”
Hẻm Gems: Bánh Canh Hẹ Is Phú Yên's Homage to Chives and the Sea
Ever since I was a kid, I have had a general dislike towards vegetables, but green onion has always been an exception. I regard green onion as a garnish that can lighten up the whole dish, and it seems like whenever it’s absent from my cơm tấm or xôi mặn, I will instantly lose my enthusiasm to eat. But during my teenage years, my affection for scallion was challenged for the first time, when I encountered a photo of Phú Yên’s bánh canh hẹ online.
Linh Phạm in Food Culture
This Tết, Learn to Wrap Bánh Chưng in One of Hanoi's Oldest Villages
Much like the peach blossom or the lucky money envelope, bánh chưng is a staple part of Tết.
Hẻm Gems: In Đà Nẵng, Góc Nhà Tụi Mình Is Where Tea Time Feels Like Home
As a Đà Nẵng native, I often get asked where and what to eat and drink by friends who are in town. The tried-and-true list of places in my mind always includes Góc Nhà Tụi Mình, which I’ve frequented nearly constantly for the past six years.
Bánh Thuẫn Anchors Central Vietnam Kids' Tết Anticipation and Childhood Joy
Bánh chưng and bánh tét are the two reigning monarchs of Tết food, representing the north and south of Vietnam. Still, no...
The Year of the Horse Gallops into The Grand Ho Tram
Inspired by the spirit of the horse, The Grand Ho Tram encourages you to have a year of success, confidence, and new horizons. Traditional Tết performances and activities alongside special feasts and opportunities for revelry will usher in a year of remarkable achievements and memorable moments.
Hẻm Gems: Beloved in Korea, Dwaeji-Gukbap Is a Hearty Soup for Saigon's Cold Days
When the owner of a popular restaurant in South Korea specializing in dwaeji-gukbap, a dish widely beloved in Korea but little known outside, visited Vietnam for vacation for the first time around a decade ago, he saw a real possibility of bringing and introducing this special Korean dish to Vietnam. Fast forward to today, his vision has materialized into the quite remarkable scene of a restaurant in Thảo Điền bustling with Vietnamese customers who come to enjoy the humble dish.
Khôi Phạm in Saigon Hẻm Gems
5 Cozy Saigon Coffee Shops With Outstanding Cat Residents to Befriend
I almost never remember the faces of the employees at cafes that I’ve been to, but I am strangely attuned to the existence of their cats. I remember the textures of their fur when I gave them pets, the little squeaks when they jumped up and down the furniture, and the subtle ways they expressed their personality during our fleeting but memorable encounters.
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....
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.
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.
Khoi Pham in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: The Balanced Beauty of Bacon and Fried Rice
Our dining experience at A Lung was remarkably simple: there was no turning back when we saw bacon on the menu.
Popularity of Coffee Fuels Strong Profits and Rapid Expansion for Coffee Chains in Vietnam
It’s a good time to be a coffee chain owner in Vietnam as the country’s appetite for a cup of Joe has never been more intense.
Vietnamese-American Chef Andrea Nguyen Creates Eclectic Pho Cookbook
Vietnamese-American chef Andrea Nguyen's latest book, The Pho Cookbook, is an ode to Vietnam's national comfort food: phở.
Khoi Pham in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: Chicken Noodles in Phu Nhuan's Flower Neighborhood
Located deep in the heart of Phu Nhuan District’s “flower” neighborhood, Mi Ga Lua Hong offers up a solid addition to Saigon’s host of chicken-centric dishes: a fried chicken drumstick with dry, green...
Brian Letwin in Food Culture
In-N-Out Burger Pop-Up Hits Saigon for One Day
A few lucky Saigoneers were able to enjoy some coveted In-N-Out munchies this afternoon as the American regional burger chain opened a pop-up shop in District 1.
D1 Launches Facebook Page to Help Street Food Vendors Evicted From Sidewalks
In the midst of Saigon’s sidewalk-clearing campaign, officials in the downtown area are aiming to help street vendors through the power of Facebook.
[Illustrations] The Art of Saigon Street Food
There is a lot to love about Saigon street food.
Southeast Asian Nations Take on Street Vendors
With sidewalk-clearing campaigns going full bore in Hanoi and Saigon, Vietnam is not alone among its Southeast Asian neighbors in trying to change one of the region's most iconic urban features: stree...
Dana Filek-Gibson in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: An Expedition to D2's Hole-in-the-Wall Mexican Joint
On the modest patio in front of Simple Place, a charming little hole-in-the-wall in District 2, my Spanish coworker Victor launches into a stirring speech about tacos.
Asia Is Eating Less Rice, More Wheat
As Asian nations become wealthier, more and more people are eating wheat.
Vietnam in World's Top 3 Fastest-Growing Coffee Markets
Vietnam is currently among the top three fastest-growing coffee markets in the world.
Hẻm Gems: A Bún Bò Breakfast in D3
Tucked away in a narrow storefront along District 3’s Nguyen Thien Thuat is a mean bowl of breakfast bún bò Huế.
[Video] Bánh Mì: A Sandwich for All Seasons
Vietnam’s coveted bánh mì is a sandwich so delicious it will move you to tears.
Khoi Pham in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: Cô Khanh's Vegetarian Banquet and a Trip Down Memory Lane
On days when the thought of biting into a slab of greasy fried pork fills your gut with mild disgust, Saigon’s scores of vegetarian eateries are exactly what you need to cleanse your palate.
Thailand Is Getting Its Own Michelin Guide by the End of 2017
After Singapore, it looks like Thailand will be the next country in Southeast Asia to get its own Michelin guide.
Michael Tatarski in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: Grilled Chicken With a Side of Jet Fuel
In the pantheon of great street food locations in Saigon, many of my favorite places to chow down can barely even be considered restaurants. Is there really a need for four walls and real furniture wh...
70% of D1's Street Food Vendors Don't Meet Food Safety Standards: Report
The majority of District 1’s street vendors do not comply with health standards, according to a recent report, but the situation has improved since 2015.
