Paul Christiansen in Dishcovery
Bored of Mundance Date Spots? Try Tân Sơn Nhất's Romantic Star Cafe.
I know a little place.
Villas Overlooking Non Nước Beach Welcome Families to Savor Central Vietnam’s Splendid Nature
The calm hush of soft waves accompanies a touch of ocean salt in the air as one wanders along the sand. Tall mango trees clutching eruptions of yellow flowers shade the short stroll from one’s villa to the garden where the season’s first passion fruits begin to ripen and plump eggplants hang, ready to be picked. Tomatoes, chili peppers, lettuce, butterfly pea flowers, and guava grow in the new, shady plot. Tucked into a quiet nook of the resort amongst spacious villas, the garden exemplifies Danang Marriott Resort & Spa, Non Nuoc Beach Villas’s commitment to providing guests with a premier retreat filled with serenity and nature.
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.
Hẻm Gems: Go Back in Time to Chợ Cũ's Golden Days via Cô Chánh's Hủ Tiếu Mì
In the memory-scape of children growing up in the countryside like me, there always exists the familiar sight of old wet markets and the mornings we spent there, toddling behind our moms on the hunt for snacks, CDs, and lollipops. In the afternoons, I often tagged along with my grandma to buy meat and veggies, sneaking a toy or two inside her basket. Sometimes, if I was particularly sweet, she would allow us to have lunch there instead of at home.
Khôi Phạm in Food Culture
How Cá Cắt Khúc Becomes My Personal Touchstone of Vietnamese Cuisine
It was 13 years ago when Christine Ha auditioned for and eventually won the third season of MasterChef US. Then a grad student from Texas, Christine’s victory was a watershed moment in the history of reality TV in the US and even globally. She’s visually impaired, a daughter of Vietnamese immigrants, and has a palate that even established chefs would envy. Back then, everything about Christine’s MasterChef run left an indelible mark on me, a budding food enthusiast from Vietnam, but as I grew older and embarked on my own cooking journey, there’s something about her audition that has always tugged on my heartstrings.
Hẻm Gems: A Night of Love, Poetry, and the Pursuit of the Sublime at Emme Bar
“So what makes Emme House different?” the head bartender Dũng asked during our earlier conversation with Trực, the bar’s owner. “Emme House is not a bar,” he explained. I further inquired then about the layers of storytelling embedded into every detail, to which he replied with a smile, “I’ll tell you the whole story.”
Fried Floating Rice with Dried Cá Chốt and Lotus Tells a Complete Vietnamese Narrative
Chef Peter Cường Franklin shared a powerful narrative to introduce the dish he prepared for Saigoneer. Rice symbolizes the nation’s most important carbohydrate and its agrarian culture; cá chốt represents the ubiquity of local seafood and vital waterways; and lotus provides a metaphor for Vietnamese resilience because it grows in the mud and produces a beautiful, useful flower.
Dana Filek-Gibson 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...
[Video] Korea's Foodporn Obsession Now Involves Cats
By now, you've probably heard tell of South Korea's considerable muk bang viewership. This unusual online craze, in which nationally famous foodporn stars can earn thousands of dollars a month by stuf...
[Video] American Celebrities Try Durian on Live TV
Durian is a pretty polarizing topic. Either you have grown to love the thick, garbage-scented flesh of this Asian delight or you are nauseated by the thick, garbage-scented flesh of this Asian delight...
Phở: The Next Great International Dish?
As Vietnam's culinary ambassador to the world, phở is a soup which needs no introduction. Some of us grew up with it, slurping the noodles for breakfast or breathing in its steamy aromas whe...
Hẻm Gems: Saigon's Street Food Unicorn
Not only are unicorns real, they are edible. In fact, these beauties are an animal of such mythic deliciousness that you should count yourself lucky to even catch a glimpse of one, much less feast on ...
Dana Filek-Gibson in Saigon Hẻm Gems
[Video] Hẻm Gems: D5's Drop-Dead Delicious Xôi Mặn
Saigon street food tastes best when the whole experience feels like a secret. Head to some of the city's most successful street carts and there are no place names or proper business hours, no phone nu...
Hẻm Gems: Eat Your Way Through Nguyen Hue's Secret Street Food Alley
Nguyen Hue's heritage has been badly degraded over the years. Thanks to the city's neverending development, its older buildings have either been torn down, used as air-conditioning unit pedestals or t...
South Korea Just Opened Its First Insect Restaurant
Next time you're craving a healthy, protein-rich meal, don't reach for the read meat. Instead, curb you hunger with a helping of bugs.
[Video] The True Story of 3 Bros and a Bánh Xèo Taco
For all the magic involved in Vietnamese cuisine, it's surprising how few of the country's dishes have made it abroad. Of course, you'll have no trouble finding foreigners who love phở or appreciate t...
Chinese Restaurants Fire Incompetent Robot Staff
While human waitstaff are sometimes a disappointment – they forget your order, they punch in late, they expect a tip – three restaurants in China are finding out that our machine friends aren't necess...
Dana Filek-Gibson in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: A Perfect Saigon Breakfast
Most days, I roll out of bed 15 minutes after my alarm has stopped ringing, stumble downstairs, brush my teeth and leave the house just in time to grab my morning dose of caffeine before heading to th...
Cup Noodle to Release 'Luxury' Shark Fin, Softshell Turtle Flavors in Japan
For only the classiest of junk food consumers, Cup Noodle is rolling out a “premium” line of instant noodles.
Hẻm Gems: On Eating (Chicken) Ass
Let’s play a game. I tell you a word and you tell me the first thing that comes to mind. Here goes: chicken.
Brian Letwin in Saigon Hẻm Gems
[Video] Hẻm Gems: D4’s Supreme Street Sushi
There’s no shortage of solid international fare in Saigon. From Italian to Japanese, Indian to Korean, local diners are well covered. However, since most options in this category are relegated to indo...
The Shitty Reality Behind Civet-Poop Coffee
We love a good cup of civet-poop coffee just as much as the next person, but maybe it's time to let go.
Dana Filek-Gibson in Saigon Hẻm Gems
[Video] Hẻm Gems: D1's Not-So-Secret Snail-Grilling Operation
At first glance, Oc Dao looks like a factory. A giant, secret snail-grilling operation tucked behind several twists and turns along a narrow downtown alley, where plates of fresh crustaceans are churn...
Dana Filek-Gibson in Saigon Hẻm Gems
[Video] Hẻm Gems: The Merits of Chè Dim Sum
If we're being real, I would not break an appointment for chè.
Pizza Huts in China Now Serving Durian Pizza
China has a unique interpretation of western fast food. From the dry pork and seaweed donut at a Chinese Dunkin Donuts to a pizza featuring – wait for it – shrimp tempura, wasabi mayonnaise, squi...
This Vietnamese-Australian Is Raking in $19m a Year Serving Vietnamese Food
When Vietnamese-Australian Bao Hoang opened the very first branch of Rolld, a store specializing in street food-inspired Vietnamese cuisine, the former physiotherapist had high hopes for his newest bu...
Dana Filek-Gibson in Saigon Hẻm Gems
[Video] Hẻm Gems: The Lazy Man's Bánh Xèo
I have a confession to make: my spring roll game is embarrassing.
