Sugar, Ice, and Everything Nice: On the Mekong Delta's Love for Trà Đá Đường
The pitcher of miền Tây-style sweet tea is like a boat ride taking me away from the exhaustion of the city back to the memories of my hometown amongst the canals of the Mekong Delta.
Khôi Phạm in Dishcovery
Kem Vi Bổn's Popsicles Anchor 70 Years of Saigon's Summer Memories
Saigoneers have always been blessed with a thriving ice cream scene, perhaps an inevitable perk of living in a city that’s rarely not scorching hot. Amid a thriving scene of inventive gelato and soft serve flavors, one frozen treat place has stood the test of time for nearly 70 years: Kem Vi Bổn.
Paul Christiansen in Dishcovery
Bình Thạnh’s Best Budget-Friendly Off-Menu Bánh Mì by the Canal
I trust the philosophy that, to find the best places to eat, look for those crowded with locals. Such logic would lead you to Xôi Thị Nghè near the five-way intersection close to Chợ Thị Nghè in the former Bình Thạnh District.
In Defense of Vietnam's Iced Beer and Why, in My Beer, I Want Ice Ice Baby
The snobby beer connoisseur may scoff at those who drink beer with ice. But in Vietnam, as much as 75% of drinkers enjoy t...
Hẻm Gems: The Izakaya Where Happiness Is Wrapped in Pork Belly and Grilled
It took a few visits before I noticed that the music at Sakaba Sasuke was always the same.
Ngõ Nooks: On Hàng Bài, Golden Bún Cá Thái Bình in a Hole in the Wall
When a friend of mine returned home after living abroad last year, he longed for a bowl of bún cá. I suggested the classic Hanoi dish, with satisfyingly oily deep-fried fish, but he had other ideas — a fresh feast originally from Thai Binh, located almost 100 kilometers from the capital.
From Fine Dining to Comfort Food: Why Chef Thierry Mounon Followed up La Villa with La Fontaine
“Beyond awards or recognition, a restaurant is about welcoming people, creating memories and bringing joy around a table,” explains Chef Thierry Mounon of his decision to expand from French fine dining into comfort food.
What Cooking Bún Chả for My Birthday Abroad Taught Me About Vietnameseness
“Hot summer night, mid-July, when you and I were forever wild,” Lana Del Rey croons every July 15 to celebrate my birthday. Those melodramatic words consistently evoke three specific elements in my mind: Heineken or Tiger beer cans on the floor; the sweet smoky smell of bún chả and nem enlaced with the rainy air of a darkening Saigon sky; and my friends and family under the LED-lit roof of an iCool karaoke room. Such pillars uphold what I consider the quintessential Vietnamese birthday experience.
Khôi Phạm in Snack Attack
Bimbim, Snack and Oishi: A Brief History of Vietnam's Regional Terms for Packaged Snacks
The differences between regional dialects across Vietnam is a fascinating field of research that can spawn days of discussion, but no other pairs of words has the power to mystify the internet like th...
Khôi Phạm in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: Bánh Canh Nam Phổ, Huế's Hearty, Homey Afternoon Snack
There’s a commonly acknowledged nugget of folk wisdom amongst foodies that hole-in-the-wall eateries almost always have the best food. In the context of Vietnam’s street food landscape, this concept c...
Paul Christiansen in Dishcovery
After Coconut and Salt, Is Peanut Butter Coffee Saigon's Next Drink Trend?
After egg coffee, coconut coffee, and salt coffee, is the next coffee trend going to be peanut butter coffee?
ONVIT’s Warm Light: A Korean Culinary Journey Through Vietnamese Terroir
Hanoi’s fine dining landscape has long been shaped by European and Japanese influences. But in August 2025, ONVIT, the first Korean fine dining restaurant in Vietnam, opened inside the Grand Pla...
Hẻm Gems: The Legendary Miến Trộn That Feeds Saigon's Architecture Students
Upon finding out that I’m a student at the University of Architecture HCMC, people tend to bombard me with a barrage of questions: if my coursework is tiring, if my school fees are skyhigh, and what m...
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 upl...
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 res...
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 most popular and delicious dishes are served in small portions that work togeth...
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 cu...
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 gener...
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 moto...
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...
Khôi Phạm in Dishcovery
A Tale of Three Chè Bột Lọc Heo Quay, Central Vietnam's Unique Savory Dessert
Why am I so obsessed with chè bột lọc heo quay?
Xuân Phương in Hanoi Ngõ Nooks
Ngõ Nooks: Bodacious Bún Riêu Ốc Bò at Hanoi's 25-Year-Old Bún Bình Huyền
On the transient days when Hanoi’s weather morphs from winter to summer, the monsoon winds carry with them the drizzles of an in-between time. This cool climate evokes within me a yearning for some wa...
Xu Xoa, the Sweet, Gingery Dessert Soothing the Heat of Central Vietnam Summers
If Saigoneers often turn to sương sâm (leaf jelly) or sương sáo (grass jelly) as refreshments on hot days, the choice of residents of provinces along the central coast is xu xoa. Chunks of translucent...
Opinion: Anthony Bourdain Made Me Proud to Be Vietnamese-American
I landed Friday night in Saigon just in time for the news of Anthony Bourdain’s passing lighting up my phone in a jumble of tweets, texts and news alerts. As details emerged about the chef-turned-trav...
Govi Snell in Hanoi Ngõ Nooks
Ngõ Nooks: In One of Hanoi's Tiniest Shopfronts, a Phở Chay With Big Flavors
Tree-lined Lò Đúc street is home to Phở Chay: a restaurant so small it could fit in the palm of your hand.
Khôi Phạm in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: Cleopatra Restaurant Adds Egyptian Flairs to Saigon's Dynamic Food Scene
As of 2024, Saigon remains Vietnam’s most densely populated metropolis, playing host to 9.5 million residents. In the quality of life discourse, this crowdedness is often singled out as a weakness det...
These 5 Uncommon Bánh Canh Bowls Celebrate Vietnam's Regional Diversity
Bánh canh is a quintessential Vietnamese dish. Its chewy rice noodle strands and light broth full of umami thanks to simmered pork, beef, chicken and seafood have stolen the hearts of generations of V...
Nguyễn Thị Thành, Saigon's Beloved 'Lunch Lady,' Passes Away at 59
Nguyễn Thị Thành, one of Saigon’s rare internationally renowned food icons known as the “Lunch Lady,” passed away earlier this week.
