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.
Uyên Đỗ in Dishcovery
A Light Bánh Cuốn Quảng Đông to Break Your Fast the Chợ Lớn Way
Meeting up for a Chinese-style breakfast often means gathering around stacked baskets of dim sum or diving into hearty bowls of wonton noodles. But if you're looking for something lighter, a serving of cheung fun might offer the perfect balance.
Khôi Phạm in Hanoi Ngõ Nooks
Ngõ Nooks: Miến Lươn Is a Classic Hanoian Breakfast for Cold Rainy Days
I am Hanoi’s hungriest tourist; and the capital welcomes me into its flavorsome, umami-rich warmth with open arms.
Cua Cà Mau Consommé Evokes Nostalgic Summer Beach Holidays
Seafood reminds chef Nghiêm Minh Đức of childhood vacations to northern beaches with his family. But since moving to Saigon, he has been exposed to southern products including cua Cà Mau’s which inspire him to experiment with new dishes.
Thi Nguyễn in Food Culture
Tết Tales: The Many Folk Stories Behind Vietnam's Bánh Chưng, Bánh Tét
To me, there's nothing that screams Tết as much as sticky rice cake. However one wants to spice up the usual celebration by replacing some dishes with something new each year, sticky rice cakes remain a must-have in Vietnamese households. Try searching for an image of the Lunar New Year and there’s a high chance that you’ll spot the cakes amongst the first ten results.
Dana Filek-Gibson in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: The Lunch Lady You Haven't Met
In Saigon, there is no such thing as a one-stop shop. It's part of the city's charm: coffee in one place, lunch in another, dessert three blocks down and two alleys away. You can turn a single outing ...
[Infographics] 6 Of Vietnam's Most Dangerous Foods
From duck fetus to pork intestines, food is nothing short of an adventure in Vietnam. But if you're not careful, it can be more of an adventure than you bargained for, depending on what and where you ...
[Video] Kinh Do Makes Mooncake Sexy In New TV Commercial
Love 'em or hate 'em, mooncakes are one of Vietnam's most visually attractive holiday treats. Featuring beautiful, intricate designs and packed with a range of both sweet and savory flavors, there's a...
Cambodians Are Cooking Iron Fish To Combat Anemia
In Cambodia, where nutrient-rich food can be hard to come by, nearly half of the population suffers from iron deficiency. While this is an easily curable condition, many rural residents lack the acces...
Hẻm Gems: Hủ Tiếu With A Side Of Attitude
You know those vendors who are so good at what they do that no matter how rotten they may be to their customers, people still turn up in droves? Fickle as the world of street food may be, at the ...
Pork Guts as Donuts, a Delicious Breakfast
Vietnam is a country of culinary excellence. From phở to bánh xèo, bún riêu to bánh mì, local cuisine is a wealth of culinary creativity. And in a country where food is not always in abundance, Vietna...
[Photos] What Citizens Of The World Eat In A Day
Most of us don't give a second thought to what we eat in a day. According to National Geographic, the average person consumes 2,870 calories from morning to night, but what you eat can change dramatic...
Hẻm Gems: Bánh Bao Chiên @ Lý Chính Thắng Street Cart
Imagine it's around 4pm and a sprinkle of rain is just starting to fall outside. You sit in the office thinking about how wonderful it would be to have a small snack by your side.
Hẻm Gems: Bún Thịt Nướng Bà Tám @ 299 Võ Văn Tần
Though this indoor hem gem loses a few points for the bland, sanitary, air-conditioned environment, it starts to make up for the snooze fest in design with excellent renditions of some of Saigon’s mos...
[Photos] 15 Strange Snacks From Around Asia (But Mostly Japan)
Snack food, once ubiquitous with Western culture, has become a global phenomenon. When entering new markets, multinational corporations often introduce products tailored to the palates of the local po...
[Video] Following A Hột Vịt Lộn Vendor Through The Streets Of Saigon
We often take for granted the immense diversity of foods found on the streets of Saigon, in addition to those that sell them. This short film profiles Vinh, a hột vịt lộn (fetal duck egg) vendor who h...
Hẻm Gems: Mì Vịt Tiềm @ Mì Gia Tân Tòng Lợi
You can tell Mì Gia Tân Tòng Lợi has been around for a while by the faded hủ tiếu cart greeting you at the entrance. The eatery specializes in Chinese-style egg noodle soups and fried duck dishes...
Hẻm Gems: Chocolate Coconut Smoothies @ Le Thi Rieng Smoothies
On a hot night of street food hunting, it was time for a pit stop, one that would not only satisfy our thirst, but also our sweet tooth.
Da Lat Coffee Now Sold at Starbucks Stores Worldwide
Starbucks is now offering up bags of single-origin Da Lat coffee at its stores in 56 countries, the first time the company has stocked an Arabica coffee from Vietnam.
Meet Saigon’s "Other" Lunch Lady
Following years of international coverage from food bloggers and personalities such as Anthony Bourdain, Ms. Nguyen Thi Thanh, Saigon’s “lunch lady” has officially gone mainstream.
Hẻm Gems: Legendary Coconut Milk @ Sữa Dừa 8 Tin
After a visit to Sữa Dừa 8 Tin, you’ll quickly find that not all coconut milk is created equal.
Hẻm Gems: Bò Nhúng Dấm @ Anh Ba
At Anh Ba, it’s all about the beef. This eatery offers up four bovine dishes - lá lốp (beef wrapped in lolot leaves), mỡ chài (beef quasicrepinettes), nhúng dấm (vinegar based hot pot) and tái chanh (...
[Video] The Story of a Saigon Chè Master
Saigoneer has teamed up with Only In Saigon to bring you stories from the city’s streets. Our first episode explores the tale of Son, a District 1 chè vendor who, for 25 years, has maintained thi...
Will Saigon's Street Food Scene Last Another Generation?
According to a recent article in The Guardian, while Vietnamese street food is “imitated, fetishized, and replicated in cities all over the western world,” for many vendors, their profession is a mean...
A Chat With The Organizers Of The Outcast’s Farmers Market
Saigon’s only farmers market is gearing up for its second installment at Saigon Outcast this Sunday. We sat down with the organizers (Saigon Outcast and La Holista) to see why they started the market,...
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