in Saigon Hẻm Gems

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.

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.”

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.

in Vietnam Hẻm Gems

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.

in Snack Attack

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...

in Saigon Hẻm Gems

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.

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in Saigon Hẻm Gems

Hẻm Gems: The Best Bò Kho in the Business

This week, there was a rumor going around in our office about the best bò kho in the city. Because we take food very seriously at Saigoneer, I took it upon myself to determine the accuracy of this sta...

in Eat & Drink

Phở Is Vietnam’s Best Dish: Business Insider

Perhaps in an effort to balance its more serious content, American publication Business Insider has taken to producing Buzzfeed-style lists (yes, we’re all guilty of this). Stemming from a&n...

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 ...

in Eat & Drink

[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 ...

in Eat & Drink

[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...

in Food Culture

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...

in Saigon Hẻm Gems

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 ...

in Food Culture

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...

in Food Culture

[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...

in Saigon Hẻm Gems

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.

in Saigon Hẻm Gems

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...

in Food Culture

[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...

in Food Culture

[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...

in Saigon Hẻm Gems

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...

in Saigon Hẻm Gems

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.

in Food Culture

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.

in Saigon Hẻm Gems

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.

in Saigon Hẻm Gems

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.

in Saigon Hẻm Gems

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 (...

in Saigon Hẻm Gems

[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...