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.
[Video] Sewer Fishing in District 5
If you though fishing in Saigon’s polluted waterways was a risky proposition, sewer fishing seems downright suicidal.
Sweet Typographic Map of Vietnam and Its Food
In 2008, Jodi left her job as a lawyer to pursue goal of traveling (and eating) her way across the globe. After arriving in Vietnam, she became particularly enamored with the country’s diverse culinar...
10 of Hue's Most Delicious Dishes
You probably just finished lunch but this list of 10 iconic dishes from Hue should get you appetite going again. Food Republic’s Laurie Woolever recently visited Vietnam’s imperial capital on the look...
Wine in Vietnam: Domaine Roux, France
Alfredo de la Casa is a wine expert who runs the blog wineinvietnam. In order to increase awareness about wines available in Vietnam, Alfredo periodically stops by to profile some of his favourites, t...
Seeking Out Saigon’s Best Banh Mi
Like other Vietnamese staples, finding the best of any one dish in a nearly impossible task. Even if one is able to find what they deem to be the best, others will surely disagree. Even so, in a recen...
A Look at Some of Vietnam's Bug-Based Delicacies
Cultures around the world have included protein-rich insects as part of their diets for thousands of years. While the practice has almost disappeared in the West, insects are still as popular as ever ...
Vietnamese Dishes with French Origins
Though the French occupiers are long gone, elements of their culture still exist in both Vietnamese language and society. One of the most obvious examples of this is Vietnamese cuisine which has a num...
Australian Wine Dinner With The Yalumba Winery
What happens when you put together amazing food, great wines, excellent customer service and a fantastic host? Well the answer is that you feel in heaven, and that was how most, if not all, of us felt...
Breadwinners: 10 of Saigon's Best Loaves
Being Filipino, I was raised eating fried rice and over easy eggs for breakfast. Pan de sal, the bread of choice for Filipinos, was something that was only sold at Goldilocks which was a good 45 minut...
Free Christmas Dinner @ deciBel
I have never been a religious person, so after my ‘lovely’ older brother decided to show off his cleverness by telling me that Santa Claus did not actually exist, my magical world was shattered and I ...
Sava: An Epicurean’s Paradise in District 2
Sava the Gourmet is located in a beautiful villa located in the heart of district 2. Although the company used to focus on wholesale products, it has recently extended its retail arm, bringing gourmet...
How to Use Fish Sauce (Nước Mắm) in Western Dishes
While fish sauce is a staple in many Asian countries, in the West, most prefer its cousin, ketchup. To break down some culinary walls, Asian food expert, Andrea Nguyen just published a great article i...
Special Delivery: Takeaway.com Acquires Vietnammm.com
Vietnammm, one of Vietnam’s most popular online delivery sites, has been acquired by Takeaway.com, a global leader in the industry. The move signals the Dutch company’s first move outside of Europe wh...
Video: Local YouTuber Gives Away Free Ice Cream to Saigon Commuters
Troy Nguyen runs a YouTube channel dedicated to Vietnam. While most of his videos focus on his travels and interesting aspects of Vietnamese culture, every now and then, he sets out to help the people...
The Best Pho in Vietnam?
With thousands of pho shops across Vietnam, determining the best in the country seems like an impossible task. In fact, for any Vietnamese food, we would hesitate to crown a restaurant 'best of' since...
Master Chef - Gastronomy Competition @ Mc Sorley's
Food lovers and amateurs chefs with a passion for sharing their favourite food and recipes should not miss Mc Sorley's event “Master Chef.” It is a gastronomy competition, where teams of 4 memb...
Ben Thanh is One of the World's Best Food Markets: USA Today
American newspaper, USA Today, just published their list of the "Best food markets around the world" in which Saigon's own Ben Thanh Market ranked 15th. Along with fake DVDs and tourist nik naks, the ...
Brian Letwin in Food Culture
[Video] Celebrity Chef Anthony Bourdain in Vietnam
Gordon Ramsay isn't the only celebrity chef obsessed with Vietnam. But unlike Ramsay, New York chef, Anthony Bourdain, has a surprisingly close connection to Vietnam, cultivated over many visits since...
Brian Letwin in Food Culture
Video: The Perfect Cafe Sữa Nóng?
Yes, we know that Saigonese take their cafe sữa with đá (ice) and that the background music is from Thailand. Nonetheless, this playful video by food videographer, Eric Slatkin is well done and worth ...
Free Food Tuesday 'Arancini' @ deciBel
It all started innocently enough. It was about 6 months ago when the deciBel guys and a group of friends, after complaining that it was often too complicated to match working schedules to arrange a di...
