I Know Where the Caged Bird Sings: The Joy of Saigon's Birdsong Competition
One by one, motorbikes arrived, carrying the tell-tale cages covered with cloth and parked in the gravel lot beside the coffee shop where Saigoneer sat listening to the caged birds suspended above a p...
Vietnam's Trendiest Way to Flaunt Your Social Status Is a Meme Lychee Tea
Lychee tea can be found anywhere and anytime around Saigon, from street stalls to artisanal cafes. Averaging VND20,000–50,000, it’s a popular choice among Vietnamese youths. However, Thái Công Cafe pr...
With Thriving Coffee Culture, Vietnam Has Half a Million Cafes, Data Shows
Taking into account global and national chains, small brands, independent cafes and street vendors, a recent report estimates that Vietnam is home to more than 500,000 coffee shops that generate US$1....
Hẻm Gems: Mơ Đi Hội, When Florists Dream of Opening a Cafe
When book lovers open a café, we are blessed with book cafes; when animal lovers open a café, we are given a myriad of animal cafes; what happens when florists open a café? This is the case of Mơ Đi H...
Hẻm Gems: The Ghé Coffee Tucks Art, Fragrant Coffee Into a Quiet D1 Crevice
Delivering premium origin coffee and fine art from artists across Vietnam in a tiny room that dates back to French colonial times, smack dab in the middle of District 1, The Ghé Coffee balances the fi...
Khôi Phạm in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: Sip on Mugwort Lattes, Make Ceramics, and Unwind at Haru Cottage
“I’m basically Demi Moore from Ghost,” this intrusive thought plagued my mind occasionally during our visit to Haru Cottage to participate in the cafe’s ceramic class.
Ngõ Nooks: Bingsu, Folk Crafts, and Hanboks at Hanoi's Hayoon Cafe
“What inspired you to open a Korean cafe?” I ask Giang, the manager of Hayoon Cafe in Nam Từ Liêm, a popular Korean district in Hanoi.
Hẻm Gems: Tokyo Moon Cafe Introduces Homey Korean Flavors to Japan Town
Stepping into Tokyo Moon is like venturing into a world of wonders, neatly packed within a mere 35-square-meter space.
Khôi Phạm in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: While the Day Away Under the Green Canopy of Cỏ Cafe
Under a thick canopy of verdant vines and minuscule pink flowers, it’s easy to indulge in the cooling comfort of a glass of iced tamarind juice and while the day away.
Hẻm Gems: Reading Cabin Sells Stationery, Serves Drinks, and Builds Friendships
If I had to describe Reading Cabin in one phrase, it would be “every cafe in Saigon all at once.”
Hẻm Gems: Trứng's Divine Flan Is What Happens When Saigon Dreams of Japanese Desserts
My slight obsession with Japanese-style flan started in Tokyo, but it’s taken on a new life here in Saigon.
Hẻm Gems: Đà Lạt's Nomadic 'Cafe' Has No Menu, No Store, and One Table
During a recent trip to Đà Lạt, a friend invited me for coffee at 5:30am. The frosty climate of the Central Highlands mornings concerned me, but upon hearing the pitch about a whimsical cafe that oper...
In Massachusetts' Cicada Cafe, a Marriage Between New England and Vietnamese Flavors
“I don’t like the term ‘fusion,’” Vinh Lê, the chef of Cicada Coffee Bar, tells me. “You need to adapt. You need to adapt to the new environment, new life, when you move from Vietnam to the US. And to...
Thanks for Your Order, Your Bún Will Arrive by Train in a Few Minutes
♫ And the bún mộc on the train goes round and round. Rolling down the track ♫
Tiny Tracks, Big Passion: Inside the Miniature World of Vietnam's Model Train Enthusiasts
“When you turn it on, the train is not only moving, but it can make sounds too. The sounds are so authentic that when I listen to it, I feel like I am sitting on a real train right now,” Minh Tú, a Sa...
Paul Christiansen in Dishcovery
A Simple Americano Goes a Long Way at Quy Nhơn's Lone Coffee Roaster
Saigon is spoiled with cafes. In addition to the street stalls hawking cheap phin coffee, international chains and charming mom-and-pop shops, the last decade has seen a proliferation of third-wave ve...
Ngõ Nooks: Tender Bar Is an Introvert's Haven, Except on Tuesdays
“Just read it and forget it. Then you can write anything you like about Tender Bar. Thank you.”
Ngõ Nooks: A Ngõ Cafe Houses Big Dreams for Buôn Ma Thuột Beans
A well-known singer from the Central Highlands city of Buôn Ma Thuột, Mai Trang is taking an extended break from show business to focus on her other passion: coffee.
Hẻm Gems: In a Saigon Hẻm Lives a House for Rare Regional Delights
One fine day a few months ago, I embarked on a search for the flavors of faraway lands across Vietnam, all of which are present in a hẻm in the middle of Saigon.
Society Cafe's Cơm Xá Xíu Fine-Tunes a Cantonese Classic With New Techniques
Inspired by a Cantonese classic, Society Cafe & Dining’s char siu pork is carefully seasoned and prepared over two days, while the accompanying daikon and radish were pickled from scratch. Put togethe...
At Culinary Frank's Cozy Saigon Cafe, YouTube Food Comes to Life on the Plate
“Every restaurant is a miniature society,” says Phương Phạm (Frank Phạm), a Melbourne-based Vietnamese chef and famous YouTube food blogger who recently returned to Saigon to open his passion project,...
Ngõ Nooks: In a 95-Year-Old House, Mết Coffee Sells Drinks, Cozy Conversations
It was a drizzly day. The chilliness and the weepy mood of Hanoi weather drenched me in an unnamed melancholy. I was ambling aimlessly on the street when I came across Mết, a coffee shop in ngõ Yên Th...
Ngõ Nooks: Căng Tin Cafe, a Gateway to the Past for the City's New Youth
Hanoi’s café scene is saturated with cafés selling a vision of the past.
Ngõ Nooks: Cozy up at Ẩn Cà Phê With Morning Coffees and Night Cocktails
In the Mood for Love, Wong Kar-wai’s elegantly restrained movie about married lovers resisting adultery, offers up a delicious cocktail of emotions. At least, that is the concept behind the drinks men...
Khôi Phạm in Culture
What to See, Taste, and Do If You Have a Free Morning in Tân Định
There’s not much you’ll need to do to persuade me to drive, walk, crawl, scuttle or skate along the Nhiêu Lộc-Thị Nghè Canal — I adore its shaded, tree-lined pavements that much.
Paul Christiansen in Saigon
Vignette: For Cafe 81 and the '404 Not Found' Places of Our Lives
We all have them.
Paul Christiansen in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: Cà Phê Sữa and Cơm Tấm With a Side of Espionage History
Kimchi is not a common cơm tấm accouterment. The extra helping of chili pepper heat, palate-cleansing bitterness and cabbage leaf crunch doesn't taste out of place beside a fully loaded plate of broke...
Amid Bảo Lộc Hills, a Wooden Cafe Floats Amongst the Clouds
In the middle of nowhere Bảo Lộc, perched on the side of an alternative national road is the wooden carapace of Nguyen Coffee, a veritable “Noah’s ark” welcoming travelers in for a short break to enjo...
Khôi Phạm in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Saigoneer's Picks of Saigon's 5 Best Cafes to Poop At
What brings you to coffee shops? Novelty beverages, mellow playlists, a feeling of home, proximity, or just simply convenience — all are valid attributes that have endeared me to many of my favorite c...
[Photos] Katinat Cafe's Gò Vấp Location Is an Industrial Glass Fortress
Cement, air, water, sand, and gravel: concrete is a simple material. Same for glass, that spread of super-heated quartz sand.
Đà Nẵng Cafe Sparks Heated Online Debate for Refusing to Serve Children Under 12
A seemingly innocuous notice by a coffee shop in Đà Nẵng has sparked polarizing responses from netizens across Vietnam.
Hanoi Railway Cafe Gets Into Trouble for Hosting Dortmund Footballers
A photo of players from the Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund enjoying coffee on the tracks running through Hanoi's shuttered train street circulated earlier this week, prompting authorities to say th...
Fresh Seafood, Beautiful Views and Relaxed Environment Take Centerstage at Saigon Café Buffet
Located in the Sheraton Saigon Hotel and Towers, Saigon Café is famous for its seafood buffet's fresh ingredients, talented chefs and cozy views of the heart of the city.
Ngõ Nooks: The 'Tiny' Cafe That Contains Multitudes
Hidden down a quiet alley opposite the B-52 Victory Museum on Đội Cấn in Ba Đình District is the gateway to Tiny Cafe. Make sure you look carefully, as the sign is easily missed, and this isn’t somewh...
Hẻm Gems: A Cafe-Snack Bar Hybrid in Bình Thạnh Offers Portals to Japanese Nostalgia
Bình Thạnh’s Ward 19 is snuggled between Xô Viết Nghệ Tĩnh and Nguyễn Hữu Cảnh, creating a surprisingly quiet area just across from District 1. As a neighborhood, it offers an eclectic mix of local an...
Hẻm Gems: Café Slow Cultivates a Natural Habitat for Creature Comforts
It's incredibly challenging to set yourself apart in Ho Chi Minh City's overcaffeinated café scene. The city's narrow streets and hẻms are brimming with beans.
Hẻm Gems: The Secret Realm of Good Vibes Behind the Doors of Passengers Cafe
Like any person born after the year 1990, I am chronically affected by the condition of dawdling at a coffee shop for a supposed boost in productivity and “the vibes” when the clock strikes close to a...
Hanoi Starts Revoking Operating Licenses of Cafes on 'Train Street' This Week
Hanoi is shutting down its infamous "Train Street" starting this weekend.
Biên Hòa Cafe Embraces Industrial Design for a Transient Existence
If your dwelling is temporary, how much care do you pay to your surroundings?
Ngõ Nooks: The Peculiarity of a Coffee Sanctuary With No Menu and No Address
"SOLitude" — At first glance, the word conjures a sense of melancholic privateness in my ever-anxious soul. But not in a pessimistic way, fortunately.
The Collector Preserving Decades of Saigon History, From Vintage Brands to Pandemic Memories
"A Việt Kiều customer living in France paid me a visit. She looked at my sofa and started tearing up because its design was so similar to one she had in her childhood home. She said she missed home an...
Ngõ Nooks: Cafe Yên, Where the Line Between Coffee Shop and Alley Blurs
Yên (adj): quiet, unmoved.
Hẻm Gems: Hide From the Monsoon Rain at Đặng Thị Nhu's Lost & Found Cafe
Lost & Found Café is a newly opened sister establishment to the popular Lost & Found Bar. Both adopt a pre-1975 Saigon vibe that I, as a Gen-Z Saigoneer who is nostalgic for old Saigon, immediate...
Paul Christiansen in In Plain Sight
Retracing Biệt Động Sài Gòn Hideouts, Where Grenades Were Just Below Your Feet
Elements of Saigon’s wartime espionage efforts once relegated to secret basements, hidden crawl spaces and elaborate double lives lurk throughout downtown to this day.
Khôi Phạm in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: The Dream of the 2010s Is Alive at Pacey Cupcakes
Pick your favorite cupcake flavor; perhaps a pitcher of hot fragrant tea too. Ascend the dizzyingly steep flight of stairs. Mind your head. Tread gently on the wooden attic floor. There your friends a...
[Photos] T3 Architects Turned a Modernist Villa Into a Celebration of Chocolate
Looks like we'll be working remote today.
Michael Tatarski in Natural Selection
Cầy Vằn Bắc: Caught in the Crossfire of the Cà Phê Chồn Industry
While Saigoneer’s Natural Selection series has already covered a number of iconic species and types of animals, including the tiger, Asian elephant, dogs and cats, there’s a good chance most of the pe...
Hẻm Gems: In Warmth and Good Drinks, an Amiable Cafe's Spirit Lives On
How would you feel if everything about your favorite spot suddenly changed one day? Would the same attachment still stand? Those were the questions that popped into my head the afternoon I paid my vis...
Seeking Solace in the Fantastical Adventures of Dungeons and Dragons
Contrary to popular belief, Dungeons and Dragons isn’t just a geeky hobby, to me, it's a form of “group therapy” that is slowly taking shape in Vietnam, bringing fun and memorable bonding moments to t...
Ngõ Nooks: A Salted Coffee in Gạt Tàn Is Not What It Sounds Like
Is it not just the weirdest combination ever, coffee and salt?
[Photos] Đen Đá's Phù Đổng Outlet Sets Itself Apart in a Busy Roundabout
If one is looking for upside in the proliferation of cafe chains across Saigon, we would argue that the more locations there are, the more chances there are for architects to get more creative than yo...
Ngõ Nooks: Kosmos Serves Carefully Made Drinks With a Side of Human Connection
“Do you know the difference between ‘Universe’ and ‘Cosmos’?” Linh, Kosmos' owner and barista, asks me.
Saigon Restaurants, Cafes Resume In-Person Dining at 50% Capacity
What's the first restaurant on your list?
Ngõ Nooks: At Đống Đa's Gác Miên Cafe, a Midsummer's Dream
“Gác" means attic, but “Miên,” on the other hand, is something almost untranslatable, simply because there is no word in English that can fully encapsulate its essence.
Hanoi Allows Restaurants, Cafes to Reopen at 50% Capacity
Starting today, patrons can visit their favorite restaurants and cafes again.
[Photo] An Open-Air Cafe in Hoi An to Catch the Morning Sunlight
"I have nature and art and poetry, and if that is not enough, what is enough?” said renowned artist Vincent Willem van Gogh. Perhaps coffee should have been added to the list.
[Photos] D2's Okkio Cafe Is an Architectural Homage to Wong Kar-Wai
Today's architecture feature will be familiar to frequent visitors of Thao Dien.
Sài Gòn Ơi, Let's Meet for Cà Phê Once the Pandemic Is Over
For various reasons, some city activities that I’ve long shunned are now replaying in my mind like footage of an old home video during these days of working from home.
Phuc Long Coffee and Tea to Open First US Store in California in July
A Saigon youth staple is venturing beyond Vietnam with an ambitious expansion to the United States.
Hẻm Gems: In a Converted Classroom Lives the Unique Open Space of Nhà Phạm
Having ventured into Saigon's food scene for a while, I have one guiding principle: the best spots are always the ones circulating via word of mouth. Quiet corners, culinary rarities and communities t...
Ngõ Nooks: Sample Creative Coffee and Hide From Life at Chốn Hạ Hồi
Definitely not an easy-to-stumble-upon coffee shop, Chốn is located in a small, deep alley.
Ngõ Nooks: Board Game Café Minipolo Bonds Friends Over Snakes and Lattes
Hanoi is no stranger to the board game café niche, but something about Minipolo has groups of friends flocking here day and night to fill the atmosphere with chatter, laughter and the occasional, inev...
[Photos] Colorful New Coffee Shop Brings Cargotecture to Can Tho
Do you sometimes find vintage coffee shops too cluttered and just want to experience something different?
Ngõ Nooks: Lily Coffee, a Hideaway for When Life Gets Overwhelming
Nestled in a nook so small that not many Hanoians even know of it, Lily Coffee is a true hideaway, with its entrance tucked on the side of an alley. The gate held ajar separates two worlds — one ...
Khoi Pham in Vietnam Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: Da Lat's Ngàn Cafe Is as Comforting as an Embrace
Walking down Da Lat’s Robin Hill amid emerald pine trees and languid fluffs of cloud, one’s eyes will inevitably encounter a visual disturbance in the form of bright orange plastic maple trees. They a...
Linh Pham in Hanoi Ngõ Nooks
Ngõ Nooks: Quán Nhạc Cầm Nurtures the Soul Like a Love Song
Albeit ostensibly a coffee shop, Cầm’s specialty is actually old Vietnamese music.
Hẻm Gems: Thời Thanh Xuân, the Special Saigon Cafe Run by Deaf Staff
Quán của Thời Thanh Xuân not only encompasses the youth of its founder, Võ Thành Luân, it’s also where hard-of-hearing Vietnamese can write their own story, learn, focus on self-development, and be a ...
Ngõ Nooks: Hidden Gem, the Cafe that Recycled Knick-Knacks Built
It is difficult to describe Hidden Gem Café without paraphrasing its name, but I have not found a better way to characterize this wonderful establishment.
Ngõ Nooks: Sonder Cafe, a Home for Whimsical Drinks and Cool Beans
sonder (n): the realization that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own.
Paul Christiansen in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: A Home for Live Music and Quietude Inside an Old French Villa
If Vừng Ơi Mở Ra Cafe were a person, it would be your older, more sophisticated and welcoming friend.
Paul Christiansen in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: Spice up Your Study Session With a Warm Ginger Coffee at An Miên
”The flower was never meant to survive the fruit's triumph.”
Ngõ Nooks: A Stylish Urban Brew at the Effortlessly Hip Cà Thiều
Occupying a few meters of the sidewalk on Pho Nguyen Gia Thieu, a lovely leafy lane in the residential south of the French Quarter, Cà Thiều is nestled at the entrance of a dusty, unassuming apartment...
Starbucks Unleashes Pumpkin Spice Latte on Vietnam for the First Time
Frequently mocked as an essential item alongside Ugg boots, yoga pants, scented candles and gender reveal parties in a "basic" starter pack, the popular fall beverage has arrived in Vietnamese St...
Michael Tatarski in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: R House, a Haven for Rescued Dogs, Healthy Eats, and Adoption Opportunities
For dogs, dog owners and general fans of man's best friend, living in Saigon can be tough.
[Photos] New Da Nang Cafe Serves up Special Blend of Old and New Design
Across Vietnam’s metropolises, loss of heritage continues to be a challenge during a time of overly eager demolition and real estate fever.
In Search of Charming Cafes Along Saigon's Train Alleys
Compared to Hanoi’s now-restricted Phung Hung “Train Street,” the neighborhoods bordering the railway in Saigon have neither the romanticism nor goosebumps-inducing adrenaline rush that turned the for...
Khoi Pham in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: Lower Your Voice, the Hidden Elephant Is Reading
In Saigon’s indie cafe scene, there are household names and well-kept secrets; and then there are secrets that one might think are well-kept, but are actually household names.
Khôi Phạm in Saigon Hẻm Gems
