
Hẻm Gems: Cam Cam Kafe and the Fujian Pagoda That Inspired Its Name
I wish I could claim that I discovered Cam Cam Kafe by myself. Tucked away in a corner unit up the second floor of a nondescript apartment in District 5, the coffee shop seems mostly undetectable from...

Hẻm Gems: Cozy Autumn Flavors at Tokyo Moon, Japan Town's Korean Cafe
Tokyo Moon's presence is an odd-but-welcoming representation of South Korean hospitality in the heart of Le Thanh Ton's "Japan Town" with its mysterious herbal tonic, sweet potato pastry and pumpkin c...

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...

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.

Hẻm Gems: On the Nguyen Du Sidewalk, Connoisseur Coffee at Pavement Prices
Contemporary coffee culture in Saigon is largely one of extremes. On one end, enthusiasts at trendy shops source, grow, roast and meticulously prepare some of the finest beans in the wo...

Hẻm Gems: Saigon Retro Cafe Has Just the Right Amount of Sentimentality
It’s a teensy bit weird to say that my new favorite hangout is above a VinMart.
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Creativity and Quality Surprise at Mai House’s Affordable Seafood Buffet
Unripe mangosteen chicken salad has been all over Vietnamese social media during the past few weeks, though we didn’t expect to find it at an upscale hotel dinner buffet. But across from the sushi and...

Every Half - Vietnam Specialty Coffee Roasters Exemplifies Vietnam’s Evolving Coffee Industry
Despite being the world’s second-largest coffee exporter with cafes and vendors filling its streets, Vietnam is rarely recognized for the quality of its coffee. But anyone who has strolled around Saig...

The Pizza Industry’s “Steve Jobs” Comes to Vietnam
From a small restaurant with only one oven in the basement of Syktyvkar in Russia's far north, Dodo has become the fastest-growing pizza chain in the world. It now has its sights set on Vietnam.

La Petite Ecole’s French Curriculum Benefits Families Well Beyond Saigon’s French Community
“When you learn a language, you don’t just learn the language, you learn new attitudes, ways of thinking, culture and history,” explains Aline Nguyen, the Principal of La Petite Ecole Ho Chi M...

Strategies for Navigating Vietnam's Foreign Work Permit Process
The greatest source of stress for foreigners living in Vietnam is often obtaining a work permit. Complicated and frequently changing regulations coupled with long wait times and burdensome paperwork m...

Empowered Secondary Students Personalize Their Curriculum Pathway at the British International School
The amount of international schools available in Ho Chi Minh City seems to be outnumbered only by the many acronyms prospective families must memorize to make sense of the differences in curriculum an...