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in Hanoi Ngõ Nooks

Ngõ Nooks: Slurping Thick Noodles and Seafood at Bánh Canh Ghẹ Út Còi

A whiff of the ocean hits you before you even step foot onto the street. In this curious corner between Quang Trung and Nhà Chung, a new form of restaurant exemplifies the vitality and variety of Hano...

Paul Christiansen

in Dishcovery

Saigon's Most Famous Cua Rang Me Is a Tangy Tamarind Party

It started with tamarind, and ended with crab.

in Saigon Hẻm Gems

Hẻm Gems: Hủ Tíu Mực Ông Già's Squid Game Is to Die For

It’s safe to say that one of the most authentic culinary experiences one could have in Vietnam is to sit on a stool, in an eatery that feels very much like someone’s house, and slurp on a bowl of pipi...

in Saigon Hẻm Gems

Hẻm Gems: It's Impossible to Resist Bún Riêu Cô Yến's Crispy Fried Tofu

A few years ago, my family’s Christmas Eve tradition of making gỏi cuốn was swapped out for a special competition, one that would decisively end a longstanding rivalry: who, out of the aunts and uncle...

in Saigon Hẻm Gems

Hẻm Gems: Wake up Early, We're Getting Hủ Tiếu Cá for Breakfast

When I used to live in Hanoi, I always knew that if an eatery only opens for half a day, the food is probably certified, at least by the locals, to be not only good, but excellent. There is something ...

in Saigon Hẻm Gems

Hẻm Gems: Bánh Đa Cua Hải Phòng, a Rare Northern Treat in D10

On the way to Phú Thọ Indoor Sports Stadium in District 11, make a turn off 666/74 Ba Tháng Hai, go all the way to the far corner, and you’ll discover Triển Chiêu Quán’s bright yellow sign. Park under...

Khôi Phạm

in Saigon Hẻm Gems

Hẻm Gems: What Bún Cua Gia Lai Taught Me About Vietnam's Bond With Bún

Not being a picky eater was somewhat of a personal point of pride for me growing up. I have my family to thank for this, as their immense patience and open-mindedness have encouraged me to explore as ...

Khôi Phạm

in Saigon Hẻm Gems

Hẻm Gems: From Nghệ An, a Turmeric-Tinged Miến Lươn Feast in D7

Once upon a time, deep in the distant kingdom of District 7, there was a miến lươn place. 

Paul Christiansen

in In Plain Sight

Shrimp Fishing in Thanh Đa Is Fun Even When You Don't Catch Anything

If it weren’t for shrimps, developing taste buds would have been an outrageous waste of evolutionary time and resources. Truly, without the potential for boiled, grilled, fried, baked or even raw shri...

in Snack Attack

The Good, the Fresh and the Crispy: Quy Nhơn's Wondrous Cuisine in 3 Dishes

A beautiful coastline, stunning rolling mountainscapes, and multiple historic vestiges are not the only merits of Quy Nhơn City.

Paul Christiansen

in Vietnam Hẻm Gems

Hẻm Gems: Quy Nhơn's Unique Take on Bánh Khọt and Peanut Sauce

You’ve probably never had bánh khọt like this before.

Linh Phạm

in Hanoi Ngõ Nooks

Ngõ Nooks: Blue Crab and Beer for a Bodacious Snack on the Hanoi Sidewalk

Of all seafood in Vietnam, ghẹ (blue crab) is among the most expensive. Even at wholesale markets, these crustaceans can fetch from VND300,000 to 400,000 a kilogram and any buffet deal that boasts the...

in Hanoi Ngõ Nooks

Ngõ Nooks: A Blissful Fish Feast at Bún Cá Sâm Cây Si

As hot as it gets, Hanoi’s scorching summer is no match for delightful fish rolls and refreshing sour soup.

in Vietnam Hẻm Gems

Hẻm Gems: In Đà Nẵng, Dì Gái's Bún Chả Cá Is a Family Heirloom

Sometimes, for descendants of Central Vietnam, a bowl of steaming bún chả cá can even sooth the pain and misery of a storm-battered rainy season.

Paul Christiansen

in Vietnam Hẻm Gems

Hẻm Gems: In Đà Nẵng, Bánh Xèo Bà Dưỡng's Sauce Is Good Enough to Drink

The secret is the sauce. And the sauce is a secret. The owners of Đà Nẵng’s Bánh Xèo Bà Dưỡng refuse to reveal the recipe for the rich, meaty, and multi-faceted sauce that falls somewhere between hex ...

in Hanoi Ngõ Nooks

Ngõ Nooks: From Nam Định, a Piquant Bánh Đa With Golden Fried Fish

On Quán Thánh Street, a lovely couple enhances their hometown’s specialty, bánh đa cua, with a fishy touch. Adding fried fish to bánh đa cua is a rather uncommon combination, but it helps their r...

in Hanoi Ngõ Nooks

Ngõ Nooks: A Spicy Bún Lòng Cá From Hải Phòng That Takes Guts to Try

Út Hà Quán looks nothing like the kind of traditional Hanoi street food eatery that makes it to glossy magazines and world-famous food channels. There’s no grumpy grandma, no mold on the walls an...

in Travel

A Merry Morning Over the Fish Markets and Salt Fields of Phan Rang

I live in Đà Lạt, so the most direct route to the coast brings me to Phan Rang, which is where I often go for the beach and seafood.   

in Saigon Hẻm Gems

Hẻm Gems: A Thai Feast on a Hẻm Pavement, With Vietnamese Fusion Twists

While Thailand and Vietnam have long been perpetual rivals in the football arena, at this streetside Hẻm Gem, the two cultures forge a harmonious relationship.

Linh Pham

in Hanoi Ngõ Nooks

Ngõ Nooks: At Ốc Cô Nhung, an Affordable Five-Course Banquet of Snails and Snacks

If there is a restaurant in Hanoi that embodies the proverb “good wine needs no bush,” it’s Ốc cô Nhung. Though in this case, instead of wine, it is snails.

in Saigon Hẻm Gems

Hẻm Gems: Tân Định's Tried-and-True Bánh Canh Cua for a Late Breakfast

Bánh canh, at times described as Vietnamese udon or even “mouse-tail noodles,” is a great mystery on its own. Etymologically speaking, bánh canh translates to “soup-cake,” and these thick, cylindrical...

Khoi Pham

in Saigon Hẻm Gems

Hẻm Gems: In D6, Oyster Omelette, Porridge and Bột Chiên for the Soul

“He was a bold man that first ate an oyster,” satirist Jonathan Swift wrote in the 1700s. Famously fearful of the now-prized bivalves, Swift eventually grew to appreciate their briny, ocean-forward es...

Paul Christiansen

in Natural Selection

Cá Chuồn: The Fish That Dreams Beyond Its Realm

Insects, pterosaurs, birds, and bats: flight evolved on Earth independently four times, so why do you think it’s so unlikely that you’ll find love again?

in Vietnam Hẻm Gems

Hẻm Gems: Nha Trang's 22-Year-Old Bánh Canh Cá Sings the Praises of the Sea

Traveling in Nha Trang wouldn't be complete without tasting this delicious bowl of bánh canh which makes you enjoy eating almost every part of the fish, from its meat to its organs.

in Vietnam

[Photos] The Small-Town Charm of Vung Tau in the 1960s

From remembering fond memories with loved ones to selling products and even gaining clues to a grisly crime, photos have many uses.

Thi Nguyen

in Saigon Hẻm Gems

Hẻm Gem: Bún Cá Sứa With a Stock That Tastes Like the Ocean

A friend once told me that Saigon is a place that makes you feel like you can travel anywhere.

Thi Nguyen

in Saigon Hẻm Gems

Hẻm Gems: Krua Thai's Raw Seafood Salad Is Not for the Faint-Hearted

The first role I ever took in my home kitchen was to prepare sweet fish sauce with chili and garlic to pour over rice and noodles. As simple as this may sound, I still can’t master the art after years...

in Hanoi Ngõ Nooks

Ngõ Nooks: On Hàng Bài, Golden Bún Cá Thái Bình in a Hole in the Wall

When a friend of mine returned home after living abroad last year, he longed for a bowl of bún cá. I suggested the classic Hanoi dish, with satisfyingly oily deep-fried fish, but he had other ideas&nb...

in Food Culture

De-Shelling Vietnam’s Love of Eating Snails

Snails prove a divisive delicacy in many countries, but in Vietnam, they are perhaps more misunderstood, and arguably more refreshing, than anywhere else in the world.

Michael Tatarski

in Food Culture

From Texas to Saigon: Viet-Cajun Cuisine's Journey Around the World

Given the size of the overseas Vietnamese diaspora, it comes as little surprise that the community has had a huge influence on the cuisines of countries around the world.

Khoi Pham

in Saigon Hẻm Gems

Hẻm Gems: Conquering the Giant Bánh Canh Ghẹ Muối Ớt Xanh of D10

My uncle used to say that you haven't had real crab until you have to cook and dismantle one. For this week’s Hẻm Gem, Saigoneer takes you on a trip to do just that, relishing real crabs by break...

in Saigon Hẻm Gems

Hẻm Gems: Slurping Mì Ốc Hến in District 4 With Công 'the Enforcer'

Shuffling along in flip-flops and a pair of baggy shorts, Công the Enforcer arrives at our table.