Hẻm Gems: Mutahiro's Masterful Chicken Ramen
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- Published on Friday, 06 April 2018 11:18
- Written by Mervin Lee. Photos by Mervin Lee.
Ramen is often the preferred choice of Japanese comfort food in Southeast Asia, yet finding an impressive offering of the dish in Saigon has proven to be a challenge. The appearance of Mutahiro in the very hẻm I live in, therefore, tickled my foodie brain.
Hẻm Gems: Pass the Bánh Ướt on the Left-Hand Side
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- Published on Friday, 30 March 2018 10:45
- Written by Paul Christiansen. Photos by Kevin Lee.
Thanks to Banh Uot Banh Me, you can finally put to use those rolling skills you honed back in your university days...rolling gỏi cuốn, obviously (wink).
Hẻm Gems: The Unapologetic Simplicity of Ben Thanh's Bun Rieu Ganh
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- Published on Friday, 16 March 2018 12:45
- Written by Thi Nguyen. Photos by Kevin Lee.
Working in the middle of a market that houses a plethora of food collectives can be a double-edged sword. It's convenient when you’re pressed for time, but after a while, you tend to get lazy and just stick to a few favorite haunts.
Hẻm Gems: A No-Name Chợ Cũ Food Collective to Satisfy All Your Snack Cravings
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- Published on Friday, 02 March 2018 11:46
- Written by Michael Tatarski. Photos by Brandon Coleman.
Some street eateries in Saigon are so good they don't need a name.
Hẻm Gems: Chu Se's 65 Years of Hủ Tiếu Mì by the Calmette Bridge
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- Published on Friday, 09 February 2018 11:00
- Written by Brian Letwin. Photos by Brandon Coleman.
Saigon is home to a number of street food eateries that span generations, from a 100-year old vegetarian joint to a 70-year-old hủ tiếu Mỹ Tho restaurant right in the heart of District 1.
Hẻm Gems: Fine Dining at a Budget Price in Binh Thanh's Mai Sen Bistro
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- Published on Friday, 26 January 2018 10:43
- Written by Michael Tatarski. Top photo by Brandon Coleman.
When it comes to dining in Binh Thanh District, most Saigoneers probably think of street food, or perhaps the strip of Japanese establishments on Pham Viet Chanh Street.
Saigoneer’s 5 Best Hẻm Gems of 2017
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- Published on Friday, 29 December 2017 11:40
- Written by Saigoneer.
In 2017, Saigon certainly saw its fair share of the good, the bad, and the controversial, but it was without a doubt a wonderful year in eating. Across the city, we delighted in finding decades-old street food spots and brand new businesses alike.
From the Bottom of the Barrel to the Top of the Heap: The Rise of Cơm Tấm
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- Published on Friday, 08 December 2017 12:00
- Written by Dana Filek-Gibson. Photo by Brian Letwin.
Swing by chị Hien’s street cart for dinner on any given day and you’ll find a cross-section of Saigon that covers all demographics: middle-class residents from the apartment blocks up the street, well-heeled expats from nearby City Garden, neighborhood xe ôm drivers, hungry lotto ticket vendors and everyone in between. Rich, poor, young, old, local, foreign, we all agree on one thing: these people make a mean cơm tấm.
Hẻm Gems: In Hẻm 284, O Thu Brings a Touch of Hue to Saigon With Cơm Hến
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- Published on Friday, 01 December 2017 11:30
- Written by Khoi Pham. Photos by Brandon Coleman.
As the sun went down and Saigon’s throngs of workers ventured out of their office nests to fill local streets, I was perched on a red plastic stool in a hẻm in District 3 weeping and snorting like an unhinged moron.
Hẻm Gems: Chinese-Malaysian Noodles and Saigon's New Generation of Street Food
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- Published on Friday, 17 November 2017 10:58
- Written by Dana Filek-Gibson. Photos by Brandon Coleman.
When it comes to Saigon’s culinary landscape, the southern hub is pretty progressive. In addition to an array of Vietnamese dishes from every corner of the country, the city has also acquired a cosmopolitan palate that includes scores of Japanese izakaya, Korean barbecue spots, Taiwanese milk tea shops, Italian pizza places and burger joints of various international origins. The reason this works, an Indian restaurateur once told me, is because Saigoneers are open-minded: whether they know the cuisine or not, everyone is willing to give it a try.
Hẻm Gems: The Ingenuity of 24-Way Grilled Oysters in D4
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- Published on Friday, 03 November 2017 12:09
- Written by Dana Filek-Gibson. Photos by Brandon Coleman.
Innovation is important. With a healthy imagination and a bit of gusto, humans have the ability to create everything from DIY submarines to all-terrain wheelchairs to helmets specifically for married Thai women. But while we’re all quick to celebrate such ingenuity, it’s easy to forget the hours of trial and error that went into getting it just right.