Khoi Pham in Street Food
Hẻm Gems: At D5's Sủi Cảo Đại Nương, a Song of Chives and Fire
One night after my meal at Sui Cao Dai Nuong, I find myself in a mystifying dream about chives.
Khoi Pham in Street Food
Hẻm Gems: The Crispy Duck Noodles for When You're Feeling Fancy
Right in the middle of frenetic hospital crowds, imposing pharmacies and peak-hour traffic, Hue Ky Mi Gia stands out, its indoor dining area seemingly unaffected by the commotion that’s going on just ...
Khoi Pham in Street Food
Hẻm Gems: Khoai Bistro Serves up a Mother Lode of Ribs and Breakfast Skillet
Praise be to those who bring the hearty wholesomeness of the breakfast skillet to every hour of the day.
Khoi Pham in Street Food
Hẻm Gems: The Unbearable Lightness of Eating Bò Lá Lốt Alone
There are certain activities that are best not undertaken alone: karaoke, barbeque, watching football and feasting on ốc. The consensus, however, is still out on bò nướng lá lốt mỡ chài, so I decided ...
Mervin Lee in Street Food
Hẻm Gems: Tasty Char Kway Teow and Sisig Where You Least Expect It
"They have bak kut teh. And what do you call that...Singaporean Hokkien fried noodles? The Korean businessmen go there for gatherings too," a friend told me during a casual chat at a craft beer joint ...
Michael Tatarski in Street Food
Hẻm Gems: A Delicious Journey on the Caribbean Clipper at Jamaica Jamaica
By this stage of my life in Saigon, I'm not particularly surprised when an outpost of some unexpected cuisine appears in the unlikeliest of places.
Khoi Pham in Street Food
Hẻm Gems: At Sara Ethiopian, a Chicken Stew for the Soul
Before the existence of Sara Ethiopian Restaurant in Saigon, my knowledge about the African country could fit squarely in a child’s palm: its capital, Addis Ababa; the tragic Ethiopian Airlines crash ...
Mervin Lee in Street Food
Hẻm Gems: An Ancient Chinese Meat Sandwich, 3,000km Away From Home
In the landlocked Chinese city of Xian, the legendary Terracotta Army of more than 8,000 soldiers with distinct facial features, weapons, chariots and horses finds their eternal home. This article, ho...
Anh Nguyen in Street Food
Hẻm Gems: The Greasy Extravaganza of Deep-Fried Bột Chiên and Egg
Bột chiên is a familiar comfort food for many Vietnamese people.
James Drinkwater in Street Food
Hẻm Gems: It's a Pagoda, It's a Restaurant, It's Superb Vegetarian Food
The revered 92-year-old Vietnamese Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh sums up his teachings on food and the first meal of the day like this: “I asked some children, 'What is the purpose of eating breakfast...
Khoi Pham in Street Food
Hẻm Gems: For the Love of Hanoian Snacks and Streetside Iced Tea
During the day, the dining area at 89 Nguyen Du houses a bún bò restaurant, but once the afternoon comes to an end and the sun starts to set, the area turns into a boisterous nhậu spot filled with nor...
Michael Tatarski in Street Food
Hẻm Gems: A Direct Flight to Taiwan Through Your Taste Buds
One of the great benefits Vietnam's budget airline boom is the ease with which Saigoneers can now travel directly to wonderful destinations like Japan and South Korea without breaking the bank.
James Drinkwater in Street Food
Hẻm Gems: The Comfort of Slurping Vegetarian Noodles on the Pavement
Tien, who’s been up since 4am, stops for a moment, lets out a small sigh of satisfaction and wipes the sweat from her brow with the well-used towel around her neck. It’s now 7:45am on another hot, hum...
Khoi Pham in Street Food
Hẻm Gems: Nhậu and Forming Friendships the Laotian Way in Saigon
“Here we go, I’m gonna do it,” I proclaim to a table of eight friends. On the tip of my chopsticks is a single ant egg, the “pearl of the forest” as some call it. Instead of ending in a dramatic burst...
Killian Davern in Street Food
Hẻm Gems: Finding Your Path at a Downtown Vegan Buffet
Peaceful music that chimes with joy, monks that greet you with smiles, and a delectable donation-based vegan buffet — it's a little heaven on earth. Well, heaven underneath a derelict building on Ton ...
Khoi Pham in Street Food
Hẻm Gems: A Bowl of Tripe Noodles That Takes You Straight to Hong Kong
In the public discourse surrounding beef and its culinary application, more often than not there’s barely any space for tripe.
Tran Le in Street Food
Hẻm Gems: Where Chay Alter Egos of Vietnam's Everyday Soups Reign
My first-ever vegetarian dish, long before I followed a plant-based diet, was hủ tiếu chay, and since then it has been my go-to order when trying a new restaurant. Besides, you definitely cannot go wr...
Mervin Lee in Street Food
Hẻm Gems: One Family's Unexpected Outpost at the Foot of Langbiang
Lac Duong, a township 12 kilometers north of central Da Lat, isn't exactly a place where one would expect to find some international comfort.
Paul Christiansen in Street Food
Hẻm Gems: Making Good Life Decisions With Midday Rice Wine and Hanoi Deep-Fried Food
The Subcommittee for Sustainable Fishing? The Office of Dipterocarp Record-Keeping? The Directorate of Synthetic Rubber Quality Control? Ride-Share Hygiene Board? It was difficult to assess who exactl...
Pavan Shamdasani in Street Food
Hẻm Gems: A Masterful Osaka-Style Okonomiyaki in Binh Thanh
An honest-to-god Japanese izakaya is a beautiful thing. Dark and smoky, often decked out in wood furnishings and yellowing travel posters, its flawless blend of bar and restaurant often involves nothi...
