Thi Nguyễn in Food Culture
Chè, Bánh, Chả, Nem: The Curious Lives of Vietnam’s Regional Food Names
Realizing the word that one is using refers to an entirely different object in another region is a situation many can relate to. The last time this happened to me, it almost cost me a bowl of Hanoi’s ...
Hẻm Gems: Time-Tested Sâm Bổ Lượng Versus Wacky Quail Eggs in a Dessert
As a kid, my mom would often buy me chè when the weather was too hot to keep me from drinking Coca-Cola. Chè made by Hoa people always got my attention, thanks to its distinctive presentation. Though,...
Thi Nguyễn in Snack Attack
In Bánh Củ Cải, a Curious Slice of Bạc Liêu's Teochew Heritage
You know a dish is special when it can spark conversation with a stranger on a bus. Halfway through the scrumptious bánh củ cải (radish cake) from our last-minute trip to the market, I shared the othe...
Paul Christiansen in Dishcovery
Saigon's Most Famous Cua Rang Me Is a Tangy Tamarind Party
It started with tamarind, and ended with crab.
How Saigon's Free Water Coolers Quench Thirst and Spread Kindness
In recent years, stories about climate change's impacts on the lives of Vietnamese people have been increasingly making the news.
Hẻm Gems: In D5, a Family Durian Xôi Xiêm Recipe Inspired by Cambodia
At first glance, xôi xiêm sầu riêng — or sticky rice with egg custard and durian — may appear plain-looking, but apart from being a tasty sweet treat, this simple dish also holds stories of life durin...
Đà Nẵng Is Michelin's New Destination for 2024 Version of Vietnam Guide
After Saigon and Hanoi, Đà Nẵng will be the next Vietnamese city with its own Michelin Guide selections.
How Richie Fawcett's Saigon Sketches Illuminate a Decade of Change
It’s been hidden right there in the heart of Saigon for over half a decade.
Trần Trung Lĩnh's Latest Art Collection Is an Homage to Saigon and Van Gogh
Van Gogh’s distinctive palette is perhaps one of the most recognizable personal styles in the art world, and viewers of Vietnamese artist Trần Trung Lĩnh’s artworks are sure to be amused to see these ...
Khôi Phạm in Food Culture
Opinion: With New Vietnam Guide, Michelin Has Failed Asian Street Food Again
Nothing gets Saigon foodies up in arms faster than the ratio of 10 phở restaurants to zero bánh mì place, but this disproportionate phở favoritism is just one of many ways the Michelin Guide has fumbl...
Khôi Phạm in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: The 40-Year-Old Phở Gà in Kỳ Đồng, Now Michelin-Approved
If you’re ever lost in District 3, Kỳ Đồng’s famous phở gà place will be the oasis you need in those trying times.
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...
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,...
Saigon’s Vibrant Charm and Energy Captured at RBar and Viet Kitchen
Can one long for Saigon, even when in Saigon? The metropolis’ international influences and connections mean one can find cuisines, products and aesthetics from just about everywhere in the world here....
A Mojito Made with Saigon’s Steamy Summer in Mind
Born in Cuba, mojitos have spread throughout the world and are particularly popular in tropical regions where the cocktail’s mint, lime juice, simple sugar and white rum prove particularly refreshing....
Khôi Phạm in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: We Found Huế's Roast Pork Chè in Saigon, but It's Complicated.
When the parent ingredients are such top-tier performers in their respective categories, it’s natural to feel disappointed that the resulting combination is so subpar.
Michelin to Release Vietnam Guide for Restaurants in Hanoi, Saigon Next Year
For the first time, Saigon and Hanoi eateries will be featured in a MICHELIN Guide in June 2023.
The Peculiar Gender Dynamics of Hanoi's Male-Dominated Cờ Tướng Scene
On a sunset wander through Hanoi, you may be surprised by the peculiar sight of men haphazardly perched in nooks and crannies playing the ancient game of xiangqi.
Nearly 50% of Produce Sampled at Saigon Wholesale Markets Contains Pesticide Residues
Nearly 50% samples of fruits and vegetables gathered from Saigon wholesale markets were found to contain pesticide residues, while significant amounts of seafood tested positive for dangerous metals a...
Bắc Giang Farmers Successfully Grow Seedless Lychees
After years of experimenting, Bắc Giang has finally succeeded in growing seedless lychees.
Charles Phan's Bánh Mì Is Not Here to Take You Down Memory Lane
“Charles Phan had more impact on Vietnamese food than any other chef in the country.” — Michael Bauer, San Francisco Chronicle.
Just a Love Letter to Saigon's Tropical Fruits
How lovely to have taste buds and to have tasty things to eat.
Thai Rapper Eats Mango Sticky Rice During Coachella Set, Wins Our Hearts
Maybe Suboi can eat a plate of cơm tấm during her next performance.
Hanoi to Establish Animal Control Squads to Catch Roaming Dogs, Cats
In a city-wide campaign to curb the spread of rabies, Hanoi authorities announced that the city will form squads dedicated to snaring stray dogs.
Michael Tatarski in Film & TV
'Madame Pirate,' Short Film Based on History's Greatest Pirate, Screens at SXSW
Do you know who the world's greatest pirate is?
A Feast for Your Eyes, Ears and Soul in Culinary Frank's ASMR Cooking
Based in Melbourne, a Vietnamese chef-turned-YouTuber has been cooking up a delicious storm of homey dishes and global cuisines imbued with ASMR, inspiring home cooks to go on culinary adventures in t...
Paul Christiansen in Food Culture
How a Vietnamese Food Stylist Puts 'the Bling Bling' on Bánh Chưng
“When people know what they are doing, they bring food to life,” says Thu Pham Buser, a New York-based food stylist of her profession.
In a Schoolyard, a Close-Knit Community Spearheads Saigon's Archery Scene
Laser-focused gazes, shiny bows, colorful targets, and looking cool as hell: these are the components of a picture-perfect post one might find on the Instagram of any budding archer. But social media ...
Khôi Phạm in Natural Selection
Lá Dứa: The OG Queen of Vietnamese Desserts
There’s a 99% chance that a Vietnamese child’s first exposure to lá dứa, or pandan, is in the form of rau câu.
A New Generation of Vietnamese Chefs Is Shaking Things up in Prague
Triệu Thị Chơi, Cookbook Author Extraordinaire, Passes Away Due to Covid-19
Growing up in the 1990s, many Saigoneers must have gotten used to the sight of Triệu Thị Chơi’s name embossed in the author position of many cookbooks.
On the Idea of Home: Reflections From Another Covid-19 Summer
I’m writing this to remember another Covid summer. Today, Saigon continues the second round of social distancing.
Paul Christiansen in Natural Selection
Trái Vải: The Intoxicating Harbinger of Summer
Is scarcity a source of beauty?
Christine Ha Writes New Food Stories From Her Parents' Culinary Heritage
“I was in a creative writing program for grad school at the time, and I thought, as an artist, going on MasterChef would give me something to write about.”
Linh Pham in Culture
Bình Dân Học Vụ, Vietnam's Revolution Against the Enemy of Illiteracy
O tròn như quả trứng gà / ô thì đội mũ, ơ là thêm râu.
In Suburban Đà Lạt, With Spring Comes Mai Anh Đào's Breathtaking Pink Tapestry
Mai anh đào, or wild Himalayan cherry flower trees, blooms the brightest and most intensely in Lâm Đồng Province for a few short weeks from the end of January until mid February.
When Life Gives You Flavorful Vietnamese Cashews, Make Vegan Cheese
“Firstly, I had to find my calling, but in the end, it all came down to creating something and then seeing others enjoy it."
Exploring Diverse Indian Flavors at Saigon’s Beloved Baba’s Kitchen
Have you ever stopped and wondered where the Indian curry you’re enjoying came from?
The Story of Vietnam's Urban Energy and Aspirations Told via Southern Modernist Architecture
The following article is an edited excerpt from the recently published book Southern Vietnamese Modernist Architecture, presenting the history of the style, and how it contrasts with modernism in nort...
High Chemical Levels Detected in Air Following Warehouse Fire
Heads up, Hanoians!
Searching for Elegance Along the Saigon River
The Saigon River slithers like a magnificent serpent with scales made of sunlight.
Paul Christiansen in Snack Attack
The Delectable Desserts to Satisfy Your Craving This Durian Season
If I were ever to believe in a generous god, the existence of durian would be the first piece of evidence I cite.
[Photos] What Vintage School Assignments Can Teach Us About 1933 Vietnam
Cultural artifacts like artwork can reveal fascinating insights into our ancestors’ past life, though the pieces below are far from the kind of artistic creations that get featured in museums.
Vietnamese Professor Among 10 Winners of Prestigious European Mathematics Prize
A Vietnamese professor recently clinched a prestigious prize for young individuals who have made significant contributions to the development of mathematics.
Hanoi Visitor Numbers Down 92% Over Holiday Weekend Compared to 2019
The recent national holiday weekend saw Hanoi's visitor numbers plummet in the face of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
[Illustrations] Everyday Life in 1923 Northern Vietnam Through 10 Rare Sketches
It was a simpler time in Vietnam 100 years ago — just people going about their life without a single phone in sight.
Khoi Pham in Music & Arts
A Young Hanoi Orchestra Brings Symphonic Disney Nights to Saigon
Growing up with the touching stories of Walt Disney Studios, many Saigoneers have formed a personal connection with the cheery tunes of songs like The Little Mermaid’s ‘Under the Sea’ or the icon...
[Video] Saigon Studio Creates Endearing Tribute to Teachers in Animated Video
Today, at public schools across Vietnam, a festive mood fills the atmosphere as students and teachers take part in the national celebration of Vietnamese Teachers’ Day.
Michael Tatarski in Music & Arts
On Connecting With a City Through Urban Sketching
Louis Barnard, who is originally from South Africa and has lived in Seoul, Hanoi and now Saigon, uses art as a way to connect with the cities he calls home.
More Than Just an Identity, Saigon's Modernist Architecture Reflects Past Optimism for a New Era
The last 30 years have seen unprecedented economic development in Ho Chi Minh City. Since Doi Moi relaxed foreign investment laws back in 1986, the city has welcomed change with open arms and increasi...
The Bachelor's Happy Queer Romance Is the Positive Representation That Vietnam's LGBT Community Needs
Last Wednesday, the couple talked about their declaration of love during a live stream Facebook interview with the reality show centered around straight relationships.
Paul Christiansen in Food Culture
The Wild, Wondrous History of Lychee
Treacherous rebels were amassing support in the outskirts while licentious interlopers lounged in teahouses and corruption lurked in every alleyway and courtyard in the capital. The 8th-century Tang E...
Khôi Phạm in Snack Attack
The Yin and Yang of Saigon Street Desserts: Black Sesame Soup and Bean Curd
In the back of my mind lives a chorus of street calls: the staccato pauses in a recorded advertisement "bánh mì Sài Gòn, một ngàn một ổ" (hot Saigon bánh mì, only thousand [dong] per loaf), the clink-...
Opinion: Saigon’s Architecture Should Express Our Times Today, Not the Past
Based upon its fascinating history, modern-day Saigon displays a rich character all its own, with buildings across the city representing each era of its storied past. However, several faux colonial bu...
Khoi Pham in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: Refreshing Chè at Hiển Khánh, a 60-Year-Old Retro Hangout
Relishing a bowl of assorted chè at Thach Che Hien Khanh is more than just an afternoon spent shooting the breeze with friends, it’s also a trip down memory lane and an exploration into Saigon’s herit...
How Vietnam Created Its Own Brand of Modernist Architecture
Throughout the 20th century, as Vietnam underwent dramatic historical and political changes, a unique brand of modernist architecture developed in the country, transforming its present-da...
Brian Letwin in Health
Organic Vietnam: A Step in the Right Direction
Organic produce has gained massive popularity in the West over the last few decades. Given the importance of agriculture in Vietnam – both from economic and health standpoints – there are those who ar...
