With Unchecked Destruction, Saigon's Heritage Shophouse Architecture Is in Danger
The colonial shophouse, one of Saigon’s most iconic forms of architecture, is in imminent danger of extinction.
From a Blend of Cultures, Phá Lấu Became a Beloved Saigon Street Snack
When the word phá lấu is mentioned, two genres of dishes will appear in the mind of Vietnamese. One is a small bowl of orange broth that sings of coconut milk, another is slices of caramelized offal a...
The Story of Quách Đàm, the Man Who Shaped Modern Chợ Lớn — Part 2
By the 1920s, the old Bình Tây Market and much of the surrounding land had belonged to Quách Đàm, so he proposed to the colonial authorities the demolition of the existing building and the constructio...
Hẻm Gems: Tiệm Cơm Ninh Giang, a 'Secret' Hakka Feast Only for Those in the Know
I first heard about Tiệm Cơm Ninh Giang 寧江客家飯店 from some Hoa friends in the city.
The Story of Quách Đàm, the Man Who Shaped Modern Chợ Lớn — Part 1
Hải Thượng Lãn Ông Boulevard (the former quai Gaudot) in central Chợ Lớn preserves several elegant old colonial shophouse buildings, but perhaps the most interesting of all is the one at No. 45, once ...
At Saigon's Oldest Ornamental Fish Market, Fish Are Friends, Not Food
It is a street, not a river, that comes to mind when people talk about vibrant fish in Saigon. Located in District 5, Lưu Xuân Tín Street is only approximately 500 meters long, but it is home to ...
In a D6 Hẻm, Saigon's Last Remaining Broom-Making 'Village'
Nestled in a hẻm on Phạm Phú Thứ Street, District 6 is Saigon’s last remaining broom-making village.
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...
Khoi Pham in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: D6's Hot and Sour Suan La Fen Is the Noodle Dish to Conquer
Every time I lap up a spoonful of searing broth that’s so spicy I could almost count the number of times my face pulses, I feel grateful for taste buds.
Saigon School Forced to Close After Whirlwind Tears Roof off Classrooms
A storm on Saturday tore the roof off Binh Phu High School in District 6 of Saigon, disrupting the class schedules of nearly 2,000 students and requiring extensive repairs.
In Chợ Lớn, Leaf-Wrapped Rice Dumplings Abound Every Tết Đoan Ngọ
The fifth day of the fifth month of the lunar calendar is a day of great importance in Chinese communities all over Asia.
