Mầm in Music & Arts
Vietnamese Painter Một Quả Tắc Creates an Intimate and Gentle World on Silk
Silk is an inherently finicky, demanding medium. Yet from the very first encounter, Quế Hương had chose to embrace its temperament and has devoted herself to it for nearly a decade.
How Soy Milk Symbolizes an Imagined Vietnam of My Childhood in France
I still remember vividly the anticipation running through my veins, when I saw a waiter bringing me a glass of sữa đậu nành, every time my family took me to one of the many Vietnamese restaurants of t...
Hẻm Gems: In Đà Nẵng, Góc Nhà Tụi Mình Is Where Tea Time Feels Like Home
As a Đà Nẵng native, I often get asked where and what to eat and drink by friends who are in town. The tried-and-true list of places in my mind always includes Góc Nhà Tụi Mình, which I’ve frequented ...
Tim Doling in Saigon
How Nhà Thờ Tân Định, Saigon's Iconic Pink Church, Came to Be
You just have to mention the “pink church” and everyone knows which one you mean. But few are aware that the building in question — Tân Định Church — is one of Saigon’s oldest and most important Roman...
The Man Bringing a Michelin Reputation to Phú Quốc’s Pink Pearl: Olivier Elzer
Just before reaching the sand, the sky awash in soft, late afternoon pastels, you’ll arrive at the Pink Pearl, which now bears a sign announcing it as the Pink Pearl by Olivier E. But who is Olivier E...
From Goldenhour to Moonlit Magic at INK 360
The journey to INK 360 begins before the first sip of a cocktail. Guests arrive via a golden bubble elevator, its curved glass glowing softly as it rises with a quiet hum. Inside, antic...
Elise Lương in Architecture
To Teach Children the Importance of Play, First Bring Playgrounds Back to Hanoi
In rapidly developing urban Hanoi, finding engaging outdoor play areas for young children is near impossible. But since 2014, the social enterprise Think Playgrounds has colored public spaces across V...
Brian Letwin in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: Kura Bar, a Veritable Treasure Trove of Rare Japanese Sakes Amid Saigon
Saigoneers are spoilt for choice when it comes to Japanese eateries in the city. Dozens, if not hundreds, of sushi, ramen and izakaya spots dot its districts. And if you're in the mood for something s...
Hẻm Gems: A Night of Love, Poetry, and the Pursuit of the Sublime at Emme Bar
“So what makes Emme House different?” the head bartender Dũng asked during our earlier conversation with Trực, the bar’s owner. “Emme House is not a bar,” he explained. I further inquired then about t...
Pink Pearl Restaurant Prioritizes Sustainability with Vietnam’s First Michelin Green Star Restaurant
Sustainable gastronomy is amongst the most popular recent dining trends while traditional French cuisine is one of the most enduring restaurant experiences. The two are coming together on December 15 ...
Hẻm Gems: Amid Saigon's Heat, a Wintry Ambiance in Xocoati's Cozy Cocoa Drinks
Amidst Saigon’s year-round scorching heat, I crave coziness — a feeling that often comes with snuggling under heavy blankets in my Hanoian winter. I was searching for some comfort and “winter vibe” sp...
French and Korean Cuisine Celebrated at Pink Pearl's Gourmet Duet Four-Hands Dinner
A meal that celebrates French and Korean cuisine and incorporates Vietnamese techniques served in a Phú Quốc restaurant designed in homage to 1920s American opulence? Such an outlandishly unique meal ...
Fantasy Served with Local Flavors at Phú Quốc's Pink Pearl Restaurant
To flex their importance, the privileged flaunt what’s prohibited. When America banned the sale and consumption of alcohol in the 1920s, those rich and powerful enough to be beyond the law indulged in...
Khôi Phạm in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: While the Day Away Under the Green Canopy of Cỏ Cafe
Under a thick canopy of verdant vines and minuscule pink flowers, it’s easy to indulge in the cooling comfort of a glass of iced tamarind juice and while the day away.
Mầm in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: Come up, We're Watching Old Movies on the Neighbor's Wall
“Thank you for contacting Khôngtrung.bar. Our business hours are 6pm to 1am, Monday to Sunday. Open doors. Cocktails, craft beer, outdoor screening — Thursday and Sunday. Thank you and we hope to bump...
Ukiyo Concert to Bring Iconic Scores of Makoto Shinkai Movies to Life This July
This month, fans of Japanese auteur Makoto Shinkai will have a rare opportunity to watch the soundtracks of his hit movies come alive during three concerts in Saigon and Hanoi.
Linh Phạm in Hanoi Ngõ Nooks
Ngõ Nooks: What a Tea Ceremony Taught Me About Our Lotus Tea Traditions
“The lotus is our national flower, and lotus tea is regarded as the national tea.”
Ngõ Nooks: In a 95-Year-Old House, Mết Coffee Sells Drinks, Cozy Conversations
It was a drizzly day. The chilliness and the weepy mood of Hanoi weather drenched me in an unnamed melancholy. I was ambling aimlessly on the street when I came across Mết, a coffee shop in ngõ Yên Th...
Oliver Newman in Hanoi Ngõ Nooks
Ngõ Nooks: Cozy up at Ẩn Cà Phê With Morning Coffees and Night Cocktails
In the Mood for Love, Wong Kar-wai’s elegantly restrained movie about married lovers resisting adultery, offers up a delicious cocktail of emotions. At least, that is the concept behind the drinks men...
Uyên Đỗ in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: The Secret Realm of Good Vibes Behind the Doors of Passengers Cafe
Like any person born after the year 1990, I am chronically affected by the condition of dawdling at a coffee shop for a supposed boost in productivity and “the vibes” when the clock strikes close to a...
Biên Hòa Cafe Embraces Industrial Design for a Transient Existence
If your dwelling is temporary, how much care do you pay to your surroundings?
Ngõ Nooks: Cafe Yên, Where the Line Between Coffee Shop and Alley Blurs
Yên (adj): quiet, unmoved.
Saigon Police Want Nhậu Eateries to Report Drunk Customers Who Try to Drive
Now that public gathering is no longer a health hazard, Saigon’s drunk driving epidemic is back in full swing.
Hẻm Gems: In Warmth and Good Drinks, an Amiable Cafe's Spirit Lives On
How would you feel if everything about your favorite spot suddenly changed one day? Would the same attachment still stand? Those were the questions that popped into my head the afternoon I paid my vis...
Indie Meets Classical in a New Rendition of 'Tôi và Em' by Pink Frog
In the company of three violins, a cello, and a double bass, Pink Frog delivers a version of ‘Tôi và Em’ that is even sweeter than the original.
Indie Quintet Whee! Brings Their Eclectic Sounds to the Local Music Scene
Making their debut in the midst of the pandemic with a cryptically named album, Whee! offers listeners a down-to-earth and prismatic experience that draws from the musicians' harmonic bond.
Vietnamese Drank More Alcohol in Pandemic-Hit 2020, Data Shows
In a year marked by social isolation, Vietnam’s alcohol consumption increased considerably, though it’s not difficult to figure out why.
Wink Hotel Saigon Centre: Saigon’s Hip New Place to Stay
“Because you get it” is a fitting tagline for the newly-opened Wink Hotel Saigon Centre, the first hotel of several planned Wink Hotels in Vietnam.
[Photos] The Arduous Pilgrimage to Chùa Hương Over 30 Years Ago
Every year, with the arrival of spring comes a grand journey.
Linh Pham in Hanoi Ngõ Nooks
Ngõ Nooks: Quán Nhạc Cầm Nurtures the Soul Like a Love Song
Albeit ostensibly a coffee shop, Cầm’s specialty is actually old Vietnamese music.
Hẻm Gems: Sipping Cocktails on Plastic Stools Is a Special Saigon Street Treat
Is there anything more synonymous with Saigon than the humble street cart? With stalls citywide on every corner, it’s our version of the public house — places where people come together and connect, a...
From November, Parents Could Be Fined for Letting Children Drink Alcohol
This is one of a number of new alcohol-related regulations coming into force.
New Decree Makes Selling Beer to People Under 18 a Fineable Offense
Beer is now legally off-limits for Vietnamese teens, but it’s unclear if the regulations will effectively deter underage drinking.
Large Sinkhole Appears in Go Vap During Thunderstorm Last Night
Driving in the rain in Saigon exposes residents to a range of dangers, now including one that’s right beneath their wheels.
From Iconic Street Scene to Hybrid T-Shirt: The Journey of a Ginkgo Design
A street cart crammed with all the fresh ingredients and utensils needed for a scrumptious meal parked beside hungry guests enjoying their dishes on plastic tables beneath a bright red flag: i...
Japan Releases Adorable Pink Honda Cub Inspired by 'Weathering With You'
For a limited time, Honda is selling scooters based on the popular animated film Weathering With You.
Morning Stories Roundup: Metro Line Cost, Hospital E-Cards, and New Flight Route
Stay connected with Saigoneer on Twitter and Instagram and like us on Facebook. Each morning, we select some of the most important stories from Saigon, the rest of Vietnam and beyond, and digest them...
Khoi Pham in Music & Arts
A Local Artist's Vision of Vietnam, Rendered in the Dreamlike Nature of Anime
In 2016, Toho released the Japanese romantic fantasy Your Name. worldwide to rapturous reception. The feature, written and directed by Makoto Shinkai, went on to become the most financially successful...
Khôi Phạm in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: In Saigon's Greenest Cafe, a Rabbit, Cotton and Succulents Galore
On a windy autumn day of 2019, I did what any existentially precarious millennial would eventually do some time in their 20s: I bought a houseplant.
Over 23,000 Drivers Fined for Driving Under Influence in First 2 Months of 2020
After the new bill on alcohol consumption was passed by the National Assembly, stricter regulations on driving after having consumed alcohol were enforced.
Indonesia Minister Proposes Taxes to Sugary Drinks, Polluting Vehicles, Plastic Bags
There is a new proposal to tax sugary drinks, plastic bags and cars that release high amounts of carbon dioxide emissions in Indonesia.
Khôi Phạm in Arts & Culture
The Unsolved Riddle Behind Cô Mía, Vietnam's Sugarcane Juice Muse
“Oh this drawing?” chị Liên shouted in Vietnamese over the juicer’s raucous purring. “I don’t know who she is. Isn’t it just an advertisement?”
