On Finding Flavors of Home in Takadanobaba, Tokyo's 'Vietnam Town'
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- Published on 14 April 2023
- Written by Oliver Newman. Photos by Oliver Newman.
A bánh mì stand to the left, signs for Bích Karaoke above an alley across the street, an open shopfront lined with bottles of Chin-Su chili sauce and G7 coffee sachets, a laid back restaurant where waiters dish out steaming bowls of noodles to customers perched on plastic stools.
The 1st Trailer of HBO's Adaptation of Viet Thanh Nguyen's 'The Sympathizer' Is Here
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- Published on 13 April 2023
- Written by Saigoneer.
The visuals give a glimpse into the mood and feel of the much-anticipated 2024 HBO adaptation of Viet Thanh Nguyen's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel.
Ngõ Nooks: In a 95-Year-Old House, Mết Coffee Sells Drinks, Cozy Conversations
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- Published on 11 April 2023
- Written by Lê Vy. Photos by Léo-Paul Guyot.
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 Thế, just a stone’s throw from the Temple of Literature.
Hội An's Plan to Charge Entrance Fees From Next Month Faces Backlash
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- Published on 06 April 2023
- Written by Saigoneer.
Hội An’s upcoming plan to enforce its admission rules for Vietnamese tourists has inspired negative reactions from the general public.
The Rich History Behind One of Hanoi's 2 Remaining Chinese Guild Halls
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- Published on 05 April 2023
- Written by Uyên Đỗ. Photos by Alberto Prieto, Linh Phạm and Léo-Paul Guyot.
With the changing gears of history, at times even the oldest layers of a thousand-year-old town must evolve to house new meanings.
Ngõ Nooks: Hanoi's Phố Vũ Thạnh Offers a Nice Egg in This Trying Time
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- Published on 04 April 2023
- Written by Đồng Thanh Thủy. Photos by Linh Phạm.
“Is there any food we can eat for breakfast, afternoon snack and supper?”
After 4 Years, Krossing Over Arts Festival Returns to Saigon With a Week of Events
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- Published on 03 April 2023
- Written by Saigoneer. Images courtesy of Krossing Over Arts Festival.
After a four-year hiatus, performing art extravaganza Krossing Over Arts Festival (KOAF) officially makes a comeback this April with a week of events to delight Saigon’s art lovers.
Bảo Ninh's English-Language Return and the Magic of Mundane Moments
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- Published on 30 March 2023
- Written by Paul Christiansen. Graphic by Mai Khanh.
Of all 20th-century Vietnamese authors whose works were translated into English, none have received more high-profile attention than Bảo Ninh for his wartime novel Nỗi buồn chiến tranh (The Sorrow of War). Commonly billed as an essential book to better understand the American war from the Vietnamese perspective, it has won numerous prestigious awards worldwide and been translated into twenty different languages.
Plan to Put Canopy Over Treeless Lê Lợi Pavement Sparks Debate
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- Published on 29 March 2023
- Written by Saigoneer. Photo by Lê Thái Hoàng Nguyên.
Late last week, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Planning and Architecture unveiled a proposal to install canopies across Lê Lợi Boulevard’s pavement.
The Rustic Beauty of Hanoi's Red River Brick Factories
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- Published on 27 March 2023
- Written by Kit Humphrey. Photos by Kit Humphrey.
Living in a city as culturally rich and absorbing as Hanoi, it’s not unusual to discover new secrets in a place you thought you knew completely. The depth of the capital really is astounding. And yet, I wasn’t quite prepared for the striking, rustic beauty of the brick factories on the Red River’s north shore.
The History of Hanoi's Lost Tramway Network
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- Published on 23 March 2023
- Written by Tim Doling.
When they first drew up plans for a citywide tramway network in 1894, it seemed as though the Hanoi authorities would follow Saigon’s example by opting for steam traction. Yet, by the time government approval was forthcoming in 1899, advances in technology made it possible to construct the entire system as a state-of-the-art, one-meter gauge electric tramway.
Ngõ Nooks: Xóm Hạ Hồi's 30-Year-Old Bún Thang Stands the Test of Time
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- Published on 23 March 2023
- Written by Hà Tạ. Photos by Long Nguyễn.
If you peel through the peaceful residential areas around the Quang Trung and Trần Hưng Đạo crossroads, you might just chance upon Bún Thang 11 Hạ Hồi, a humble, household noodle spot.
At Phước Hải's Lễ Hội Nghinh Ông, Everything Every Whale All at Once
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- Published on 23 March 2023
- Written by Adrien Jean. Photos by Adrien Jean.
Phước Hải is a fishing township in the south of Vietnam, a short ride away from Vũng Tàu.
Bamboo Dance, Folk Tunes, and Fiery Guitar: The Spectable Behind Dzung's New Live EP
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- Published on 22 March 2023
- Written by Saigoneer. Images courtesy of Dzung.
Following his critically acclaimed latest album "Dzanca," progressive metal guitarist Dzung is gearing up for the release of a special EP that chronicles his full live set at HOZO music festival taking place last December.
Ngõ Nooks: Căng Tin Cafe, a Gateway to the Past for the City's New Youth
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- Published on 21 March 2023
- Written by Peter Cowan. Photos by Kit Humphrey.
Hanoi’s café scene is saturated with cafés selling a vision of the past.
Ngõ Nooks: Blue Crab and Beer for a Bodacious Snack on the Hanoi Sidewalk
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- Published on 20 March 2023
- Written by Linh Phạm. Photos by Alberto Prieto.
Of all seafood in Vietnam, ghẹ (blue crab) is among the most expensive. Even at wholesale markets, these crustaceans can fetch from VND300,000 to 400,000 a kilogram and any buffet deal that boasts their presence naturally comes with an exorbitant price tag. It was a personal surprise for me to find this highly sought-after delicacy right on the pavement at Quán Ghẹ Cô Tươi.
The Ugly Truth of the Life and Impending Demise of the Hoàn Kiếm Turtle
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- Published on 18 March 2023
- Written by Paul Christiansen. Graphic by Mai Phạm.
Everyone knows the mythological story of the Hoàn Kiếm turtle.
I Went Cloud-Hunting and Found Peace Atop Đà Lạt's Tea Hill
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- Published on 16 March 2023
- Written by Hương Lê. Photos by Hương Lê.
Northern California is blessed with serene nature. Growing up there, pathless trails and cloudy mountain peaks were my safe havens, and when returning home on break from college, it was a tradition to visit my favorite hideout place: a curvy hill near my old high school. Sitting atop the hill and looking down at the city offer a peaceful means to recharge and quiet my mind. The appearance of clouds adds more to the valley’s awe-inspiring nature.
Go Through Centuries of Ceramic History at Hanoi's Bát Tràng Museum
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- Published on 15 March 2023
- Written by Léo-Paul Guyot. Photos by Léo-Paul Guyot.
The Pottery Museum in Làng Gốm Bát Tràng (Bát Tràng Ceramics Village) showcases the cultural heritage of the village through its exhibits of the works of past and present artisans.
Ngõ Nooks: A Blissful Fish Feast at Bún Cá Sâm Cây Si
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- Published on 14 March 2023
- Written by Trang Bùi. Photos by Trang Bùi.
As hot as it gets, Hanoi’s scorching summer is no match for delightful fish rolls and refreshing sour soup.
