Creativity and Quality Surprise at Mai House’s Affordable Seafood Buffet
Unripe mangosteen chicken salad has been all over Vietnamese social media during the past few weeks, though we didn’t expect to find it at an upscale hotel dinner buffet. But across from the sushi and beside a spread of European cheeses at Mai House, there it was: the newest trend ready for tasting. The semi-sweet fruit generously spread amongst moist chicken and fresh vegetables was an interesting item indeed, but the biggest surprise was finding it at a style of dining one typically associates with conventional recipes. The dish thus exemplifies Mai House’s creativity and responsiveness.
Hẻm Gems: In Bàn Cờ Market, Cô Vân's Cút Lộn Sốt Me Offers Fortune and Flavor
It would be a grave sin to discuss Saigon’s street food scene without a proper mention of vịt lột.
Cà Rem Cây, Kem Chuối and the Frozen Tickets to Our Childhood
Sometimes, when I hear the distant sound of a tinkling bell, fond memories of summer days from my wonder years come flooding back to me.
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.”
Just a Love Letter to Saigon's Tropical Fruits
How lovely to have taste buds and to have tasty things to eat.
Fruity, Creamy, Icy: A Bingsu Corner in D7 for Those With a Sweet Tooth
As summer draws closer, bringing with it a sweltering sun and drenched T-shirts, one's mind can't help but drift to the incomparable delight of a snowy treat that can ward off the season's heat.
Khôi Phạm in Snack Attack
For the Love of Our Cooling, Affordable and Ubiquitous Trà Đá
In Saigon, trà đá vendors don’t exist, simply because every single eatery is in itself a trà đá vendor.
Paul Christiansen in Dishcovery
Nem Cuốn Is the Refreshing Rolls We Need in Saigon’s Sweltering Summers
Even during the summer, when the sun bares its teeth and snarls at passing clouds, one must eat. But lugging a belly stuffed with hot, heavy soup, rice and meat through days devoid of shade sounds horrible. So I often settle for lighter fare. Fruit, salads, cold noodles. One of my favorite items for supplying nutrients without overburdening the little thermal factory that is my metabolism is rice paper rolls.
Thi Nguyen in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gem: Bún Cá Sứa With a Stock That Tastes Like the Ocean
A friend once told me that Saigon is a place that makes you feel like you can travel anywhere.
Year in Review: Saigoneer's Picks for Best Hẻm Gems of 2019
In 2019, Saigoneer reviewed a total of 38 Hẻm Gems, including 10 bars or cafes, 15 Vietnamese eateries and 13 places serving delicious non-Vietnamese cuisines.
Saigoneer's 7 Best Ngõ Nooks of 2019
2019 again witnessed the continued need for humans to consume food and drink to satisfy our energy requirements.
As Shortage Continues, Bánh Chưng Makers Start Hoarding Pork for Tet
Vietnam has been suffering from a pork shortage and thus, pork price hike, as the aftermath of the African swine fever outbreak continues to affect farmers.
Ngõ Nooks: Loading T Serves up Decadent Egg Coffee in a 1930s Architectural Gem
Travel back in time to a café within a charming 1930s building, only a few hundred meters away from St Joseph’s Cathedral.
Thi Nguyen in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: A Secret Back-Alley Bún Ngan, Hidden in Plain Sight
Several months ago, the Saigoneer team went to 89 Nguyen Du for a Hẻm Gem on Ngo 89’s Hanoian snacks. Little did I know, we’d be going to the same location for an entirely different eatery later on.
Hẻm Gems: Home-Cooked Taiwanese Comfort Food for a Cold Saigon Day
District 5, Saigon’s Chinatown, is full of delicious eateries serving Cantonese food. For something new, try Va Thanh, an unassuming restaurant with top-notch Taiwanese home-style cooking.
Khoi Pham in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: Saigon Retro Cafe Has Just the Right Amount of Sentimentality
It’s a teensy bit weird to say that my new favorite hangout is above a VinMart.
Ngõ Nooks: A Steaming Bowl of Mỳ Vằn Thắn to Ward off Winter’s Chill
The Old Quarter’s labyrinthine streets contain so many eateries that newcomers can easily feel overwhelmed.
Cơm Tấm Crisis: Price of Pork Dishes Increases as Pork Shortage Hits Saigon
Back in July, it was predicted that Vietnam's recent African swine fever outbreak might cause a pork shortage that could last until 2020.
Thi Nguyen in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: Krua Thai's Raw Seafood Salad Is Not for the Faint-Hearted
The first role I ever took in my home kitchen was to prepare sweet fish sauce with chili and garlic to pour over rice and noodles. As simple as this may sound, I still can’t master the art after years...
Hẻm Gems: Bánh Đập Dập, an Indelible Reminder of Vietnam's Austere Eras
Although stories, photographs and artifacts may allow a child to visualize their parents’ childhood, these couriers of memory distinctively belong to the former generation and remain locked in the pas...
Thi Nguyen 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&rs...
Ngõ Nooks: In Xoan Cafe, a Sanctuary for Art, Tea and Cats
Curious cats, steaming tea and art-lined walls make Xoan Café feel like a home away from home.
Hẻm Gems: The 'Stink' of Bún Mắm Nêm Is My Childhood Aroma
Every time I depart from Vietnam to study abroad or travel, on the way to Tan Son Nhat International Airport I stop by the Bau Cat area in Tan Binh to stuff myself with at least two bowls of bún mắm n...
Not Just a Drink: As Vietnam's Coffee Scene Matures, It's Also Getting More Serious
If motorbikes are the choice mode of transportation in Saigon, coffee has got to be the choice stimulant and legal addiction.
Khoi Pham in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: The Best Cao Lầu Outside of Hoi An Is in Tan Binh
Years ago, the first time I ate cao lầu, I committed a cardinal sin. As I gazed upon my freshly assembled bowl of noodles, without much thought, I asked the waitress for more sauce.
Ngõ Nooks: Silken Tofu and Velvety Dumplings at Hanoi’s Most Authentic Chinese Eatery
I’ve long searched for an authentic Chinese restaurant in Hanoi that makes good dumplings — one of the most comforting foods to come out of northern China.
Khoi Pham in Saigon Hẻm Gems
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.
Vietnam Crowned Asia's Leading Culinary, Cultural Destination at World Travel Awards
Vietnam’s rising position in the global tourism arena was recently recognized by scores of accolades at the World Travel Awards.
