Neighborhood Vibes and Modern Comforts Combine at Hotel Indigo Saigon The City
Staying in a local neighborhood means surrounding yourself with the sights, styles, routines, traditions, and history of a locale. Hotel Indigo Saigon The City, a new boutique lifestyle hotel, tells the stories of the iconic Ba Son area via its details, decor, atmosphere, and experiences, so checking in feels like taking part in a celebration of the city.
Khôi Phạm in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: In Huế, Cơm Hến Bé Liêm Is Breakfast With a Side of Warm Hospitality
One of the small joys in life is having a favorite dish readily available whenever you crave it. Ever since I discovered the little hẻm in Saigon where Cơm Hến O Thu lies, my life has been ever so uplifted by the comfort that, every fortnight or so, I can hop on my motorbike, sit for 15 minutes, and have cơm hến on the table in a blink of an eye for gulping pleasures. Cơm hến is one of my favorite things, so naturally, when I got a chance to visit Huế, the dish’s hometown, there was no way I could miss out on this small joy that packs big flavors.
Hẻm Gems: In a D3 Hẻm, 40 Years of Bún Ốc and Other Northern Treats
As a resident of Saigon, I’m well-acquainted with the city's vibrant food scene, which features cuisines from various regions of Vietnam, and how these dishes blend local recipes with flavors that resonate with Saigon locals. But Bún Ốc Thanh Hải is quite the opposite. Its dishes, snacks, drinks, and even atmosphere carry a distinct northern identity, so much so that upon visiting the place, I felt as if I was on a culinary adventure within my own city.
Paul Christiansen in Dishcovery
Huế's Palm-Sized Bánh Mì Chuột Is the Perfect Snack for Nibbling While Walking
Huế's culinary landscape is designed for snacking. From bánh khoái to bánh bèo to chè bột lọc heo quay , many of the...
Hẻm Gems: 3 Hào, a Retro Industrial Cafe in D7 for Night Owls on Deadlines
What do you think of when imagining a cafe? For me, it's plants in every corner, small and cute paintings that adorn the walls, or a light- and neutral-colored space that brings a sense of peace to customers. What would happen if a coffee shop attempted to subvert most of these elements? This is the case of 3 Hào Cafe, a combination of vintage industrial ambiance and, of course, good drinks.
Khôi Phạm in Saigon Hẻm Gems
5 Saigon Coffee Shops Based in Buildings With Southern Modernist Architecture
Saigon is a cafe enthusiast’s paradise. A decades-old coffee culture fostered by previous generations is still alive and well, in addition to the latest global trends brought over by the younger generation of baristas. When it comes to interior styles and vibes, there’s a little something for everyone, from gritty industrial to spartan Japandi chic to Saigon’s very own southern modernist architecture.
Paul Christiansen in Vietnam Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: A Bún Bò in Huế That Rivals Even Saigon's Best Bún Bò Huế
Plastic stools circling low metal tables. Staff wearing pajamas and street clothes that match patrons welcomed from all walks of life. Meagre and/or mismatched decor. Views of street traffic with motorbike engines as soundtrack. Brief menus sometimes consisting of a single dish. A strict cash-only policy (until recent years, at least). Minimal concern for health-safety regulations. No artifice of chef as artist or meal as a masterpiece. While we can quibble over a specific, all-encompassing definition for streetfood restaurant, there are many qualities most will agree they share.
Hẻm Gems: Chè Lâm Vinh Mậu Anchors the Last Remaining Hoa Vestiges of D1
Whenever I come back to Vietnam, it is a personal ritual of mine to visit locales of the past. As clichéd as it sounds, as I have been abroad in Singapore for six years, returning to Vietnam is almost synonymous with returning to places that once shaped my past selves, whose presence has been fading in my mind.
[Photos/Video] As Tet Approaches, Vietnam's Braised Fish Village Goes Online
In the lead-up to Vietnam's new year celebration, it is time to remember that which is most important during the holiday season: food.
Dana Filek-Gibson in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: Cơm Tấm, Breakfast of Champions
There are three kinds of people in this world: early birds, night owls and the perpetually tired. Try as I might to adapt, I am the third.
Hanoi's Communist Cafe Chain Comes to Saigon
Set foot inside the newly opened southern branch of Cong Caphe and you'll instantly feel like a giant. The endless array of tchotchke lining its concrete walls and wooden shelves – transistor radios, ...
Da Nang's Taiwanese Taco Shop Is out of This World
It's fair to be skeptical of Mexican food in a country like Vietnam. Despite the best efforts of chefs across the country, tacos in Southeast Asia can often wind up being oceans away – both literally ...
[Photos] Here Are 12 of Thailand's Tastiest Noodle Soups
We all know about mì, phở, bún, bánh canh, hủ tiếu, miến, cao lâu and a plethora of other Vietnamese noodles, but Thailand is equally famous for its scores of noodle-based dishes.
Hẻm Gems: Saigon's 100-Year-Old Vegetarian Quán
A mellow hideaway amidst the hastening traffic near Ben Thanh Market, Tin Nghia vegetarian restaurant is a time capsule.
Inside Hong Kong's Futuristic McDonald's
Imagine if Kylo Ren, in a fit of hanger, opened a burger joint. There would definitely be some stainless steel in there, some dim lighting and perhaps a salad bar.
Hẻm Gems: Dropping the Flavor Bomb With Vietnamese Comfort Food
Given that most of the spots that show up in our Hẻm Gems series are full-on meals, we decided it was time to explore the vast world of small, snack-like Vietnamese dishes. There are plenty of great ...
Meet South Korea's Free-Diving Grannies
By now, you've likely heard of South Korea's young and (mostly) attractive foodporn stars. Mukbang is an internet sensation these days, as are a plethora of other odd Korean cultural phenomena.
Hẻm Gems: Bun Thit Nuong in a Street Foodie's Paradise
For those who don't know, Co Giang is a rugged street located in the middle of District 1's well-groomed downtown neighborhood. Despite its extremely central location, the short, narrow road manages t...
Starbucks' Da Lat Coffee Now Available in Vietnam
As of January 4, Starbucks stores in Vietnam now sell Da Lat coffee.
How Singapore's 'Hawkerpreneurs' Are Saving Street Food
Singapore, Southeast Asia's bastion of modernization, frequently earns a place among the most livable cities in the world. But thanks to its squeaky clean streets and highly efficient public tran...
[Video] Americans Try Hột Vịt Lộn for the First Time
When it comes to food, everything is relative: what's shocking and scandalous in one country is completely normal in another.
Dana Filek-Gibson in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: Chị Hiền's Cơm Sườn and the Single Greatest Fish Sauce of All Time
As an accomplished eater and failed cook, I spend a lot of time scouting street food venues.
Dana Filek-Gibson in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Check out the New Street Food Mecca Behind Ben Thanh Market
Barely more than a week old, Ben Thanh's brand-new street food market is already turning heads with its souped-up version of the standard roadside dining experience.
Saigoneer's 5 Best Hẻm Gems of 2015
From legendary chicken and rice to finger-licking fried buns to an unbeatable hủ tiếu served with a side of sass, Saigoneer revisits our favorite street eats from 2015. Chúc ăn ngon miệng!
Interactive Book 'Art of Phở' Brings Saigon to Life One Click at a Time
When foreign visitors arrive in Vietnam, one facet of local culture that tops every must-do list is cuisine. Since the outside world has only recently been introduced to the magic of Vietnamese food, ...
Archaeologists Discover Roman Fish Sauce off Italian Coast
In Vietnam, you can't swing a dead cat without finding a bottle of fish sauce. The stuff is everywhere: on dining tables and in street food stalls, on supermarket shelves and in kitchens across the co...
Dana Filek-Gibson in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: The Universal Truth of Fish Sauce Fried Chicken
There are few indisputable facts upon which good, reasonable people the world over can agree. Here are three: the sky is blue, the earth is round and fried chicken, in any form, is delicious.
[Video] The Story of Saigon's Classiest Street Food Restaurant
While the city is a cut above when it comes to delicious outdoor dining, most local streetside restaurants stick to traditional Vietnamese and opt for low-cost ingredients, passing on those savings to...
