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in Food Culture

New Cookbook 'Vegetarian Vietnam' Boldy Reinvents Traditional Classics

In his new cookbook Vegetarian Vietnam, Canadian chef Cameron Stauch boldly reinterprets traditional Vietnamese dishes while retaining their authenticity.

in Food Culture

A Street Food History: The Curious Encounters Behind How Ramen Got Its Name

The origin of the Japanese staple as well as how the dish got its name are still up for debate. 

in Food Culture

After Milk Tea-Flavored Water, Japan Now Has Transparent Coffee Because Why Not

So this is why scientists have been too busy to cure cancer, send a human to Mars or successfully bring Tasmanian tigers back from extinction?

Thi Nguyen

in Food Culture

A Tale of Two Fruits: The Colonial History of Durian and Mangosteen

Although both durian and mangosteen are native to Southeast Asia, their reputation — especially from a western point of view — leads two very contrasting fates: the latter is considered a luscious del...

Khoi Pham

in Food Culture

A Food Folk Tale: Vietnam’s Unexpected Watermelon Tycoon

If you’ve been around a traditional Vietnamese household during Tet, you have probably noticed the presence of gargantuan, child-sized, dark green watermelons on the altar. These behemoths are both in...

in Food Culture

[Video] BuzzFeed Employees Try Vietnamese Noodles, Choke, Cry, Make Disgusting Phở Puns

Another day, another BuzzFeed-branded “Americans Try…” video.

Michael Tatarski

in Food Culture

From Texas to Saigon: Viet-Cajun Cuisine's Journey Around the World

Given the size of the overseas Vietnamese diaspora, it comes as little surprise that the community has had a huge influence on the cuisines of countries around the world.

Khoi Pham

in Food Culture

A Brief History of Hanoi's Iconic Bia Hơi Glass

Hanoi’s iconic bia hơi glass is more than meets the eye.

in Food Culture

Hanoi's Bun Cha Huong Lien Enshrines Obama's Table, Meal Set in Glass Display

A part of Obama’s visit to Vietnam is now forever enshrined – literally – in a glass display in Hanoi.

Khôi Phạm

in Snack Attack

The Yin and Yang of Saigon Street Desserts: Black Sesame Soup and Bean Curd

In the back of my mind lives a chorus of street calls: the staccato pauses in a recorded advertisement "bánh mì Sài Gòn, một ngàn một ổ" (hot Saigon bánh mì, only thousand [dong] per loaf), the clink-...

in Food Culture

[Video] Learn How to Make Bánh Chưng in Hanoi's Storied Tranh Khuc Village

It’s hard to find a Vietnamese who isn’t familiar with the a story behind the country’s sticky rice cakes: bánh chưng and bánh giày. After all, the legend of these ceremonial fares is intertwined with...

Thi Nguyen

in Food Culture

Tết Tales: The Many Folk Stories Behind Vietnam's Sticky Rice Cakes

To me, there's nothing that screams Tet as much as sticky rice cake. However one wants to spice up the usual celebration by replacing some dishes with something new each year, sticky rice cakes remain...

in Food Culture

Pandan, Southeast Asia's Humble Leaf Set to Take the World by Storm

Pandan, an aromatic plant native to Southeast Asia, could soon have its moment in the international spotlight thanks to British chef and food writer Nigella Lawson, who extolled its virtues in an inte...

in Food Culture

[Photos] Saigon's Forward-Looking Cafes on the Future of Coffee

  In the first part of our two-part photo project on Saigon's coffee shops, Saigoneer paid a visit to two old-school cafes with decades of heritage. In the second part, we're shining the limel...

Khoi Pham

in Food Culture

Milk Tea-Flavored Water Is Here. Is the Apocalypse Near?

The stark, clinical fluorescent lighting inside the convenient store casts an air of ominous dread all over the shop’s beverage section. With a glance, I find it. The blue package stares back at me me...

in Food Culture

[Photos] Saigon's Old-School Cafes Hold Fast to Time-Honored Traditions

In a city of rapid change, there is no doubt that opinions on many subjects vary with passion and, sometimes, noticeable subtlety.

in Food Culture

Bangkok's First Michelin-Starred Street Stall Struggles to Keep up With Newfound Fame

Just a few weeks after the prestigious restaurant guide Michelin bestowed Jay Fai's street food stall in Bangkok a coveted star, she's already struggling to keep up with her business's newfound fame.

in Food Culture

Quan Ut Ut Acquired by Restaurant Operator Red Wok Cuisine

Saigon’s popular American BBQ chain, Quan Ut Ut, has recently been acquired by Red Work Cuisine.

Brian Letwin

in Food Culture

Hẻm Gems: In Thao Dien, a Modernist Building Houses D2's Best Bánh Canh Stall

For many Saigoneers, central Thao Dien is known for its plethora of high-end restaurants catering to the neighborhood’s large expat population. However, if one looks closely enough between the scores ...

in Food Culture

[Video] Japan's Maple Leaf Tempura Tastes as Beautiful as It Looks

Saigon officially has another reason to be jealous of regions that experience autumn: these dazzlingly colorful leaf tempuras that make for delicious snacks!