Khoi Pham in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: Nguyen Thuong Hien's Quaint Corner Juice Heaven
In Saigon, when life gives you grapefruits, you create a thriving business to sell its juice to health-conscious locals.
Khoi Pham in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: D1's Bún Mọc Assembly Line
We leave our office in search of District 1’s famed phở áp chảo only to find bún mọc in a hopeless place.
Khoi Pham in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: Nguyen Tri Phuong's Chicken Rice Paradise
We promise this will be the last Nguyen Tri Phuong-based Hẻm Gem…for now.
Khoi Pham in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: Conquering the Giant Bánh Canh Ghẹ Muối Ớt Xanh of D10
My uncle used to say that you haven't had real crab until you have to cook and dismantle one. For this week’s Hẻm Gem, Saigoneer takes you on a trip to do just that, relishing real crabs by break...
Dana Filek-Gibson in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: Saigon's Original Bò 7 Món
Going to dinner at Au Pagolac is like going to dinner with family. That is, of course, provided your family spans several generations and also serves its meals in crisp, white button-ups and the occas...
Dana Filek-Gibson in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: A Cuppa in Saigon's Oldest Cafe
One of the first things Co Suong does when we sit down in the back of her tiny District 3 cafe is bring out the newspaper clippings.
Dana Filek-Gibson in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: Getting Lost in D3’s Soup Bermuda Triangle
During a busy Thursday lunch hour, my coworker and I commit a soup drive-by.
Khoi Pham in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: Lão Hương Thân, One of Saigon's Oldest Cơm Gà Xối Mỡ Restaurants
Is there anything quite as glorious as beautifully done fried chicken?
Hẻm Gems: Bún Sứa Serves Up a Jellyfish Medley Without the Sting
The menu at Bun Sua Co Hanh is geared towards diners with a hankering for seafood, and not just your regular fish and company. They serve something out of the ordinary at this slightly drab river...
Dana Filek-Gibson in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: Slurping Mì Ốc Hến in District 4 With Công 'the Enforcer'
Shuffling along in flip-flops and a pair of baggy shorts, Công the Enforcer arrives at our table.
Dana Filek-Gibson in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: Saigon’s Original Bánh Mì Breakfast
I am a lifetime supporter of the sandwich.
Dana Filek-Gibson in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: Dessert Happy Hour at Quynh Hoa
Just as rush hour traffic starts to pick up around me, motorbikes zipping back and forth down the wide alley, I send a message to my coworker.
Hẻm Gems: Good Bánh Bèo Comes to Those Who Wait
The most memorable eating experiences are the ones that take time. Of all the meals Saigon’s sidewalks can offer, the best require a pilgrimage to some faraway district and a series of trial-and-error...
Khoi Pham in Saigon Hẻm Gems
[Video] Hẻm Gems: Fish Balls, Curry and Noodle Soup, a Perfect Storm
Some may say that good things in life come when you least expect them, and from my encounter with this week’s Hem Gem – curry fish balls and noodles – you can count me in as a firm believer in this pa...
Brian Letwin in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: Enter the Bánh Đúc Jungle
While many of our culinary adventures take us out of our downtown comfort zone, there are a few gems hidden among the office buildings and skyscrapers of District 1.
Dana Filek-Gibson in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: For Good Phở in Saigon, a Dollar Is All You Need
You can really stretch a dollar in this country. That's two cà phê sữa đá or two bánh mì, a couple liters of bia hơi, a xe ôm ride, a well-bargained souvenir, enough snacks to constitute a meal or a s...
Dana Filek-Gibson in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: The Best Bún Chả in Hanoi…in Saigon
The weather was truly Hanoian earlier this week. Outside, rain fell in sheets, flooding the pockmarked alley outside our office door. The sun had disappeared. Though a few particularly photo-obsessed ...
Brian Letwin in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: Maison Marou: The House That Chocolate Built
Across from Ben Thanh Market sits a massive, open pit that will eventually serve as the base for a set of gleaming, modern towers housing the likes of a six-star Ritz-Carlton Hotel. But just beyond th...
Dana Filek-Gibson in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: The Legend of Baby African
You'll have to clear an afternoon to get to Baby African.
[Video] Hẻm Gems: The Long but Worthwhile Wait for Xôi Chiên
They say the best things in life are worth waiting for. In the case of the elusive xôi chiên, they're right.
