Alexander McNab in Food Culture
Afro Mini Mart: What's Inside Vietnam’s First African Grocery Store?
At first glance, it looks just like any other convenience store. The same strings of Oishi shrimp snacks and revolving wire rack of Orion Marine Boys adorn either side of its entrance, just as they do at many of the capital city’s corner stores.
Niobe Shaw in Street Food
Ngõ Nooks: Sumptuous Vegetarian Ramen in a Quiet Truc Bach Hideaway
If you’ve ventured to the land of ramen, it’s likely you have a Japan hangover. Vege-ro’s authentic, rich meals could, for a while at least, help you recover.
Louise Horobin in Bars & Cafes
Ngõ Nooks: Vegetarian Fusion Food, Artwork and Leafy Surrounds All Feature in This Urban Oasis
In cacophonous cities like Hanoi, spaces that combine greenery with tranquility are vital.
Niobe Shaw in Bars & Cafes
Ngõ Nooks: In Phủ Cafe, Community Engagement Brings a Sense of Belonging
Three flights of stairs separate the street from Phủ Café’s timeworn interior. Their small sign won’t grab your attention if you’re passing by, but attracting new customers isn’t necessarily the aim.
Mervin Lee in Food Culture
A Bún Đậu Mắm Tôm in Singapore That Tastes (and Smells) Just Like Home
Joo Chiat, a neighborhood in the eastern realms of Singapore, is hardly a forgettable area.
Trang Six in Food Culture
The Unifying Presence of Cái Mâm, Vietnam’s Ubiquitous, Familial Food Tray
An authentic Vietnamese meal cannot be complete without cái mâm.
Eileen Wen Mooney in Food Culture
Step Inside the Centuries-Old Store Selling Thousands of Sausages and Bánh Chưng
For around 200 years, Quoc Huong store has been selling sumptuous meat delicacies to hungry Hanoians.
Michael Tatarski in Food Culture
Tarantulas, Scorpions, Crickets Crawl Into Southeast Asia's Mass-Market Edibles
A spade strikes the bone-dry Cambodian dirt with a crunch, and the hunt is on. Chem Wai, a lanky, deeply tanned 53-year-old former soldier, has been collecting wild tarantulas and scorpions for most of his life.
Murray Jones in Bars & Cafes
Ngõ Nooks: De Tam Café Adds a Contemporary Touch to a Familiar Retro Aesthetic
As soon as you walk into De Tam’s leafy entrance courtyard, a familiar vintage theme becomes apparent. An entire wall is covered in shelves containing over 100 film cameras and lenses, while record pl...
Paul Christiansen in Food Culture
A History of Rice Wine, Part 2: A Traditional Craft Slowed to a Trickle
Rose-tinted shades and long swept-back hair tickling the collar of a half-unbuttoned maroon shirt that revealed a dangling peace-sign pendant: at age 27, Minh was the epitome of 70s Saigon cool. More ...
Urbanist Hanoi in Eat & Drink
Urbanist Hanoi's 5 Best Ngõ Nooks of 2018
In 2018, Hanoi certainly saw its fair share of the good, the bad and the surprising, but it was, as always, a wonderful year for eating and drinking. Across the city, we delighted in finding decades-o...
Hieu Tran in Food Culture
The Alluring Backstory of Chả Rươi, Vietnam’s Slimiest Street Food Character
In the months leading up to winter in Hanoi, when the temperature starts to drop and a chilly breeze blows through the city, anticipation grows for a rare, unique delicacy – the palolo worm omelet, or...
Saigoneer in Food Culture
Vietnam Officially Designates December 12 the Day of Pho
Vietnam has officially marked December 12 the 'Day of Pho' in celebration of the nation's most well-known dish.
Ashley Lampard in Bars & Cafes
Ngõ Nooks: Take a Ride on Ha Dong’s Hipster Bus Café
When you initially spot the café, it’s hard to tell exactly what it is — it isn’t hurtling towards you at 50 miles per hour and doesn’t have helmet shrapnel from its previous victims stuck to its...
Lam Le in Bars & Cafes
Ngõ Nooks: Cu Xa, the Cafe That Awakens Your Childhood Self
“Where is home?” is a question that at some point has probably nagged everyone who feels caught between worlds. To the owner of a retro cafe in Hanoi’s southern Dong Da District, it’s Cu Xa.
Ha Ta in Street Food
Ngõ Nooks: Oozing Quail Egg Bánh Giò for Upcoming Winter Days
After a long, draining day at work, the unexpected discovery of a steaming, peppery bánh giò, complete with oozing quail eggs, is the ultimate remedy.
Saigoneer in Food Culture
How the Popularity of 'Durian Tours' Is Threatening the Survival of Malaysia's Tigers
In order to meet rising demand for durian, Malaysia plans to convert a large area of the Malayan tiger’s natural habitat into durian plantations.
Ha Ta in Street Food
Ngõ Nooks: Authentic Bánh Cuốn That Took a Century to Perfect
Banh Cuon Ba Hoanh is nearly a century old, and both the eatery’s name and the authenticity of the food they serve stem from the same source: the culinary wisdom of Grandma Hoang.
Ha Ta in Street Food
Ngõ Nooks: At Bun Ca Thai Binh, Succulent Snakehead Infused With Turmeric and Cashew
When a friend of mine returned home after living abroad last year, he longed for a bowl of bún cá. I suggested the classic Hanoi dish, with satisfyingly oily deep-fried fish, but he had other ideas&nb...
Hieu Tran in Street Food
Ngõ Nooks: Ingenuity Meets Tradition at Phở Cuốn Hung Ben
As traditional and unchanging as Hanoi’s cuisine may seem to visitors, creativity can still be found below the surface. Every now and then, a novel dish catches on and becomes the talk of the town, an...
Ha Ta in Street Food
Ngõ Nooks: At Bun Bo Hue Thu Thuy, a Broth That Bridges Tastes
In only three places have I enjoyed truly sumptuous bowls of bún bò giò heo: in its hometown of Hue, in Hoi An and at Bun Bo Hue Thu Thuy in Hanoi.
Paul Christiansen in Food Culture
A History of Rice Wine, Part 1: Family Stills, Prohibition and Colonial Bloodshed
Fight or flight: to ball fists, rally rag-tag villagers clutching canes, staffs, shovels, sampan oars and bamboo staffs to ward off the bayonet-wielding officers invading your home intending to ransac...
Ha Ta in Street Food
Ngõ Nooks: Traditional Bún Thang Served With a Crunchy Twist
If you peel through the peaceful residential areas around the Quang Trung and Tran Hung Dao crossroads, you might just chance upon Bún Thang 11 Hạ Hồi, a humble, household noodle spot.
Hieu Tran in Street Food
Ngõ Nooks: Autumnal Golden Hours Are the Key Ingredient in Cô Thoa’s Bún Bò Nam Bộ
Hanoi’s fascination with bún is endless. There are more varieties in this city than anywhere else in Vietnam. Bún has a lot more to offer than phở, especially as it can be served cool and dry, as seen...
Ashley Lampard in Bars & Cafes
Ngõ Nooks: At Tropical Forest, Coworkers and Plants Thrive in a Unique Ecosystem
Tropical Forest isn’t one of those adorable coffee shops you find hidden away in one of Hanoi’s many pokey alleyways. In fact, it’s quite the opposite – its large glass presence resembles a giant terr...
Thi Nguyen in Food Culture
Bánh Pía: The Dreamy Mooncake Alternative With a Side of Teochew History
From sweet treats such as yam paste, chè bạch quả (ginkgo soup) and bite-size pastries to savory staples such as lotus root soup, bánh củ cải (radish cake), cốn xại (pickles) and xá pấu (salted radish...
Saigoneer in Food Culture
Foreign Fast Food Chains Report Consecutive Financial Losses in Vietnam
Are foreign fast food brands falling out of favor among locals, or are there other reasons behind their losses?
Hieu Tran in Food Culture
De-Shelling Vietnam’s Love of Eating Snails
Snails prove a divisive delicacy in many countries, but in Vietnam, they are perhaps more misunderstood, and arguably more refreshing, than anywhere else in the world.
