Huyen Pham in Bars & Cafes
Ngõ Nooks: Sample Creative Coffee and Hide From Life at Chốn Hạ Hồi
Definitely not an easy-to-stumble-upon coffee shop, Chốn is located in a small, deep alley.
Jennifer Nguyen in Bars & Cafes
Ngõ Nooks: Board Game Café Minipolo Bonds Friends Over Snakes and Lattes
Hanoi is no stranger to the board game café niche, but something about Minipolo has groups of friends flocking here day and night to fill the atmosphere with chatter, laughter and the occasional, inevitable bickering.
Jennifer Nguyen in Street Food
Ngõ Nooks: A Mom-and-Pop Ramen Experience in Hanoi's 'Japantown'
Anyone familiar with the Linh Lang–Kim Ma–Dao Tan area knows it’s the closest one might get to visiting Japan in Hanoi.
Francesco Montresor in Street Food
Ngõ Nooks: A Simple but Well-Balanced Bún Cá Thái Bình in Ba Đình
In these uncertain times when everything oscillates between “business as usual,” “total lockdown” and all shades in-between, I don’t really know when this article will be published, or if the little eatery I’d like to tell you about will be open next week, or next month.
Huyen Pham in Bars & Cafes
Ngõ Nooks: Cafe Yên, Where the Line Between Coffee Shop and Alley Blurs
Yên (adj): quiet, unmoved.
Daoni Nguyen in Street Food
Ngõ Nooks: How 2 Brothers From Punjab Spread Their Love for Indian Food
Some names that immediately come to mind when the topic of Indian food is raised are the old favorites, such as Namaste on Tho Nhuom Street or Foodshop 45 in Truc Bach. But have you heard of a small restaurant called Eat List right in the heart of the Old Quarter?
Phuong Pham in Bars & Cafes
Ngõ Nooks: Lily Coffee, a Hideaway for When Life Gets Overwhelming
Nestled in a nook so small that not many Hanoians even know of it, Lily Coffee is a true hideaway, with its entrance tucked on the side of an alley. The gate held ajar separates two worlds — one bustling with traffic, the other tranquil.
Daoni Nguyen in Street Food
Ngõ Nooks: Xóm Hà Hồi's Dill-icious Golden Grilled Cá Lăng
With Hanoi deep in winter’s chill, our bellies crave hearty delights, and there is nothing like frying your own chả cá in the cozy little hamlet of Hà Hồi to ward off the season’s bite.
Linh Nguyen in Street Food
Ngõ Nooks: Slurping Thick Noodles and Seafood at Banh Canh Ghe Ut Coi
A whiff of the ocean hits you before you even step foot onto the street. In this curious corner between Quang Trung and Nha Chung, a new form of restaurant exemplifies the vitality and variety of Hano...
Hieu Tran in Food Culture
A Brief Guide to Vietnam's Lesser-Known Sweet Sticky Rice Dishes
You may have tried the famed mango sticky rice from Thailand and wondered, “How on earth does this rice go so well with the sweetness of mango and coconut milk?” Usually, some would think of rice as p...
Gia Nguyen in Street Food
Ngõ Nooks: Hearty Banh Mi From a New-Fashioned Hanoi Co-Operative
Hop Tac Xa Thit Xien is more than just a bánh mì eatery – it’s a place to rekindle your childhood nostalgia and absorb the style of the street.
Saigoneer in Food Culture
Da Nang Just Made Vietnam's Biggest Bánh Xèo, Feeding 200 People
The world has never stopped obsessing over giant food, and Vietnam is no exception.
Saigoneer in Food Culture
Each Vietnamese Consumes 3kg of Beef, 20l of Milk Annually, Minister Says
Despite the country’s rising wealth, Vietnam still consumes a modest amount of beef compared with the world average.
Ashley Lampard in Bars & Cafes
Ngõ Nooks: Come for the Coffee, Stay for the Aesthetic
Apparently, the owners of Chon want people to find their café. However, you wouldn’t assume as much when attempting to navigate the narrow, snaking alleyways that lead to their joint. You’ll find a do...
Saigoneer in Food Culture
Pizza 4P's Receives Investment From Mekong Capital
Vietnam-focused private equity firm Mekong Capital is injecting an undisclosed amount of investment into Vietnam's widely popular fusion pizza chain.
Gia Nguyen in Street Food
Ngõ Nooks: The Deep-Fried Satisfaction of Steamy Bánh Gối
Thanks to being born and bred in Hanoi, I definitely have a love-hate relationship with the city. That said, there are more “loves” than “hates” on my list, and street food in Hanoi plays a huge part ...
Saigoneer in Food Culture
Banana Leaves Make Glorious Comeback in Supermarkets Across Vietnam
After straws, Vietnam’s anti-plastic movement now has a new target: plastic grocery wraps.
Ashley Lampard in Bars & Cafes
Ngõ Nooks: Immerse Yourself in the Traditional Architecture of Cafe Nha San
Nestled deep in a dead-end street reached through a warren of alleyways from an almost impossible-to-see entrance is an ancient-looking building. This stunning traditional Vietnamese stilt-house is on...
Gia Nguyen in Street Food
Ngõ Nooks: Sumptuous Xôi From One of Hanoi's Friendliest Street Food Vendors
If you live in Vietnam, then you’ll already know how vital rice is here, and the role it plays in almost every meal we eat.
Hieu Tran in Food Culture
The Familial Vietnamese Ritual of Making Spring Rolls
“Nem rán (fried spring rolls), or just nem for short, has been a part of life in Hanoi since forever. Whenever I think of this dish, I think of my mother. That is because only nem made at home by my m...
Ashley Lampard in Bars & Cafes
Ngõ Nooks: Vintage Sound Systems and Birds of Prey Coexist in Café Nhac Xua
A quaint melody drifts out of Nhac Xua and over to one side of West Lake, where café owner Nguyen Duy Binh and I sit. The calming, classical, Vietnamese-style guitar-driven music, is soothing.
Gia Nguyen in Street Food
Ngõ Nooks: The Dish That Smells Like Regret but Tastes Like Happiness
If you’re a food lover, there is one dirt-cheap, aromatic Hanoi snack that you must try: bún đậu mắm tôm.
Khoi Pham in Street Food
Ngõ Nooks: Crispy Fried Eels Complete This Warming Winter Soup
I am Hanoi’s hungriest tourist; and the capital welcomes me into its flavorsome, umami-rich warmth with open arms.
Mervin Lee in Food Culture
Da Lat, the Unlikely Home of El Salvador's Rare Pacamara Coffee Beans
In a previous life, Nguyen Van Son was an auto parts salesperson. As a gift of appreciation for his wife, he acquired a seemingly trivial plot of land in Da Lat and made it a place where the family co...
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...
