Since February 2023, I have been writing for Saigoneer, an English publication based in Saigon, Vietnam. I author articles about Saigon, its people, culinary scenes, hidden destination gems in Vietnam, and the country’s amazing arts and culture. Some of my articles are featured on Saigoneer’s Hẻm Gems and Travel.

Saigoneer

  • Find the tranquil green amidst the mist, clouds, and Măng Đen hills

    Măng Đen welcomed us in early August with sudden rain showers. The rain made this place strangely romantic. Located at an elevation of over 1200 meters, between Măng Đen Pass and Violăk Pass on National Highway 24, Măng Đen is a small town within Kon Plông district.

    Read here (English) (Vietnamese)

  • Hẻm Gems: Milo Dầm Is Decadence, Childhood and Street Culture in a Spoon

    Growing up in Saigon before the surge of foreign dessert trends like milk tea, cheese tarts, and bingsu, the humble and affordable Milo powder found in almost every grocery store and street vendor was the pinnacle of my childhood dessert universe.

    Read here (English) (Vietnamese)

  • Hẻm Gems: The Chuối Nếp Nướng That You Can't Find on Google Maps

    Before the birth of TikTok and food review channels, many Saigoneers already grew up with their own set of staple food gems. Even though many stalls do not exist on Google Maps, thanks to word of mouth, they are always lively and crowded from opening to closing.

    Read here (English) (Vietnamese)

  • At Culinary Frank's Cozy Saigon Cafe, YouTube Food Comes to Life on the Plate

    “Every restaurant is a miniature society,” says Frank Phạm, a Melbourne-based Vietnamese chef and famous YouTube food blogger who recently returned to Saigon to open his passion project, a cafe restaurant named Society Cafe & Dining.

    Read here (English) (Vietnamese)

  • Society Cafe's Cơm Xá Xíu Fine-Tunes a Cantonese Classic With New Methods

    Inspired by a Cantonese classic, Society Cafe & Dining’s char siu pork is carefully seasoned and prepared over two days, while the accompanying daikon and radish were pickled from scratch.

    Read here (English) (Vietnamese)

  • I found peace and solitude while cloud-hunting on top of a teahill in Đà Lạt

    After more than a decade away, Vietnam is familiar yet also strange. Despite reconnecting to my motherland, its people, and the local community, I yearn to venture beyond the vicinity of Saigon to explore Vietnam’s meadows and mountain ranges.

    Read here (English) (Vietnamese)

  • Hẻm Gems: The Midnight Hủ Tiếu Only for Saigon's Most Patient Night Owls

    Though I later moved to the US and was exposed to other versions of dry noodle dishes and flavorful cuisines from different parts of the world, the memory of savoring a rich and topping-full hủ tiếu khô bowl from the motherland still remains in my mind.

    Read here (English) (Vietnamese)

  • A Brief History of District 1's Collège d’Adran, Saigon's Oldest School

    Driving past the Saigon Zoological and Botanical Garden toward Nguyễn Hữu Cảnh Street, many of us might not notice the presence of Võ Trường Toản Secondary School and Trưng Vương High School. The two institutions once belonged to one single entity, Collège d’Adran, which many historical sources deem the oldest school in Saigon.

    Read here (English) (Vietnamese)