Forgive me food gods, wherever you are, for I have sinned. Yes, generations of cooks trained in the classical traditions of Vietnamese cuisine are now spinning in their graves. What did I do that is so bad you ask? I am embarrassed to even come clean about this, but let me add the caveat this […]
Sometimes the journey on foot in a city to find new foods proves as interesting as the meal itself. The number of tourists clutching tattered guidebooks with all their might while woefully wandering the confusing tangle of streets rises exponentially the deeper we venture into Hanoi’s Old Quarter. Near the intersection of Hang Dao and Cau […]
In a former life not so long ago, I wouldn’t have even considered frequenting my latest lunch source. How in the world can a pho stand nestled between motorbikes in what looks like a small garage storage room possibly serve up any modicum of sanitation? The grandma, mama, and daughter trio have tried for months with no […]
Two German tourists I recently met had their appetites set on a food experience that is well known, tasty and memorable. In a city as colorful and vibrant as Saigon, filling this trifecta should be easy enough. The Lunch Lady perhaps? I explained how each day of the week brings a different dish, and off […]
Gummichicken in all its gristly glory should have instilled in me a valuable food lesson…Do not order the chicken!! Why couldn’t I remember this when I returned to Phở Bắc Hải Hà Nội where my friends Ryan and Melissa had introduced me to an honest bowl of great soup in our ‘hood? This joint at 111 […]
Saigon’s District 1 is fast becoming a westernized downtown with skyscrapers, luxury stores and restaurants selling everything from hamburgers to sushi. While sidewalk chalkboards advertise $7 prix fixe meals at French cafes, truly local street food options become more and more scarce as entire blocks are razed to make room for the next latest and greatest highrise. […]
Domino’s Pizza, KFC, Pho 24, Highlands Coffee and even an American style diner line the ground floor of my Saigon apartment tower and all this is just an elevator ride or delivery request phone call away. Not that I don’t enjoy the Two For Tuesday promotion at Domino’s that delivers buy one get one free […]
Down The Street and Back Again 