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Brian is the Co-Founder of Saigoneer and pasta enthusiast who likes to explore the hidden corners of Saigon's urban fabric.
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Saigon Hẻm Gems
At a glance, this week’s District 4 Hẻm Gem might appear like any typical ốc restaurant in Saigon. Quan Oc 63’s laminated menu offers up no less than 40 dishes within its sticky plastic pages. However, among the restaurant’s scores of delicious seafood options lies a dish worthy of a king: cà ri cua , or crab curry.
![[Infographic] The Real Estate Developer That Owns Nguyen Hue](https://media.urbanistnetwork.com/saigoneer/article-images/legacy/RaiaBfDb.jpg)
Development
Ever since the city transformed Nguyen Hue’s iconic boulevard into a pedestrian walking street , real estate on the downtown promenade has skyrocketed.
Arts & Culture
Vietnamese cinema is entering a new stage of development, one in which Vietnam-based directors are seeking to create compelling storylines that keep up with the industry’s ever-increasing production quality. One film that has stood out from the pack is Co Hau Gai ( The Housemaid ), a horror flick set during the country’s French colonial era.
Society
Hanoian bookworms will be happy to hear that the capital expects to unveil a brand-new book street by the end of the year.
Society
Since its opening in January , Saigon’s downtown book street has seen plenty of visitors but fewer sales than expected.
![[Photos] Take a Trip Through Taipei’s Tech Wonderland](https://media.urbanistnetwork.com/saigoneer/article-images/legacy/9vb5VKxb.jpg)
Travel
Though Taiwan is known abroad for its electronics, the most impressive by-product of this robust industry lies in the heart of Taipei.
Saigon Hẻm Gems
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.
Saigon Hẻm Gems
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 the cranes and construction site ambiance sits a modest, two-story art deco structure home to Marou, Faiseurs de Chocolat ’s latest creation.
Saigon
Saigoneers need not be jealous of Da Nang’s free, city-wide WiFi network , as the southern hub will be getting its own WiFi coverage in the near future.
![[Video] Hẻm Gems: D5’s Glorious Goat Curry](https://media.urbanistnetwork.com/saigoneer/article-images/legacy/3GwXiCyb.jpg)
Saigon Hẻm Gems
One of the benefits or writing this column is that it allows us to sample some of Saigon’s best local eateries. We may be well versed in the ways of street noshing, but once in a blue moon, we come across a dish that has us high fiving and silently pigging out without a word exchanged. Behold District 5’s Musa Cà Ri Dê Ấn Độ .
![[Photos] Inside Taiwan’s Premier Fish Market](https://media.urbanistnetwork.com/saigoneer/article-images/legacy/0PwPxxKb.jpg)
Travel
Taiwan has plenty to be proud of: it sports an efficient public transportation network, some of the highest food safety standards in the world, an abundance of nature and incredible seafood.
Saigon Hẻm Gems
Nguyen Hue's heritage has been badly degraded over the years. Thanks to the city's neverending development, its older buildings have either been torn down, used as air-conditioning unit pedestals or turned into fast food joints . Beyond the ornate lost facades, these architectural changes impact locals who, like the old buildings, are swept away, never to return to the place they have called home for generations.
Music & Arts
From the invention of farming to the advent of military drones, technology has shaped the economy, politics and culture of every society. It was inevitable that such a vital element of our lives would enter the art world and not just as a new tool for expressing creativity.
Saigon
Starting April 18, a new law which bans eating and drinking on Nguyen Hue – along with several other activities – will take effect.
Vietnam
Stay connected with Saigoneer on Twitter and Instagram and like us on Facebook . Thousands of children involved in school and family violence [SGGP] Vietnam recalls books telling kids ‘camel is largest bird on earth’ [Tuoi Tre]
![[Video] Hẻm Gems: D4’s Supreme Street Sushi](https://media.urbanistnetwork.com/saigoneer/article-images/legacy/mJlyAnwb.jpg)
Saigon Hẻm Gems
There’s no shortage of solid international fare in Saigon. From Italian to Japanese, Indian to Korean, local diners are well covered. However, since most options in this category are relegated to indoor enjoyment, we get particularly enthusiastic when we find some solid – and affordable – versions of the same cuisine on Saigon's streets.
Vietnam
Stay connected with Saigoneer on Twitter and Instagram and like us on Facebook . HCMC to uproot, axe 300 trees for major projects [Tuoi Tre] Vietnam had 5,000 road accidents in 3 months [Vietnam News]
![[Photos] District 2 Just Got a Fresh New Park](https://media.urbanistnetwork.com/saigoneer/article-images/legacy/BQoerOnb.jpg)
Development
Green space has long come at a premium in Saigon, especially as some public areas – see District 1’s Chi Lang Park – have lost out to the city’s breakneck development.
![[Video/Photos] Police Search for Missing Persons, Railway Traffic Disrupted After Bien Hoa Bridge Crash](https://media.urbanistnetwork.com/saigoneer/article-images/legacy/xSv7flkb.jpg)
Vietnam
Police are still searching for missing persons after a Bien Hoa bridge collapsed over the Dong Nai River this morning.
Vietnam
Stay connected with Saigoneer on Twitter and Instagram and like us on Facebook . Vietnam Navy launches new training vessel [VOV] Traffic safety shortcomings blamed for accidents on Noi Bai-Lao Cai Highway [DTI]
Stories
Stay connected with Saigoneer on Twitter and Instagram and like us on Facebook . City to seek waste treatment funding [Vietnam News] French photographer donates iconic work to Vietnam museum [Tuoi Tre]
Vietnam
Stay connected with Saigoneer on Twitter and Instagram and like us on Facebook . HCMC develops street food into tourist attraction [Vietnam Net] Da Nang sends vulnerable sex workers to shelters [Thanh Nien]
Vietnam
Stay connected with Saigoneer on Twitter and Instagram and like us on Facebook . Vietnam introduces first candidate to International Law Commission [Vietnam Net] HCMC poised to host annual southern culture-cuisine festival [VOV]
Vietnam
Stay connected with Saigoneer on Twitter and Instagram and like us on Facebook . International driving permits issued in HCMC, Hanoi [Vietnam Net] Noi Bai-Lao Cai expressway kicks off [SGGP]