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Cao Nhân

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Nhân is a freelance photographer, tech enthusiast, history enjoyer, and believer in hủ tiếu Nam Vang supremacy. “I like people, places and things.”

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Stories by Cao Nhân

54 stories

How Saigon's Free Water Coolers Quench Thirst and Spread Kindness

Saigon

How Saigon's Free Water Coolers Quench Thirst and Spread Kindness

In recent years, stories about climate change's impacts on the lives of Vietnamese people have been increasingly making the news.

UUyên ĐỗApr 17, 2026
Hẻm Gems: At Bún Thang 50, Unexpected Hanoi Flavors in a Phú Nhuận Corner

Saigon Hẻm Gems

Hẻm Gems: At Bún Thang 50, Unexpected Hanoi Flavors in a Phú Nhuận Corner

When I was growing up in California, every couple of months, plastic containers of sliced fried egg, chicken, and chả lụa would line the kitchen counter. This medley of ingredients would usually mean bún thang for dinner — which, in turn, signaled that the dinner was a special occasion.

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EElyse PhạmApr 12, 2026
Hẻm Gems: Tokyo Moon Cafe Introduces Homey Korean Flavors to Japan Town

Saigon Hẻm Gems

Hẻm Gems: Tokyo Moon Cafe Introduces Homey Korean Flavors to Japan Town

Stepping into Tokyo Moon is like venturing into a world of wonders, neatly packed within a mere 35-square-meter space.

KKhang NguyễnMar 21, 2026
When Lịch Bloc Is Gone, What Will Vietnam Use to Keep Discarded Fish Bones?

Culture

When Lịch Bloc Is Gone, What Will Vietnam Use to Keep Discarded Fish Bones?

I have never bought a lịch bloc, or tear-off calendar, for personal use, because every new year, I'm bound to be gifted a brand-new one. In Vietnam, a calendar is often something one purchases as a present for others.

KKhang NguyễnFeb 2, 2026
Hẻm Gems: Bánh Đa Cua Hải Phòng, a Rare Northern Treat in D10

Saigon Hẻm Gems

Hẻm Gems: Bánh Đa Cua Hải Phòng, a Rare Northern Treat in D10

On the way to Phú Thọ Indoor Sports Stadium in District 11, make a turn off 666/74 Ba Tháng Hai, go all the way to the far corner, and you’ll discover Triển Chiêu Quán’s bright yellow sign. Park underneath the canopy, walk up the ramp, and you’ll notice something stands out, but you might not know why — bunches of caramel-colored noodles in the kitchen area waiting to be enjoyed.

GGarrett MacLeanOct 3, 2025
On Grappling With Our Complicated Bond With Single-Use Raincoats

Society

On Grappling With Our Complicated Bond With Single-Use Raincoats

Like many Vietnamese, I have owned more crumpled raincoats than I can count. They're the disposable kind, cinched with a few rubber bands, folded into a misshapen rectangle, then stuffed unceremoniously into a scooter’s under-seat compartment or a desk drawer.

UUyên ĐỗSep 25, 2025
Hẻm Gems: In a D3 Hẻm, 40 Years of Bún Ốc and Other Northern Treats

Saigon Hẻm Gems

Hẻm Gems: In a D3 Hẻm, 40 Years of Bún Ốc and Other Northern Treats

As a resident of Saigon, I’m well-acquainted with the city's vibrant food scene, which features cuisines from various regions of Vietnam, and how these dishes blend local recipes with flavors that resonate with Saigon locals. But Bún Ốc Thanh Hải is quite the opposite. Its dishes, snacks, drinks, and even atmosphere carry a distinct northern identity, so much so that upon visiting the place, I felt as if I was on a culinary adventure within my own city.

KKhang NguyễnAug 17, 2025
Meet the Saigon Man Whose Home Is an Archive of Traditional Musical Instruments

In Plain Sight

Meet the Saigon Man Whose Home Is an Archive of Traditional Musical Instruments

“These instruments serve our everyday life, or even our spiritual life. For example, they mark the transitions of life. When a baby is born or a person passes away, people play these instruments to welcome or bid farewell to these moments. They also use music to pray for good weather, good business, and happiness for future generations,” Đức Dậu, a seasoned collector of Vietnamese traditional instruments, shares how these antique musical devices are more than just merely tools used for entertainment.

KKhang NguyễnApr 27, 2025
The Forgotten History Behind Saigon's CEE Colonial Substations

Saigon

The Forgotten History Behind Saigon's CEE Colonial Substations

Woven into the fabric of modern-day streets, the aging electrical substations of Saigon stand as quiet witnesses to a historical era shaped by the complex legacy of French colonialism.

UUyên ĐỗDec 11, 2024
Hẻm Gems: Reliving the Joy of Jollof Rice at Saigon's Only Nigerian Eatery

Saigon Hẻm Gems

Hẻm Gems: Reliving the Joy of Jollof Rice at Saigon's Only Nigerian Eatery

Food is history. For some, it may just be sustenance, fuel for life, something to wash down quickly with sips of water to keep the body going. But the reality is that many food types have directly influenced and changed the course of human history, like sugarcane, palm oil, and spices. On a national scale, many Vietnamese dishes that we adore today, like hủ tiếu Nam Vang or cà ri gà , are surviving proofs of the country’s storied past.

Khôi PhạmNov 5, 2024
Hẻm Gems: Time-Tested Sâm Bổ Lượng Versus Wacky Quail Eggs in a Dessert

Saigon Hẻm Gems

Hẻm Gems: Time-Tested Sâm Bổ Lượng Versus Wacky Quail Eggs in a Dessert

As a kid, my mom would often buy me chè when the weather was too hot to keep me from drinking Coca-Cola. Chè made by Hoa people always got my attention, thanks to its distinctive presentation. Though, to get to it, I would usually drive to Chợ Lớn, which is fine, but it often involves traversing through traffic jams. So when I discovered Chè Sâm Bổ Lượng 399 on a random Google search, a long-established chè shop run by a Hoa family just 7 minutes from my office, I had to check it out.

KKhang NguyễnSep 15, 2024
Hẻm Gems: An Alternative Cao Lầu in Saigon for Full-Topping Eaters

Saigon Hẻm Gems

Hẻm Gems: An Alternative Cao Lầu in Saigon for Full-Topping Eaters

If I have to use one word to describe the food philosophy of Saigoneers, it would be maximalist. Those who have had the gluttonous joy of hunkering down on a plastic chair on the sidewalk and demolishing a giant tumbler of full-topping bubble tea will know what I’m talking about.

Khôi PhạmAug 18, 2024
Hẻm Gems: Mơ Đi Hội, When Florists Dream of Opening a Cafe

Saigon Hẻm Gems

Hẻm Gems: Mơ Đi Hội, When Florists Dream of Opening a Cafe

When book lovers open a café, we are blessed with book cafes; when animal lovers open a café, we are given a myriad of animal cafes; what happens when florists open a café? This is the case of Mơ Đi Hội, the physical manifestation of passions for plants and beverages.

CCamille LayAug 7, 2024
Hẻm Gems: The Ghé Coffee Tucks Art, Fragrant Coffee Into a Quiet D1 Crevice

Saigon Hẻm Gems

Hẻm Gems: The Ghé Coffee Tucks Art, Fragrant Coffee Into a Quiet D1 Crevice

Delivering premium origin coffee and fine art from artists across Vietnam in a tiny room that dates back to French colonial times, smack dab in the middle of District 1, The Ghé Coffee balances the finer things in life and the comfortably mundane.

PPhạm Thục KhuêJul 25, 2024
From 'Freeze' to 'Avcngcrs': Inside the Wacky World of Vietnam's Bootleg Toys

Vietnam

From 'Freeze' to 'Avcngcrs': Inside the Wacky World of Vietnam's Bootleg Toys

In Vietnam, you can find a Lego set in official Lego stores or any big toy shops at high prices; but if you take a different route, you can find Lego sets being sold by small vendors for much cheaper. But those sets are a little bit different; they are branded as “Lele'' or “Lepin,” or just white Chinese characters on a red square. For decades, these bootleg toys have been a widely popular option for Vietnamese kids.

KKhang NguyễnJul 1, 2024
Easybadwork's Free Spirits Are Rooted in Nature and the Underground

Ton-sur-Ton

Easybadwork's Free Spirits Are Rooted in Nature and the Underground

A sparrow swooping across a special-edition can of Coca-Cola, the illustrations featured in the artworks of Ngọt's Grammy-nominated album boxset, or perhaps even the tattoo on a stranger you pass on the street: you have probably seen the work of Khim Đặng, the man behind Saigon fashion brand easybadwork, without knowing it. His graphic designs have graced a variety of commercial and collaborative works in Saigon, but easybadwork is his hobby business. “A true business makes you money, a hobby business makes you happy,” he told Saigoneer.

Paul ChristiansenJun 24, 2024
Hẻm Gems: In D5, a Family Durian Xôi Xiêm Recipe Inspired by Cambodia

Saigon Hẻm Gems

Hẻm Gems: In D5, a Family Durian Xôi Xiêm Recipe Inspired by Cambodia

At first glance, xôi xiêm sầu riêng — or sticky rice with egg custard and durian — may appear plain-looking, but apart from being a tasty sweet treat, this simple dish also holds stories of life during Vietnam’s post-war period.

KKhang NguyễnJun 8, 2024
Xe Trái Cây: If You Can't Find Lovingly Sliced Fruit at Home, Cart-Bought Is Fine

Culture

Xe Trái Cây: If You Can't Find Lovingly Sliced Fruit at Home, Cart-Bought Is Fine

Nature has numerous ways to make itself known: male peacocks fan out their glorious tail made up of iridescent eye-patterned feathers to attract peafowls; blue-ringed octopuses don’t need to invent any dance, just their menacing aquamarine coat is enough to warn predators about a poisonous death should they dare to take a bite; on the chaotic streets of Saigon, xe trái cây flaunt their colorful mosaics of freshly peeled tropical fruits, as plump and juicy as the divine offerings of Zeus’s banquet, to entice heat-stricken riders to stop by for a refreshing respite.

Khôi PhạmJun 3, 2024
An Ode to Dried Fruit, Vietnam's Parent-Approved Way for Children to Sugar Load

Snack Attack

An Ode to Dried Fruit, Vietnam's Parent-Approved Way for Children to Sugar Load

I first knew dried fruit as a category of munchy snacks that had my parents’ approval.

KKhang NguyễnJun 3, 2024
Hẻm Gems: Sip on Mugwort Lattes, Make Ceramics, and Unwind at Haru Cottage

Saigon Hẻm Gems

Hẻm Gems: Sip on Mugwort Lattes, Make Ceramics, and Unwind at Haru Cottage

“I’m basically Demi Moore from Ghost ,” this intrusive thought plagued my mind occasionally during our visit to Haru Cottage to participate in the cafe’s ceramic class.

Khôi PhạmMay 3, 2024
What to See, Taste, and Do on a Late-Afternoon Walk in Phú Mỹ Hưng

Food Culture

What to See, Taste, and Do on a Late-Afternoon Walk in Phú Mỹ Hưng

There are probably Saigoneers who will grow old without ever setting foot in Phú Mỹ Hưng, just like how several of my relatives living in District 8 have never visited Nguyễn Huệ Walking Street. Having grown up in the southern district too, I’ve gone three decades without visiting Cần Giờ or District 12, though our proximity with District 7 means I’ve gotten a few chances to get to know Phú Mỹ Hưng.

Khôi PhạmMay 3, 2024
An Ode to Photo Booths, the Korean Trend Preserving Our Memories in Time

Culture

An Ode to Photo Booths, the Korean Trend Preserving Our Memories in Time

How can photo booths be a new trend if they’ve been around forever?

Paul ChristiansenApr 24, 2024
Sweating out My Sadness on the Canal's Exercise Machines

Health

Sweating out My Sadness on the Canal's Exercise Machines

We're all unlucky in love sometimes. When I am, I go jogging. The body loses water when you jog, so you have none left for tears.

UUyên ĐỗMar 27, 2024
On a Boat Ride Through Nhiêu Lộc Canal, a Fish's-Eye View of Saigon

In Plain Sight

On a Boat Ride Through Nhiêu Lộc Canal, a Fish's-Eye View of Saigon

Could your life in Saigon be made into a quirky indie film?

Paul ChristiansenMar 20, 2024
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