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Khôi Phạm

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Khôi has a soft spot for em dashes, cats, and the occasional curry — the heat might be mild, but his metaphors aren't.

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Stories by Khôi Phạm

257 stories

Opinion: Bún Đậu Mắm Tôm Pizza? Thank U, Next.

Food Culture

Opinion: Bún Đậu Mắm Tôm Pizza? Thank U, Next.

“Never half-ass two things. Whole-ass one thing.” — Ron Swanson

Khoi PhamMar 29, 2019
Bưu Hoa Stamp Project Is an Online Chronicle of Vietnam's Philatelic History

Culture

Bưu Hoa Stamp Project Is an Online Chronicle of Vietnam's Philatelic History

Among the best ways to learn of a country’s culture and history is looking at its stamp design through the ages. These paper tokens follow their owners’ letters to all corners of the world, serving as the most effective cultural ambassador of a country while perfectly preserving the design influence of the period in history they were created.

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Khoi Pham
Mar 26, 2019
A New Typeface That Was Built From Designs on Old Book Covers

Culture

A New Typeface That Was Built From Designs on Old Book Covers

Finding new values from old relics is a popular way some young creatives today are keeping old Vietnam aesthetics alive.

Khoi PhamMar 3, 2019
[Photos] On Photographing the Gentle Romance of a Hueless Hue

Travel

[Photos] On Photographing the Gentle Romance of a Hueless Hue

Any mention of Hue or Hoi An within a conversation about central Vietnam tends to conjure up images of intensely vibrant colors: crimson paper lanterns dotting the sky; neighborhoods filled with the distinct cheeriness of “Hoi An yellow”; and purple áo dài peppering the streets of Hue.

Khoi PhamFeb 27, 2019
A Playful Project Uses Pigs to Showcase Vietnam Iconography Through History

Music & Arts

A Playful Project Uses Pigs to Showcase Vietnam Iconography Through History

Year of the pig is a gift that keeps on giving.

Khoi PhamFeb 23, 2019
Hẻm Gems: At Thương Library, a Shrine to Leonard Cohen and How the Light Gets In

Saigon Hẻm Gems

Hẻm Gems: At Thương Library, a Shrine to Leonard Cohen and How the Light Gets In

At the risk of appearing like a pretentious prig, I will begin this Hẻm Gem review with the introduction of a foreign word: the weirdly specific concept of smultronstället .

Khoi PhamDec 11, 2018
[Photos] A Quiet Saturday at Saigon's Greenest Tomb, Lang Ong Ba Chieu

Culture

[Photos] A Quiet Saturday at Saigon's Greenest Tomb, Lang Ong Ba Chieu

Going from central District 1 into Binh Thanh in northern Saigon, you might have spotted the compound before: a spacious tree-lined temple flanked by four streets just a stone’s throw away from Ba Chieu Market. Binh Thanh residents call it by the colloquial nickname Lang Ong Ba Chieu, or just Lang Ong.

Khoi PhamDec 4, 2018
In Saigon Supersound Vol. 2, an Unabashed Celebration of Saigon's Retro Tunes

Music & Arts

In Saigon Supersound Vol. 2, an Unabashed Celebration of Saigon's Retro Tunes

In less than a year and a half between the releases of the first and second volumes of Saigon Supersound , the highly celebrated compilation’s unique sound hasn’t changed, but the city it celebrates has been through what seems like five years’ worth of development.

Khoi PhamSep 26, 2018
Hẻm Gems: Cam Cam Kafe and the Fujian Pagoda That Inspired Its Name

Saigon Hẻm Gems

Hẻm Gems: Cam Cam Kafe and the Fujian Pagoda That Inspired Its Name

I wish I could claim that I discovered Cam Cam Kafe by myself. Tucked away in a corner unit up the second floor of a nondescript apartment in District 5, the coffee shop seems mostly undetectable from a pedestrian’s perspective. And that’s by design.

Khoi PhamSep 23, 2018
How Dép Tổ Ong Goes From Timeless Family Keepsake to Millennial Icon

Culture

How Dép Tổ Ong Goes From Timeless Family Keepsake to Millennial Icon

Back in 2014, amid the weekly cycle of news, a particular image was more striking than most: Doctor and Professor Ngo Bao Chau stood in the middle of a makeshift classroom in a rural village in Thai Nguyen Province while teaching local kids.

Khoi PhamSep 5, 2018
Hẻm Gems: On the Hunt for Succulent Seared Chicken in an Old French Apartment

Saigon Hẻm Gems

Hẻm Gems: On the Hunt for Succulent Seared Chicken in an Old French Apartment

As far as urban nooks go, exploring Saigon’s apartment buildings is perhaps the best way to discover new hangouts, Instagrammable corners and amazing views of the city.

Khoi PhamAug 24, 2018
Hẻm Gems: Lured by the Promise of 7-Way Noodles, We Found Delicious Dim Sum in D5

Saigon Hẻm Gems

Hẻm Gems: Lured by the Promise of 7-Way Noodles, We Found Delicious Dim Sum in D5

Come for the seven-way noodles, stay for the dim sum.

Khoi PhamAug 10, 2018
Lost Type: Capturing the Essence of Vietnam's Street Signage Through Modern Typeface

Arts & Culture

Lost Type: Capturing the Essence of Vietnam's Street Signage Through Modern Typeface

With just a glance outside your window, you might notice that Vietnam’s metropolises are filled with a hodgepodge of banners, signs and advertising panels of all shapes, design motifs and colors.

Khoi PhamJul 18, 2018
Saigon's Oldest Pre-Doi Moi Relic, Hai Con Tôm Noodles, Is a Living Fossil

Food Culture

Saigon's Oldest Pre-Doi Moi Relic, Hai Con Tôm Noodles, Is a Living Fossil

You wake up in Saigon in the 1980s in your apartment overlooking the Saigon River. While yawning, you put a dollop of Da Lan toothpaste on a brush. Using a bar of Co Ba soap, you wash yourself up and step into the kitchen, where a bowl of hot Hai Con Tom noodles and a bottle of Con Cop fizzy drink await.

Khoi PhamJul 4, 2018
Hẻm Gems: An Authentic Hai Phong Bánh Đa Cua Right in the Heart of D1

Saigon Hẻm Gems

Hẻm Gems: An Authentic Hai Phong Bánh Đa Cua Right in the Heart of D1

I am a fervent champion of all things noodles.

Khoi PhamJun 29, 2018
These Intimate Rainy Season Moments Are Why We Love Saigon's Summer Rain

Music & Arts

These Intimate Rainy Season Moments Are Why We Love Saigon's Summer Rain

Saigon’s pluviophiles, unite!

Khoi PhamJun 26, 2018
Hẻm Gems: Pandan and Durian Gelato for a Sizzling Summer Day in Saigon

Saigon Hẻm Gems

Hẻm Gems: Pandan and Durian Gelato for a Sizzling Summer Day in Saigon

My earliest memory of ice cream in Saigon involves savoring Kem Bach Dang’s renowned kem trái dừa : scoops of coconut ice cream in a coconut husk topped with an assortment of fresh and jammed fruits.

Khoi PhamJun 22, 2018
The Tale of the Coconut Skull Is a Perfect Balance of Weird, Heart and Family-Friendly Moral Lessons

Culture

The Tale of the Coconut Skull Is a Perfect Balance of Weird, Heart and Family-Friendly Moral Lessons

Vietnamese folklore takes the old adage “beauty is only skin-deep” very seriously.

Khoi PhamJun 21, 2018
Hẻm Gems: At Things Café, Humans, Cats and Nat King Cole Coexist in a Harmonious Ecosystem

Saigon Hẻm Gems

Hẻm Gems: At Things Café, Humans, Cats and Nat King Cole Coexist in a Harmonious Ecosystem

I admit that it’s taken me great pains to write this week’s Hẻm Gem.

Khoi PhamMay 11, 2018
A Food Folk Tale: Vietnam’s Unexpected Watermelon Tycoon

Food Culture

A Food Folk Tale: Vietnam’s Unexpected Watermelon Tycoon

If you’ve been around a traditional Vietnamese household during Tet, you have probably noticed the presence of gargantuan, child-sized, dark green watermelons on the altar. These behemoths are both intimidating and delicious; that is, if one remembers to cut them up during the holiday and not leave them out for months like my mom did one year. However, not many know that the origin story behind this juicy berry – yes, watermelons are, indeed, berries – is rooted in a fascinating folk tale that takes place in ancient Vietnam during the days of the Hung Kings.

Khoi PhamMay 7, 2018
Hẻm Gems: The Best Bánh Căn Da Lat...in Saigon

Saigon Hẻm Gems

Hẻm Gems: The Best Bánh Căn Da Lat...in Saigon

Is there any cooking utensil that’s as magical as the bánh căn mold?

Khoi PhamApr 27, 2018
Pot-au-Phở: On the Remnants of French Influence in Vietnam's Daily Lexicon

Arts & Culture

Pot-au-Phở: On the Remnants of French Influence in Vietnam's Daily Lexicon

There’s a noticeable generational difference between the way young and old Vietnamese converse.

Khoi PhamApr 23, 2018
The Unsolved Riddle Behind Cô Mía, Vietnam's Sugarcane Juice Muse

Arts & Culture

The Unsolved Riddle Behind Cô Mía, Vietnam's Sugarcane Juice Muse

“Oh this drawing?” chị Liên shouted in Vietnamese over the juicer’s raucous purring. “I don’t know who she is. Isn’t it just an advertisement?”

Khôi PhạmApr 17, 2018
[Video] Under Muted Tones, Vietnam's Northern Landmarks Are No Less Striking

Travel

[Video] Under Muted Tones, Vietnam's Northern Landmarks Are No Less Striking

For those of us who are stuck working behind a desk all day, at times watching beautifully put together travel features might be our only reprieve from the humdrum of daily routines.

Khoi PhamApr 2, 2018
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