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Food Culture

What Cooking Bún Chả for My Birthday Abroad Taught Me About Vietnameseness

“Hot summer night, mid-July, when you and I were forever wild,” Lana Del Rey croons every July 15 to celebrate my birthday. Those melodramatic words consistently evoke three specific elements in my mind: Heineken or Tiger beer cans on the floor; the sweet smoky smell of bún chả and nem enlaced with the rainy air of a darkening Saigon sky; and my friends and family under the LED-lit roof of an iCool karaoke room. Such pillars uphold what I consider the quintessential Vietnamese birthday experience.

Saigon

1997 Vietnam Through the Lens of Saigon's Former Canadian Consul General

Digging into one’s collection of old mementos can be a thrilling experience. From antique watches to tattered letters, these trinkets serve as a remembrance of a period of time in our past. For Kyle Nunas, Saigon’s former Consul General of Canada (2017–2020), his connection with the bustling metropolis began with this collection of old photos captured during a trip to Vietnam over 20 years ago.

Film & TV

Review: Watch a Family's Trauma Unravel in Real Time in 'No Crying at the Dinner Table'

I had little to no expectation when I started watching No Crying at the Dinner Table , especially since the topic of generational distance in Vietnam has been discussed time and time again by many other media, including Bố Già and Nhà Bà Nữ , both feature films by Trấn Thành.

Food Culture

Nguyễn Thị Thành, Saigon's Beloved 'Lunch Lady,' Passes Away at 59

Nguyễn Thị Thành, one of Saigon’s rare internationally renowned food icons known as the “Lunch Lady,” passed away earlier this week.

Society

Nhiêu Lộc Canal Hosted Trudeau's Night Run. Why Is It Not as Famous as Obama's Bún Chả?

You know how much Vietnamese culture revolves around food by the fact that one of the first questions we pose to any foreign visitor is “What’s your favorite Vietnamese dish?” Asking about other aspects of the country could invite honest opinions that some of us might not be prepared to hear. Deep down, more than anybody else, we know that our air quality is subpar and our urban cleanliness leaves much to be desired, but our food is the one thing every Vietnamese can trust to make us proud. What easier way to foster diplomacy than to center the conversation around deliciousness?

Food Culture

Saigon's Famous 'Lunch Lady' Set to Open in Canada

With help from the Lunch Lady herself, a team of restauranteurs in Vancouver is opening a dining establishment inspired by the humble Saigon street food stall made famous by the late Anthony Bourdain.