BY LOCALS, FOR LOCALS
11/2017
How to order what you want
I’m allergic to peanuts Tôi không ăn được đậu phộng
I want it very spicy! Cay nhiều!
Can I have one more ____? (Beer, soda, water) Cho thêm một ____? (Bia, soda, nước)
I don’t eat pork. Tôi không ăn thịt heo.
I’m a vegetarian. Tôi ăn chay.
Can I get it to go/ takeaway? Cho tôi mang về
I don’t want it spicy, please. Không cay.
Can I have a menu? Cho tôi thực đơn
Bánh mì Ốp la: bánh mì with a fried egg Pa tê: bánh mì with pork liver pate and ham Heo quay: bánh mì with roasted pork Chả cá: bánh mì with fried fishcake Thập cẩm: bánh mì with assorted ingredients Sốt vang: bánh mì with beef bourguignon Phá lấu: bánh mì with braised pork meat and offal
Where’s the bathroom? Nhà vệ sinh ở đâu?
Are you open? Có mở cửa không?
STREET #iAMHCMC
What time do you close/open? Mấy giờ đóng cửa/mở cửa?
FOOD MENU
Do you have any forks/spoons/chopsticks? Có nĩa/thìa/đũa không?
Can I have a napkin? Cho tôi giấy ăn.
Can you turn the music down? Cho nhạc bé đi được không?
2 | iamhcmc.com/gazette
Cơm chiên / Cơm rang Gà: fried rice with fried chicken Hải sản: seafood fried rice
Xôi
Can you turn on the fan? Bật quạt lên được không?
Can I have soy sauce? Cho tôi nước tương
Chín: phở with cooked beef Tái: phở with blanched beef Nạm: phở with sliced beef flank Gàu: phở with sliced beef brisket Bắp: phở with sliced beef shank Gân: phở with cooked beef and beef tendons Bò viên: phở with beef meatballs Sốt vang: phở with beef bourguignon Gà: phở with sliced chicken Sườn: broken rice with grilled pork chop or pork ribs Bì: broken rice with shredded pork and pork skin Chả: broken rice with steamed egg meatloaf
How to Find What You Like
Can I have a toothpick? Cho tôi tăm.
What’s your specialty? Đặc sản ở đây là gì?
Cơm Tấm
Phở
Bún Bò: Hue’s specialty rice vermicelli with beef shank and pork knuckles Chả: non-soup rice vermicelli with grilled pork belly and pork meatballs Thịt nướng: non-soup rice vermicelli with grilled pork belly and pork meatballs Nem/Chả giò: non-soup rice vermicelli with fried spring rolls Riêu: rice vermicelli with tomato, fried tofu and freshwater crab paste Đậu: non-soup rice vermicelli with fried tofu dipped in shrimp paste or fish sauce
Gà: sticky rice with chicken Lạp xưởng: sticky rice with Chinese sausage Thịt kho trứng: sticky rice with caramelized pork and eggs Xá xíu: sticky rice with barbecued pork Đậu xanh: sticky rice with mung beans Đậu phộng: sticky rice with peanuts Gấc: sticky rice with gac fruit extracts Xéo: sticky rice with mung bean paste and fried shallots
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#iAMHCMC
EDITOR’S NOTE
#iAMHCMC
#iAMHCMC
EDITOR’S NOTE
This Month in #iAMHCMC
By Locals, For Locals
FOOD FEATURES 2. Street Food Menu 8. Can Vietnamese Food Go Michelin? 10. Finding the World’s
Vietnamese Food Lovers
11. A Feast for the Eyes 12. From Local to Global 14. The Quest for the Countryside 16. Bringing the Feast Overseas 18. The Sonny Side of Life 20. Eating for a Greater Good 22. Eating Halal in Saigon 23. Gluten Free Vietnam
DRINK FEATURES 17. Tapping into the Market:
Vietnamese Craft Beer
24. Pick Your Poison:
Craft Cocktails in Saigon
26. Can Vietnam Learn to Love Vino? 28. The Problem with Java
Here’s a little secret: I’ve been waiting to make this issue all year. Before moving to Vietnam, I was under the impression like so many others that people here subsisted on a steady diet of noodle soups and not much else. Although there were a fair share of Vietnamese restaurants in my city in the US, and most of them were quite popular, it was a cuisine that was still wrapped in mystery.
“I’m a big believer in drinking!”
Imagine my surprise when I slowly began to learn about all the culinary delicacies Vietnam has to offer. This is a country with a rich gastronomic tradition, and each and every person here seems to know and celebrate it. Just look at the travelling vendors, with their delicious wares stacked in glass cases on the backs of their bikes, or piled in covered rattan baskets. The dishes’ names are called, almost sung, to passersby throughout the city. The names of these foods become almost theme songs for Saigoneers. Forget Paris: the streets of Saigon are the real moveable feast. So how, then, to encapsulate all this energy, this vibrant and chaotic food scene, into 36 pages? We decided to speak to some of the key players doing amazing things with Vietnamese food. From executive chefs to restaurateurs, mixologists to craft brewers, these are the people who are devoting their passions to making Saigon one of tomorrow’s foodie paradises. But just as important as cooking Vietnamese food in the city is spreading the gospel of these delicious dishes around the world. Yes, restaurants exist in other countries, but they’re a niche market, not fully understood and not nearly as celebrated as they should be. In these pages we also pay tribute to the individuals and organisations who are cooking up some press for the likes of bun thit nuong, sup cua and oc.
“They feel stupid, like punished by God; they’ve accepted poverty as their fate.”
Peter Cuong Franklin,
Francis Van Hoi,
Executive Chef of Anan Saigon, touching on
founder of Mai Sen Academy, talking about
the importance of drinking during a meal.
the mindset of underprivileged children.
by Joshua Rappeneker
“People go to my restaurant and they ask about pho. I say no, you can eat pho everyone on the street in Vietnam! You need to try another food of Vietnam.”
by bearfotos
“It’s the story of the chicken and the egg.”
“It’s a lifestyle, right?”
Dung Duong,
Lin Bui,
Tran Dinh Huy,
Senior Director of Research & Consulting
Deputy Wine Director of FINEWINES,
owner of Secret Garden and Hue House,
services at CBRE Vietnam, remarking on the
commenting on the Western habit of
discussing the foreign obsession with pho.
paradox of development in District 2’s
drinking wine daily.
Thu Thiem.
Cheers,
HEALTH FEATURE 30. Plastic Poisoning
REAL ESTATE FEATURE
Keely Burkey
31. Saigon’s Ticking Traffic Time Bomb
TRAVEL FEATURE
HAVE FEEDBACK? CONTACT ME AT KEELY@INNOVO.VN
34. Relearning the Culinary Ropes
MEET THE EXPERT 7. David Thai
on the Future of Vietnamese Food
32. Stewed Chicken with Pink Mandarin
Digital Marketing Assistant My Tran
Senior Writers Jesús López-Gomez
Sr. Designer Tung Dinh
BD Manager Philippe Chambraud
Copyeditor Rob van Driesum
Graphic Designer Hoang Tram
Production Coordinator Oanh Tran
Co-Owner Benjamin Giroux
Marketing Coordinator Thomas Kervennic
Executive Assistant & HR Manager Thao Dao General Accountant Nguyen My
RECIPE OF THE MONTH
Sr. Technical Officer Stefan Georg
Digital Marketing Analyst Minh Tran
Writers Jesús López-Gomez Robyn Wilson Arik Jahn Sivaraj Pragasm Nat Paolone
CEO Patrick Gaveau
Content Manager Keely Burkey
Sr. Developer Ai Nguyen Front Cover Øyvind Sveen
“Food is fashion.”
“I was buying the line that plastics were inert.”
“It’s mostly me. Just louder.”
Nguyen Thi Kim Oanh,
Author Cassandra Phillips,
Sonny Side,
founder of Wrap & Roll, talking about
recalling her stance before researching
Online food reviewer, discussing his
Saigon’s international food trends.
the plastics industry.
on-screen personality.
Photographer Trang Hua
Visual Content Producer Emilio Piriz
E-NOVO CO., LTD
ADVERTORIALS 13. Dine in The Sky
at SOHY Bar and Restaurant
15. Pendolasco:
The Trattoria Inside a French Villa
33. All of Life Is a Stage!
Acting at AIS
4 | iamhcmc.com/gazette
42/37 Hoang Dieu, District 4, HCMC | +84 28 3825 4316 | sales@innovo.vn
FOOD & DRINK (nhiều tác giả)
Thanh Niên Publishing House 64 Ba Trieu - Hanoi - Vietnam | Tel: (+84 0 24) 3 943 40 44 - 62 63 1719 Publishing Liability: Director - Editor in Chief: Nguyen Xuan Truong | Editor: Ta Quang Huy License Info: Publishing Registration Plan No.: 3592-2017/CXBIPH/16-171/TN Publishing Permit No.: 723/QĐ-TN | Issued on 20 October 2017 | ISBN: 978-604-64-9044-9 5,000 copies printed at HCMC Nhan Dan Newspaper Printing Co., Ltd (D20/532P, Hamlet 4, Binh Chanh District, HCMC) No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission in writing from the publisher.
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#iAMHCMC
MEET THE EXPERT
Questions by Keely Burkey
#iAMHCMC
What Did You Think? Let Your Child Be Sick?
SK: “Raising awareness”, a favorite pastime of white people… It now can be used to
JK: Yes! Getting sick is normal. Our bodies fight off illness and don’t need help 99.9% of the time. Rest and fluids, rest and fluids. JG: The pharmacies will go broke :)
Cultural Differences? The Birth of Psychology in Saigon ML: Some school subjects are banned in Vietnam. Like much of Philosophy. Philo and Psychology have some topics/areas that are the same. And can affect the Vietnamese political and social ideals.
[be a] henchmen for the pharmacological cartel in Saigon! Congratulations, you [are] wealthy enough to be a target for the global pharmacological cartel!! MPH: It’s certainly an interesting topic. It will
directly to blame, fawning and spoiling these
be even more interesting when the industry that
otherwise normal kids.
is “depression” takes hold in Vietnam.
How Accessible is Saigon? MH: A bloody nightmare and I was only on crutches. The disabled bathrooms are actually inaccessible for someone in a wheelchair getting around alone as the doors are very heavy to open. A challenge for me on crutches to open. Steps everywhere and the oblivion of people
to consider as much of the proponents are of
meant my crutches would be knocked out from
Western thought.
under me on a daily basis in shops. Giant was
psychological problems aren’t that important [when] there are so much more to be worried about. VW: I am working [with] [disabilities] in Vietnam and see children and adults with
a big change in height and girth. TKS: Childhood obesity and diabetes are on
Even topics on mental health is a sensitive topic
NVHL: The way I see it people just think
DH: Yes, compared to 9 years ago, I have seen
the shining light in the way their staff helped in-store, into a taxi, or with deliveries. JG: 15% of Vietnam’s population is disabled. :(
Food Machine: The Beginnings of Obesity
very severe and enduring disabilities. Anxiety
the rise as schools and parents allow children to consume energy drinks, fast food, and junk food. You try to educate the parents and their idea of a healthy meal is anything that comes from America. Further, it doesn’t help when parents stuff their children full with large spoons of food, forcing them to eat. DN: I’m not [a] kid and I’m fat. I see [the] number of fat people are increasing quite fast
David Thai on the Future of Vietnamese Food
too, so ya we have problem now. :)
Water Wars: Problems on Dong Nai SKL: Frankly, at best in Vietnam, the tap water
and depression are co-morbid issues for many
RP: And I see a growing fascination/craving
is safe only for cooking and bathing. As for
patients and their carers and make already
for western type of food. I’m seeing young kids
drinking, it’s always safer to drink bottled or
tough lives tougher! These illnesses respond
snacking on chips, chocolate etc [sic] and the
distilled or boiled water. That’s the crux at least
well to treatment.
results speak for themselves, and the parents are
for the moment.
Iron Chef David Thai gives us his thoughts on street food, the future of Vietnamese chefs and why a good bowl of pho will beat foie gras any day of the week.
cuisine? No matter where we eat today, we still don’t find real Vietnamese cuisine. Because it’s not
How did you enter the food business in Vietnam? My father was in the Air Force in Vietnam during the war, and suddenly I became a boat person. When I was in my 20s, I said that one day I would go back to Vietnam. I started working for Park Hyatt, and they sent me to Jordan and Dubai to open Vietnamese restaurants. In 1996 I started working for Hyatt in Saigon. And then, when I was working in the Park Hyatt in Paris in 2002, I called up my embassy and said, “I want to go to Vietnam.” Do you think it’s easy to cook popular food in Vietnam? I think we are improving, but we’re not finished yet. How many restaurants can you find in Saigon that are both presentable and commercial? None. Maybe Wrap&Roll,
6 | iamhcmc.com/gazette
Do you think street food is real Vietnamese
supported, it’s not understood. And when it comes to street food, no one has a fixed hygiene routine. It’s sad to see that. Me, I’m scared to eat somewhere here on the street. People just want to play a game. I want to tell the chef, cooking is not a game. What’s the future of Vietnamese chefs? Now young chefs try to be more modern. There has been a lot of progress since I’ve been here. The presentation of food is much more interesting today. With so much competition in an area like District 1 it’s more demanding to be number one. The cooks, the chefs used to not want to be chefs. But now, they are happier to be chefs. They’ll know about truffles and goose liver, but they don’t understand Vietnamese leaves.
Do you think Vietnamese food can get more famous internationally? When I was 18 or 19, Vietnamese cuisine was unknown. Look around the world today, it’s number one, and it’s the same cuisine, this is what we eat every day. Vietnamese cuisine for me is the best Asian food I have ever eaten. I don’t say that because I’m Vietnamese, because that’s not the entire part of my identity. I’m from France. I feel in France, things are much more rigid. Here, you can go for pho, you can have some steak frites, you can have some fries. What makes Vietnamese food better than Western food, in your opinion? One thing I would say to my French competitor: You might have a steak, some foie gras… But me, when I cook Vietnamese cuisine, I have the opportunity to use six spices. Having more spices brings diversity of flavour and texture. With the crispness, the leaves, the slow cooking, the tenderness. So in one meal, I can pick
because [the founder] knows what to make to
Bamboo? I used to eat fresh bamboo, it’s very
up different things that you otherwise miss
make it popular all around the world.
nice. Why don’t we find these things now?
out on. 7
#iAMHCMC
FOOD FEATURE
by Robyn Wilson
FOOD FEATURE
#iAMHCMC
The Hue House owner, Tran Dinh Huy, says having two types of rice adds to the texture, while the carrot enhances its sweetness, turning this modest side order into something special. The same restaurant has played with the humble banh da—a popular rice cracker snack—
OUR RECOMMENDATIONS Saigon is raising the stakes for Vietnamese fine-dining cuisine, but where do you enjoy it? Here’s the best places to get a taste of the fancier things in life.
Hum Vegetarian 32 Vo Van Tan, D3, and others With three locations in Districts 1, 2 and 3, Hum Vegetarian gives peace of mind to
by adding the choice of several extravagant toppings, including steamed fish or minced shrimp, something that you would never find
Can Vietnamese Food Go Michelin?
perched down at a stall in the street.
An Eye for Ingredients Mr Tran says the quality of these ingredients sets his and other fine dining restaurants apart from street food stalls. Global Vintage Wines’ Mr Barclei-Smythe adds that high-end kitchens have greater control over their ingredient supply.
vegetarians. Here you’ll find a slight Thai influence too.
Di Mai 136 Le Thi Hong Gam, D1 In the heart of D1, the chefs at this restaurant
This is a point Mr Tran echoes, saying he and
There will always be a place for street food in Vietnam, but some chefs are raising the bar for Vietnamese cuisine.
excel at balancing hot and cold, yin and yang from a beautiful open kitchen, paying strict
Well known for its street food tours and
attention to food safety issues.
alleyway cafes, visitors to Vietnam can often
Cuc Gach Quan
make the mistake of overlooking its more
10 Dang Tat, District 1 Nostalgia is a beautiful thing. Inspired by the chef’s family memories, it’s all about homestyle, rural family cooking.
The Garlik 216 De Tham, D1 Low lit and elegant, The Garlik focuses on the southern style of cooking in the heart of the city.
Propaganda 21 Han Thuyen, D1 Here you’ll find street food, modernised with the best ingredients. Plus, these guys have an amazing wine menu, so you can finally find out what pairs best with bun thit nuong.
Temple Club 29-31 Ton That Thiep, D1 Follow a narrow corridor and you’ll find yourself in an elegant space, adorned with traditional Vietnamese lanterns—one of the oldest high-quality Vietnamese restaurants in the city. 8 | iamhcmc.com/gazette
upmarket eateries. Street food will always be deep in the country’s heart, but its soul now lies with the exquisite culinary experiences that can be had in its new wave of fine-dining restaurants. Young, enterprising chefs are creating a new identity for Vietnamese cuisine that is entirely its own.
“Crucial techniques such as braising, grilling
As Mike Barclei-Smythe, the general manager
and stewing are all part of the three-year
of Global Vintage Wines, who works with and
training course at the school,” according to
dines at many of the great restaurants in Ho Chi
Minh Phan, one of its students. He explains
Minh City points out, many traditional recipes
how they are also taught the importance of
are still being used today.
presentation—something that can often be overlooked in street cooking. It is the mixture of these traditional skills with modern techniques that creates fine dining at its best, as well as the subtle combination of flavours and textures that can only come from generations of refinement.
One in particular, a favourite of his, is the Vietnamese dish, mam kho quet.
Fine dining is not only about distilling the essence of the past—it’s also about innovation, and what better ingredient to play with than the nation’s favourite? Served with most meals, rice, or com, is an essential part of the Vietnamese diet. The street food com tam, literally translated as “broken
his chefs hand-pick their ingredients daily to ensure quality—something that can be seen in their banh bot loc dumpling dish. Instead of cooking these dumplings with the traditionally smaller and cheaper shrimp, The Hue House selects larger and finer-quality prawns.
It is this attention to detail and quality that makes fine-dining Vietnamese food so special.
“It’s made from pork fat, pieces of pork,
rice”, is essentially a dish of small rice bits,
dried shrimp, onion, garlic and sugar and is
served with a little meat (most often pork), fish
traditionally cooked in a clay pot. [It] used to
or vegetable and is eaten by locals with a fried
be a cheap way to feed a family,” he explains.
egg and diluted fish sauce. A nice modern twist
Blending tradition with new ideas and better-
of this classic can be seen at The Hue House in
quality ingredients opens up a whole new world
Popular street foods like pho and banh mi
This is an old dish that many modern Vietnamese
Ho Chi Minh City, where the chefs have mixed
for the chefs making waves in Vietnam’s cities,
contrast the crunch of raw or pickled vegetables
chefs are plating up in their kitchens across the
brown and white rice grains together and added
and the number of new restaurants opening is
with the softer texture of cooked meat or
country.
diced carrot.
a testament to their success.
pate. To take this to another level, fine dining restaurants add their own flair. La Residence
By mixing elegance, quality ingredients and traditional cooking techniques, Vietnamese fine dining selects the best parts of street food and brings them to the restaurant table with a touch of class.
in Hue, for example, has a salad starter with
Of course, getting to grips with the basics is vital
served with crunchy pickles and a soft, fresh
for any successful chef and kitchen—which can
rice noodle salad.
soft pomelo, grilled sun-dried squid and a crispy prawn cracker. Likewise, Saigon’s Xu Saigon restaurant has dishes that balance textures well, such as nem cua be, a crispy, deep-fried crab spring roll,
be seen in Ho Chi Minh City’s Mai Sen Bistro and Maisen Vocational Training Centre (learn even more about this organisation on page XX).
Learning from the Past for the Future
It teaches restaurant service and cooking to disadvantaged, budding young chefs and
In many of the high-class kitchens of Vietnam, it
restaurateurs and sets them up for a future in
is not only traditional techniques that continue
some of the best Vietnamese kitchens.
to influence modern-day chefs. 9
#iAMHCMC
FOOD FEATURE
Questions by Keely Burkey, Answers by Patrick Gaveau
FOOD FEATURE
by Emilio Piriz
Finding the World’s
#iAMHCMC
A Feast for the Eyes HOW TO MAKE A CARROT ROSE Want to try your own hand at this exquisite culinary art? Make these carrot roses for your next dinner party to give your dishes a touch of royal Hue elegance. What you need: one carrot and several
Vietnamese Food Lovers, a completely new project launched this year, aims to unite Vietnamese food gourmands all across the world. Ambitious? Yes. Doable? Absolutely. VFL’s founder, Patrick Gaveau, tells us more.
Why did you start Vietnamese Food Lovers (VFL)? Because for over 11 years, as I’ve promoted Vietnam with City Pass Guide, I’ve come to the conclusion that tourism in the country is portrayed all wrong. The essence of what makes Vietnam a special place isn’t its attractions or its monuments or its landmarks. What really makes it stand out is the people and the food. You can’t really export people too much, but you can export food, and Vietnam definitely has one of the most interesting cuisines— especially now that everyone is becoming aware of the importance of eating healthier. Green, light food, diverse food, easy, simple but fresh, which are attributes of the Vietnamese cuisine.
quality and safety standards, an important area
VFL now has a website. What’s the purpose of
in which improvement must be made.
the website, and what can foodies get out of it?
Our aim is really to make a stand for Vietnamese
toothpicks. By Shutterstock
We just launched the English version, with a Vietnamese version coming soon.
How do you plan to do that?
portal where supply and demand can meet so
It’s a long-term goal that requires ample
users can do more Vietnamese cooking.
Vietnamese cooking isn’t just about family-style platters. Here you’ll also find a long history of delicate vegetable carving.
This includes recipes, a very large database of
Imagine if you were asked to prepare 50
served all over Vietnam. What makes them truly
food suppliers from around the world, a large
different dishes for someone. Every single day.
special is the intricate cooking techniques and
Vietnamese Food Lovers aims to recruit the best
list of restaurants and hotels that have an
Emperor Tu Duc, the fourth of the Nguyen
the presentation that went into them.
food supply chain stakeholders and to work
interest in Vietnamese cuisine, and daily news
dynasty, was known as a finicky eater and
together with them to support the promotion
and films which will be relevant to Vietnamese
demanded food that was different from what
of Vietnamese cuisine and food, not only
food lovers.
‘common people’ ate. Given this challenging
cuisine worldwide.
Basically, the website aims to be a one-door
resources and time. And this is what we’re currently building.
Vietnamese Food Lovers plans to be active in international trade fairs for hospitality, F&B sectors, gastronomy and other related events. The aim is to help local producers who are making quality food-related products to export to the rest of the world. Vietnam has not yet tapped into the huge potential in this industry. Why do you think Vietnamese cuisine isn’t more
What are your goals for VFL by 2020?
tremendous amount of ingenuity to please the
By 2020 Vietnamese Food Lovers will have
emperor’s palate.
organised over eight Vietnamese Food Festivals
Appearance was key to come up with mouthwatering creations for the emperors. Even a carved flower made from a green onion, a chili pepper or a radish could turn a simple stir-fry dish into a king’s delight. They didn’t only value the colour or the arrangement of the plate but also
malleable enough to bend easily without breaking.
Step Two: Set Up Your Rose Arrange your carrot medallions so they’re laying in a line, overlapping about halfway. The size of your rose depends on the number of medallions. A standard-size rose requires about ten carrot slices, though you can tailor this to your preferences.
lotus leaf and further enhanced with lotus seeds.
We will have received a million pledges of
Dynasty emperors are mainly responsible for
Emperor Tu Duc liked his meals to be small and
support from food lovers around the world.
it. Imperial cooks constantly had to refine
aesthetically beautiful, and thus banh khoai was
Step Three: Roll it up
ordinary dishes until they turned them into
born (a smaller version of the popular banh xeo
Slowly and gently roll the carrot medallions,
special creations.
from the South).
making one end slightly tighter than the
Vietnamese Food Lovers will be the largest database of international food supply chain contacts in the world, so we can unite all Vietnamese food lovers under one portal.
Food Becomes Art
other. This might require some practice. To experience the art of vegetable and fruit carving first-hand, make sure you dine at
I think it’s a combination of things. First,
for promoting both Vietnamese cuisine and
artistic, ritual and sensory experience and would
Vietnam has truly opened its doors to the rest
Vietnam’s finest food producers.
not settle for anything less than astonishing. Hue has never been an agriculturally rich area, so that made it even more challenging for the imperial servants who had to go the extra mile to add an aesthetic touch to the food.
Ancient Hue Restaurant when visiting Vietnam’s former capital. Blending cultural heritage and fine cuisine, this eatery pays tribute to the last carving artists in Hue. Each dish is beautifully presented with vegetables sculpted into shapes of plants and animals, which resembles quite accurately Hue’s dynastic dishes.
How will VFL change the experience of eating
The second reason is that to make good
Vietnamese food?
Vietnamese food you require some basic raw
What would an imperial banquet look like
The restaurant even provides a vegetable-carving
I hope that we will be able to support the
ingredients that are still not yet available in most
today? A dozen dishes would be served and
course for those wanting to learn one of the most
Vietnamese restaurants in order to ensure higher
countries around the world.
dishes such as delicate rice flour patties stuffed
ancient traditions in Vietnamese cuisine.
10 | iamhcmc.com/gazette
medallions. Make sure they’re thin and
and fruit carving in Vietnam and the Nguyen
across Vietnam.
Why so? Emperors considered eating to be an
minimal.
be no-brainer choices. However, these Hue
Cut a carrot width-wise into small, thin
the way it was served: rice was cooked inside a
It will be the largest media agency responsible
And for the first 10 years, tourism was very
glutinous rice dessert (banh phu the), would
Hue is considered the cradle of vegetable
widely celebrated in the world?
of the world only for the last 25 years.
and vegetable pancakes (banh khoai), or the
delicacies are actually variations of dishes
task, the imperial kitchen staff had to show a
marketing-wise, but sales-wise.
with minced shrimp (banh Hue), small shrimp
Step One: Prepare the Carrots
Step Four: Secure the Base The most important part! While holding the rose steady with one hand, use the other to run a toothpick width-wise through the base. Repeat this with a few more toothpicks at different angles of your carrot rose, to make sure the petals hold steady. When the foundation holds firm, you can gently spread the petals wider to make your rose fully bloom! 11
#iAMHCMC
FOOD FEATURE
by Keely Burkey
From Local to Global Food is the heart and soul of any culture; what happens when traditional recipes are altered to suit a globalised palate? Food news netizens might remember a particular commotion last year inadvertently caused by famed British chef Jamie Oliver, who enraged Spanish eaters the world over when he publicised his recipe for paella, a rice dish traditionally cooked with shellfish, revamped by Oliver with the addition of chorizo and chicken.
How do you make a cuisine rooted in the individualised traditions of millions of people in a broad and diverse country into a unified whole? What is Vietnamese cuisine, really? This is a question Chef Franklin has been asking himself as he works to explore the possibilities of a different type of cuisine—all, he says, while respecting the history and culture of Vietnam and its food. It’s a question that’s never been more important
outrage with what many called a bastardisation
to answer, especially at Anan Saigon, a restaurant
of a national dish—making something
literally situated between tradition and a rapidly
traditional into something barely recognisable.
changing modernity: almost hidden in one of the
At that point, why even label it a paella, many
oldest street markets in the city, it’s also flanked
wondered. Instead, maybe it should be called
on all sides by high rises, with a clear view of
“rice with stuff”. As Peter Cuong Franklin,
Bitexco from the rooftop bar. This interplay
international culinary maestro and Executive
between modern and traditional is a tap dance
Chef at Anan Saigon told #iAMHCMC, the
on a high-wire that Chef Franklin has come
uproar touched on the centrality of food to
to perfect, with crowd-pleasing favourites like
a country’s national identity. “I think food
his banh xeo tacos, served on contemporary
becomes personal, and also to some extent nationalistic,” he said.
However, Chef Franklin has made it his mission to change this—or, at the very least, to push diners to question it.
On the 25th floor of the Centec Tower you’ll find SOHY, where you can dine with a view. Part bar, part restaurant, part lounge, SOHY defies definition while it exceeds expectations. Review by Keely Burkey
smile and impeccable English. I said I had
made-in-Vietnam plate-ware and accompanied
Describing the atmosphere of SOHY is difficult,
dining French restaurants. One example: my
by personally curated cocktails. Ultimately, they
as it’s not just a bar, and not just a restaurant.
waiter paid dutiful attention to the wine, and
strive to give guests a taste of Modern Vietnam,
Taking up both the 25th and 26th floors
elegantly opened it and poured with the learned
with a capital ‘m’.
of the Centec Tower, SOHY offers diners,
grace of a sommelier. Whenever my glass was
drinkers, loungers and general merrymakers a
running low, he was always on hand to top it
rooftop bar, a moonlit restaurant, an open-air
up without spilling a single drop.
An International Affair But whatever you do, don’t call it fusion. “I
all in one.
me up a flight of stone stairs to the dining room on the 26th floor. Throughout the dinner, I got to experience the attention to detail I’ve come to expect at fine-
Food and Drink
You’re likely to be impressed by the design
because it’s based on the old way of thinking,”
choices. Sleek and modern without being cold,
For my dinner I enjoyed a four-course set menu
Franklin said. With an increasingly globalised
I felt both comfortable and awed. Tropical
(VND680,000++), which I learned changes
world, borders continue to fall, and cuisine has
touches and warm highlights mix with the cool
depending on the choice of the head chef.
been, and will continue to, follow suit.
atmosphere, giving it a sort of futuristic beach-
Chef Franklin has big plans, and he’s not afraid of shaking up the status quo. His next project, for example, will be “redefining pho”, a project
Of course, it’s impossible to mention SOHY without extolling the virtues of the fantastic view. From the 25th floor I could see across the city, from District 1 to District 3. As I sat down for my dinner in the Star Dining Room, I watched a few spikes of lightning in the distance. It was dinner and a show.
Service
he’s both secretive and excited about. Is Saigon
If I had to find fault with SOHY, it would be two-fold. First, the elevators going to the restaurant were quite slow and grated on my patience. I actually timed my ascent to the restaurant: from the motorbike parking, it took 10 minutes. I also learned that only two of the six elevators went to the 25th floors—the others stopped at the 23rd. Secondly, much of SOHY is open-air and vulnerable to Saigon’s changeable weather. When I was enjoying a cocktail in the lounge, the wind blew out candle after candle, though dutiful servers regularly appeared to light
think that words like fusion [are] very dated,
“The world is becoming globalised,” he said with a grin. “Fusion cuisine is about combining different cultural traditions to make something new and different. But in a globalised world, it’s happening all the time every day.”
What Could be Improved
reservations for dinner, and she personally led
champagne garden and an elegant cigar lounge,
resort vibe.
12 | iamhcmc.com/gazette
#iAMHCMC ADVERTORIAL
Dine in the Sky at SOHY Bar and Restaurant
Asking the Right Questions
Offended masses took to Twitter to share their
This has never been more true than in Vietnam, where many bristle over suggestions that hu tieu came from Cambodia and pho came from the French word for fire, feu.
RESTAURANT REVIEW
I chose the raw Nha Trang oysters with quail eggs and caviar (VND245,000 a la carte), the French onion soup served with a puff pastry (VND145,000 a la carte), the marinated French duck breast with orange ginger sauce (VND670,000 a la carte) and the coconut cheesecake for dessert (VND145,000 a la carte). All were delicious, but if I had to choose a favourite, it would have to be the Nha Trang oysters, which happens to be one of SOHY’s specialities. The mouthfeel and the flavours of
them again.
The Final Word SOHY is a must-try if you’re in the mood for an elevated dinner or drinks in the heart of the city. Truly, it has something for everyone looking for a night out: a cigar lounge if you want to relax with a whiskey and a Cuban from the humidor; a rooftop bar if you want to network with some colleagues or go out for drinks with friends; and a low-lit, elegant restaurant if you want a romantic and elegant dinner for two. I hear they’re also great at organising events, and can accommodate up to 500 people.
ready for a new take on the national dish? The
Perhaps one of the best parts of my experience
the oyster, caviar, quail egg, all mixed with a
real test will be seeing if it will meet the Jamie-
was the care and attention of the staff. As soon
sliver of lime for acidity, was a culinary treat
Centec Rooftop Tower,
Oliver-paella fate when it’s released.
as I arrived, a hostess greeted me with a wide
hard to find in Saigon.
join.us@sohy.vn | www.sohy.vn | 5:30 p.m. to 3:00 a.m.
72 - 74 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai | +84 28 8488 3028
13
RESTAURANT ADVERTORIAL
#iAMHCMC
36 Tong Huu Dinh, D2 | 028 6253 2828 | info@pendolasco.vn | pendolasco.vn/en
The Quest for the Countryside Tran Dinh Huy owns some of the most celebrated and popular Vietnamese restaurants in Saigon. His secret for success? Focussing on the past in a city obsessed with the future. By Keely Burkey You would never guess that 34-year-old restaurateur Tran Dinh Huy is from the countryside of the northern Nam Dinh Province. Clad in a colourful Hawaiian shirt and sunglasses as he sips on a fresh juice at his newest restaurant, Secret House, Huy looks at home with the zen atmosphere he created on the small alleyway off Le Thi Hong Gam, nestled at the bottom of District 1. “All of my restaurants aren’t on big streets,” he said. “I made them tucked away in alleys, so you can get away from the noisy things.” Huy is the innovative mind behind some of the most popular Vietnamese restaurants in the city,
Authenticity is Key
World-Wide Plans
Huy currently has six successful restaurants,
As a business model, this was worked well, and
and he’s looking forward to opening a seventh
this is what he wants to bring to the world. As
in a month-and-a-half. (“It’s going to be near
part of an investment group that has opened
Bitexco, and I want it to be like Saigon before
Somtum Der Thai restaurants in world capitals
1975.”)
like Beijing, New York City and, of course,
His restaurants are all individual, but also similar. The Hue House, for example, draws
Ho Chi Minh City, he has seen the effects of exportable cuisine.
traditional and home-styled—something Huy insisted upon when he developed the menus.
“The countryside is in my blood,” he said. “I missed it when I moved here 20 years ago. And I think a lot of people miss it too.”
among them local and tourist favourites Secret
The ribbon was cut at the grand opening on 23 September, gathering Pendolasco’s regular customers as well as curious ones.
existing location in Thao Dien. What makes
Pendolasco can brag about bringing Manuel
“A lot of people don’t know [Vietnamese food],
their new eatery so special? “When you come
Reale on board as he will be taking care of the
and that’s why I want to keep it traditional,”
across a villa like this, it’s really hard not to
pizza station.
he said.
picture a new concept for our restaurant,” said
“It’s not like Japanese food or Thai food or Italian food. Everybody in the world knows about these, and they can do something new. I have to introduce the authentic food first, and then if Vietnamese cuisine becomes more popular, maybe I’ll think about doing something different.”
enjoyed almost universally by customers who
to Saigon,” he said. Walk into one of his
Huy said that he routinely gets offers to
want family-style food served in a beautifully
restaurants, and it doesn’t look like the
franchise and export his restaurant concepts
curated ambience.
countryside, with its exposed bricks, customised
to other countries, and he’ll likely accept one
furniture and casual herb gardens, accompanied
such offer in San Jose, California.
ago. When he decided to invest in a Hanoi-
must-go for those craving real Italian cuisine.
Alessandro Ferretti managing the kitchen,
“I just want to bring the countryside culture
by tranquil instrumental music.
in District 2 will perfectly suit you.
the garden. These make their new venue a
a new branch barely 200 metres from their
Garden, Mountain Retreat and the Hue House,
His foray into the F&B industry began six years
atmosphere, new Pendolasco’s garden restaurant
the owner of this landmark, Carlo Anzon.
“We couldn’t pass on the opportunity to create a revolutionary dining experience that yet maintain the Pendolasco feeling.”
New Beginnings Business at Nguyen Hue was great, but rising
The Old Just Got Even Better
seating area and a fancy glass-wall bar facing
making. Besides having Rome-born chef
Traditional Vietnamese, not modern takes.
An countryside house. The food, however, is all
surrounded by a tranquil and enchanting
adding a grill corner, an outstanding outdoor
the Pendolasco team decided to move and open
the country’s ancient capital; Mountain Retreat,
and Secret House evokes the feelings of a Hoi
If you picture yourself having a nice dinner
them to take Italian cuisine to the next level by
But there are many more surprises on the
His next mission: exporting Vietnamese.
mimics the journey into the Central Highlands;
The oldest Italian restaurant in town recently changed its Nguyen Hue location for a garden villa in District 2. With change comes new opportunities!
After 20 years at the ever-busy Nguyen Hue,
upon the architectural style and royal feel of with its five flights of stairs and no elevators,
Pendolasco: The Trattoria Inside a French Villa
Manuel came fifth at an international pizza contest in Parma last April with his delicious “pizza alla pala”. This pizza is topped with fresh ingredients and served on its namesake paddle. Compared to the wood-fired Neapolitan pizza, it’s made with a lighter dough (filled with air bubbles) and baked in an electric oven, a combination that creates a delicious crispy flatbread.
If you have been to Pendolasco before, you probably now its hand-picked selection of scrumptious dishes from all corners of Italy: North, Central and South cuisine. The menu keeps getting better with a new ‘home-cooked specialty’ every two weeks. What’s more, it now serves breakfast and brunch.
All these additions plus the wellknown signature dishes, along with the selection of red meats prepared at the grill corner, will spoil both old and new customers for choice. On top of this, delivery service just got even better. What used to be the kitchen of the old restaurant at 36 Tong Huu Dinh will now become the ‘hub’ for delivery. But there will be a bakery station inside serving Italian delicacies ‘on the go’ such as focaccia, pasta fresca and other ready-made quick bites for those in a rush. Pasticcini (pastries) and authentic Italian espresso coffee are the icing on the cake for this new face of Pendolasco’s delivery centre. And
rental costs made Carlo and his team decide to
Now with pizza master Manuel at the forefront,
the fun doesn’t stop there. Bring your kids to
move. “The big franchises can cope with the
Pendolasco introduces this distinctive Italian pie
Pendolasco during the weekends as they will
soaring real estate prices. Serving good food at
to demanding customers who are always looking
get to be pizza masters for a day while learning
a reasonable price has always been our policy
for new flavours. Stay tuned, because Manuel
about the cooking process from beginning
The trick for Huy will be selling authentic
and we didn’t want to make any compromises
and his team will be hosting a Pizza Pala event
to end. These workshops are a great way to get
style bun dao restaurant with friends, he
It looks like a peaceful wonderland, almost
Vietnamese food to an increasingly artificial
on that,” Carlo said. Luckily for them, they
very soon to officially present this masterpiece
them interested in cooking. They will even get
was hooked.
otherworldly in its calm.
American palate.
stumbled upon an old French villa. This allowed
to all Italian cuisine lovers in Saigon.
to eat their own creation!
14 | iamhcmc.com/gazette
15
#iAMHCMC
FOOD FEATURE
by Keely Burkey
Bringing the Feast Overseas Reliant on fresh, locally sourced ingredients, Vietnamese food might not lend itself to chain restaurants. Can Wrap & Roll make it big overseas?
casual dining market. While these chains have
Growing Pains
done well in major cities around the country, the world market beacons for the aspiring restaurateur. But can Vietnamese food, a cuisine based on fresh ingredients and homemade tastes, be franchised and replicated in other countries?
Targeting the Fresh Market When Nguyen Thi Kim Oanh looked at Saigon’s F&B landscape in 2006, she spotted a glaring hole. What if a white-collar worker, either
expansion overseas? That’s another story. At the moment, only the chain restaurant Rolld has capitalised on Vietnamese food in Australia, and soup emporium Pho Hoa Noodle Soup, which boasts to be “the only Vietnamese cuisine franchise outside of Asia”, has outlets in the US and Canada, along with several countries in Asia—but not Vietnam.
Vietnamese food in a clean, trendy setting,
Capital took on Wrap & Roll in 2016, for Oanh
without sifting through the hundreds of items
it was all about grounding the company in an
on a typical Vietnamese menu?
Asian market before expanding elsewhere.
“I wanted healthy food with good service and a very fresh and trendy atmosphere. It was something I created just for someone like me. The target customer is exactly myself.”
So far, diners can enjoy a Wrap & Roll dinner
developed the concept for Wrap & Roll before setting off on a country-wide trip to decide what rolled cuisine was really all about. She discovered almost 100 different wrap and roll dishes, and settled on just 60 easily
in Singapore and Shanghai, while Taiwan, the Philippines and Cambodia are likely to be added to the list in the coming years.
restaurant. Look around: what do you typically see? In the past, a Vietnamese meal out implies two options—a cheap lunch perched on a red plastic table, or fine dining at one of Saigon’s 4- and 5-star hotels. However, as the city’s F&B market becomes increasingly sophisticated, the casual-dining restaurant segment has become competitive as well. Ten years ago Saigonese likely found their daily meals at street food vendors or in
Quality is a top concern, especially when dealing with a cuisine dependent on fresh herbs and vegetables that can’t be exported.
But these are Western-style lagers made by
was a citrusy, smooth, blonde ale that used
foreigners. Sometimes the ingredients are even
Vietnamese mandarins. Soon they began selling
imported. The owners of craft brewery Tê Tê,
it and, with the help of investor backing, got to
There’s a perception that Vietnamese consumers
for example, reportedly import 95 percent of
work building their first brewery. They opened
are passing on craft beer, but Le said that’s
their ingredients.
a second in October 2016 and today sell their
changing. The high quality ingredients and
portfolio of 40 craft beers throughout Vietnam.
higher quality product are beginning to gain
products available locally, and importing Vietnamese spices directly from Saigon.
happened.
points to increased Vietnamese food competition in Asia’s F&B marketplace—a realisation that goes against the now-established narrative lamenting the lack of Vietnamese cuisine across the world.
her success to her knowledge of the market, and
“In the region we’re focussing on, you can find
a little help from the perfect timing.
a lot [of Vietnamese food] in Singapore. You also find a lot in Manila and Korea.”
Hanoi-based C-Brewmaster in 2016 was the first entrant with a totally local focus: Vietnamese ownership using Vietnamese ingredients. At first, “We were just thinking we can brew on a small scale, just for friends,” Le Cong Vinh, National Sales Manager for the expanding Hanoi brewery, said. Le spoke to #iAMHCMC at C-Brewmaster’s newly opened taproom at 52B Nguyen Binh Khiem in D1.
Tet Brews
small, mom-and-pop restaurants, but today
“The customer targets were all correct, and
Vietnamese food chains like Pho Ong and Mon
the timing was good. In 2006, there was a
With a goal to open 50 stores in five countries
A marketer who worked with Heineken and
Hue, both owned by F&B conglomerate Huy
food court trend in Vietnam. Timing is very
by 2021, it looks like Vietnam has found its first
Anheuser-Busch InBev, Le co-founded the
Vietnam, are working to corner the sit-down,
important,” she said.
international restaurant franchise.
brewery with Nguyen Van Cuong, owner and
16 | iamhcmc.com/gazette
their respective careers, they said they bumped
pioneers in 2014.
Even more than quality concerns, Oanh also
and Diamond Plaza. Oanh modestly attributes
volume beer. Travelling throughout the world in
and brand awareness.”
inviting atmosphere on Hai Ba Trung, magic
Minh City, in key locations like Phu My Hung
the two have over 30 years of experience in
with Platinum and Pasteur Street among the
quality by subtly altering ingredients to fit
Wrap & Rolls were open for business in Ho Chi
manager of one of its plants. Between them,
on this area first to easily control the quality
the do-it-yourself.
The concept worked, and within a year, four
worked with beer giant Carlsberg Group as a
Craft beer in Saigon is only a few years old,
So far, the Wrap & Roll team has maintained
to-understand menu, and creating a clean and
lead beersmith. Coung is a trained brewer who
America and even Europe, but we want to focus
different culinary models: the pre-made roll, and
After planting these curated rolls on an easy-
Most people in Saigon equate craft beer with foreign owners. C-Brewmaster is fighting that stereotype.
“We have been receiving a lot of offers from
replicated and fresh varieties, focussing on two
You’re sitting down to eat at a Vietnamese
Tapping into the Market: Vietnamese Craft Beer
franchising a Vietnamese restaurant for
So, when the private equity firm Mekong
businesswoman she sought to cater to, Oanh
#iAMHCMC
Expanding nationally is one thing, but
foreign or local, wanted high-quality, healthy
Every bit the professional, calm and passionate
DRINK FEATURE
by Jesús López-Gomez
into more and more craft breweries. They got the idea to try something new and started brewing during Tet in 2016. Their first beer
Hanoi-based C-Brewmaster’s strategy bets on the only constant in the consumer equation: the Vietnamese.
a foothold amongst the increasingly affluent
A Passing Fancy? In their Saigon taproom, the beer menu consists of a grid of colour-coded, numbered posters: number 12 is a zesty lemongrass beer; number 7 is the Pharaoh Whiskey Beer that carries a pleasant bite due to ageing in a liquor cask; number 1 is their first beer, the Queen Blonde.
In some respects, the impact of craft beer—which has been called a “phenomenon,” a “wave,” a “fad”—is a bit like the foreigners who gravitate towards it. No one is quite sure what to make of them, or how long they’ll be around.
native population. “They feel the difference,” he said. He added that the image of a group sitting on low, red stools drinking foamy amber out of a glass tumbler is becoming less and less fashionable. He cited a growing demand for craft beer in neighbouring China: 10 percent of beer sold there was from a craft brewery. Le said rising incomes and just plain old curiosity are driving the thirsty to wander from the little stools. It’s an argument that, conveniently, is immediately verifiable. On the afternoon Le talks to us, a pair of Vietnamese men pass a lazy afternoon in the taproom sipping the beer at roughly the same speed that one sips the minutes over the course of a lifetime. 17
#iAMHCMC
FOOD FEATURE
FOOD FEATURE
by Keely Burkey
The Sonny Side of Life
To make a video viral, Sonny was convinced that making it interesting and engaging was the way to go, rather than a traditional company profile (“Nobody wants to watch those,” he groaned). Making videos with the audience in mind is Sonny’s first priority, with the ever-important title and thumbnail image providing a hook to lure potential viewers to click. So far, some of his most popular videos have been attention-grabbers like “Eating a $130 Cobra in Vietnam” (562,000 views) and “Eating Rat in Vietnam” (518,000 views),
Social media isn’t just for sharing cat videos.
with blocked text sent aslant like supermarket tabloid headlines advertising Elvis Presley’s supernatural return to Vegas.
In a Highland Coffee shop near Ben Thanh Market, Sonny Side, internet personality and
Although marketing tricks are important, Sonny
host of YouTube’s enormously popular Best
By Tani Nguyen
an afternoon with a member of the Red Dao ethnic minority in the northern hills of Sapa, a secluded community that still lives very much in a traditional way. “She’s never had any kind of Western food,” Sonny said. “Probably the funniest part was showing her a picture of a taco. I was like, ‘You’ve never had one of these?’ [...] What I love is, in the video I ask her if she’s ever had McDonalds, and she’s like, ‘No’. And I gasp.
is adamant that, first and foremost, his mission is “to find the stories around food”.
Ever Food Review Show, recalls a recent experience. His eyes light up as he describes
#iAMHCMC
and because I’m going a little bit bald,” he said
exaggerated “yummy” expressions. The Best
with a laugh), Sonny said that his goal is to
Ever Food Review Show follows this general
focus on the people and the food, rather than
narrative, but Sonny gives it a twist with his
himself.
higher production quality, energetic editing and pop-centric background music.
“I try not to make the show me-centric. Starting out, I was like, ‘What can I create that’s of value for the person watching it?’ It was basically two things: showing something that’s interesting, and just entertainment.”
I know so many people are going to hate me for that!” The people he’s referring to are his
Judging by the hundreds of comments left on
legions of internet fans. As of October, Best
his posts, people are tuning in because of his
Ever Food Review Show boasted over 300,000
friendly humour just as much as for the food.
Facebook followers and over 150,000 YouTube
Amongst the ubiquitous viewers who praise
subscribers, and these numbers increase every
Sonny’s jokes, you can also find some other users
day. Sonny’s bi-weekly videos charting the
who opine things like, “this is way betteer [sic]
strange, wonderful, delicious and occasionally
than mark wiens [sic]”. Mark Wiens, another
unsavoury culinary options found all over
prominent YouTube personality and perhaps
Asia fit with a growing group of vloggers who
the granddaddy of online food vlogging, has
have achieved internet stardom through travel
been generating views and likes since 2009—
adventures and a whole lot of street food.
he currently has well over a million YouTube
“I saw there was a need for higher-quality food videos in this country,” he said. “Tourism is booming here.” By joining forces with the local tour operating company Onetrip, Sonny has been able to produce more videos of better quality to a wider audience. The next step? Making them self-sustaining,
Food Tourism, Revamped
street, eating a bunch of food, talking about it. Although Sonny’s on-screen personality relies
If I can actually meet a family, hang out with
on comedy, when it comes to strategy, he’s all
a family member, ask questions about their
business. A self-taught video director and editor,
culture, find out how they live, that’s really
the genesis for the project came as he worked
interesting to me. And then the food is just a
with companies in South Korea, where he lived
really great bonus to all of that.”
for eight years.
merchandising diversification.
Sonny says that viewers have written to him,
“One thing that was always really hard was
telling him that they’ve gone to Vietnam
making content for clients that no one was
inspired by his shows.
going to care about it, because clients always had really terrible ideas,” he said.
a goal that Sonny predicts will happen soon with the help of YouTube ad revenue and
“That’s why I don’t just like walking down the
As the concept of food tourism gains more ground, eating a homecooked field rat in the Mekong Delta might just promote tourism
“The idea of shareable didn’t enter their mind.”
to Vietnam more than cold and professional marketing campaigns.
subscribers. Other heavy hitters in the industry
18 | iamhcmc.com/gazette
Cooking Up Competition
include Trevor James, aka The Food Ranger,
Anyone who has seen Best Ever Food Review
Watch enough food review videos, and it’s
Show, which is shared widely all over social
easy to spot a pattern. Each begins with
media platforms in Vietnam and especially in
some scenery shots of the locale with a brief
the Philippines, probably tunes in for Sonny Side
monolog by the presenter about where he is
as much as for the food itself. Irreverent, casual,
and what’s on today’s menu. Cut to a hole-
quick and almost always hosting with a red
in-the-wall restaurant, where a bemused local
bandana wrapped around his forehead (“It’s a
cook serves up the special that the host enjoys
symbol of adventure… of vagabond-manship…
with a bit of food commentary and plenty of
and Mike Chen, aka Strictly Dumpling.
19
#iAMHCMC
FOOD FEATURE
by Arik Jahn
Eating for a Greater Good But when they visit and see that their children are trained in noble 5-star establishments, their eyes grow wider: “You work here?” This gives students something they’re often lacking: confidence. These disadvantaged young people have all been brought up in poor circumstances. “They feel stupid, like punished by God; they’ve accepted poverty as their fate,” Francis describes. “This is a real inferiority complex.” By Arik Jahn
Self-esteem might be the single most valuable thing Mai Sen teaches them.
Francis Van Hoi has experienced the benefits of the German educational system first-hand. His non-profit hospitality training centre Mai Sen brings it to Saigon.
His early beginnings instilled a profound fondness for the German educational system: “I didn’t have a penny, but I ended up as a successful chef. This is something that impressed me over there. Trainees get paid, they’re independent. So I told myself: ‘If we’d bring
The almost-70-year-old Francis Van Hoi is what
this system to Vietnam, then we’d give young
you’d call a personality: a person who loves
Vietnamese similar chances.’ This is how I got
food and has a story to tell.
the idea to found Mai Sen.”
“As a child, I always scolded my mother. Every meal was the same: cooked fish, cooked vegetables, cooked rice. And that, in a fruitful country like Vietnam, so rich in natural ingredients!” The native of Vietnam spent 35 years in Germany before he came back to open the Saigon-based not-for-profit organisation in 2014 that trains underprivileged young people to be professional waiters, cooks and bakers. Almost 40 years earlier, in January 1976, he set foot in Germany. He was a destitute 22-year-old with little hope for the future, stranded in a small town in the south of the country called Murnau. “As a refugee, I didn’t have a work permit. My only chance to survive was black labour. And where do you do that in Germany? In gastronomy. So I ended up in a damp cellar of a Bavarian tavern, washing dishes and salad.” Three years later, his legal status changed. So he scraped money together for another two years to do a traineeship in cooking. This was the starting point of a roaring career in the food and beverage industry. 20 | iamhcmc.com/gazette
All You Need Is Confidence At his school, trainees learn the hospitality ropes for three years, not only at Mai Sen’s own German restaurant in Binh Thanh District, but also during a one-year internship at one of several partnering 5-star hotels: Le Méridien, InterContinental, Park Hyatt, Caravelle, The Reverie… the list reads like a who’s-who of Saigon’s hospitality sector. The traineeship ends with an exam conducted in English by the German Chamber of Industry and Commerce. The whole curriculum follows Germany’s high standards. When the young Vietnamese graduate from Mai Sen, they are ready for the big, wide world. Mai Sen receives far more applications than it can accept, but not all would-be trainees get the full support from their families.
“When a trainee comes here with the objective to become a cook or a waiter,” Francis says, “the parents often say: ‘Others go to the big city and study engineering or finance —and you want to be a cook?!’”
Minh, Mai Sen’s shift leader, is living proof of this. He’s one of the first 21 graduates, and now provides training to young students. As his family couldn’t support him to go to college, he joined the vocational school in Saigon. When asked about Mai Sen and its principal, his eyes sparkle:
“Francis is our teacher and also more than that. He changed my mind, he gave me a job and not only a job, but a future.” Barkeeper Ngan, who’s also a dessert expert (ask her for a cup of panna cotta!), seconds him: “Mai Sen has changed my life,” she states. ”I never planned to work in hospitality, but when I came here, I started to see that this is just the right thing for me.”
Rosy Prospects Would Francis recommend his trainees to follow his path to Germany? “They’re free to do whatever they want, but no, I wouldn’t recommend them that. Germany has enough skilled workers. We need them here more urgently.” He sees a lot of untapped potential in Vietnam’s hospitality sector. Well-trained gastronomic labour remains a rare commodity, and his graduates obtain an internationally recognised degree. “In the next 50 years, none of them will have to be worried about their job.” 21
FOOD FEATURE
by Nat Paolone
Eating Halal in Saigon
Celiac disease prevents many from enjoying the world’s carb-loaded delicacies. Here’s how to get by in Vietnam, and what to order.
#iAMHCMC
Gluten Free Vietnam
The latest “magic pill” in the quest for health (lose weight, boost energy, feel better) is glutenfree gastronomy. In many Western countries, the supermarkets, restaurants and cafes are brimming with these readily available food options. Before taking the bait on grain-less living, let’s look at some nutritional info and discover who needs to live gluten-free. People diagnosed with celiac disease are the only ones By Annam Gourmet
required to maintain a gluten-free diet. When celiacs consume gluten-containing food, it triggers an auto-immune response that damages the small intestine, resulting in the inability
Vietnam may not have a significant Muslim population, but that doesn’t mean you can’t find high-quality halal food in the city. By Sivaraj Pragasm For a country with a small Muslim population,
Vietnamese specialities such as bo xao nam
goreng mamak (Indian fried noodles) to nasi
you might think halal food might be a little hard
(stir-fried beef with mushrooms) and banh xeo
lemak (coconut milk rice). Kampung Pandan
to find. However, Saigon has plenty of great
(savoury, fried crispy pancakes).
Restaurant at 53 Thu Khoa Huan and D’Nyonya
halal local food if you know where to look.
Halal@Saigon at 31 Dong Du is a very popular,
Options range from the world-famous pho, to
albeit slightly pricier, option if you’re looking
bun bo hue and banh xeo.
for halal local dishes in a comfortable dining
After scouring the city, and speaking to two
atmosphere.
Muslims living in Saigon—a Scottish expat,
From goi dua tom (shrimp salad in coconut
Karrar Al Hili, and a local Muslim, Fatima—
milk) to goi cuon tom (fresh shrimp spring
here are some of their recommendations when
rolls), there are also vegetarian options available
it comes to Vietnamese food.
if you’re also and a vegetarian, with salads and spinach soups on the menu.
Vietnamese Cuisine
Other good options are Saigon Green House at 52 Truong Dinh, known for its canh chua
Many Vietnamese dishes are either pork-based
ca (sour soup with fish), and Salima Halal
or contain some form of pork. To bridge this
Vietnamese Restaurant at 22 Nguyen An Ninh
gap, there is a place that sells top quality halal
in Ben Thanh Market, which serves not only
pho.
halal versions of Vietnamese dishes, but also
This unassuming restaurant, aptly named “Pho Muslim”, is just a two-minute walk away from
selections of Cham cuisine (a significant portion of Chams are Muslims).
the Jamiul Islamiyah mosque, also known
You can also find a handful of street stalls in
locally as Nancy Mosque, at Hem 505 Tran
the markets in District 8 that specialise in Halal-
Hung Dao.
Vietnamese and Cham cuisine.
Open only in the morning for pho, and after
International Fare
4 p.m. for bun bo hue, its signature dishes are reasonably priced and are a huge hit among Muslims and non-Muslims alike.
Malay There are a handful of restaurants here run
Restaurant at 56 Dong Du are the most popular among both locals and Muslim visitors to Saigon. D’Nyonya Restaurant specialises in Peranakan cuisine, which features both sweetand-sour tamarind-based dishes as well as spicy dishes. Choices like assam laksa are a delightful combination of both these flavour profiles. If you’re looking for a fuss-free and easy dining restaurant, perfect for quick lunches, then check out Saigon Seri Penang Restaurant at 29 Luu Van Lang. Middle Eastern
may follow, possibly leading to more serious diseases.
Only recently, in 2013, did the scientific community agree that some people with non-celiac gluten sensitivity can also suffer side-effects such as bloating, low-energy, and “brain fog”. “People who are sensitive to gluten may feel better, but a larger portion will derive no significant benefit from the practice,” says Dr. Leffler, who is also an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. “They’ll simply waste their money, because these products are expensive.”
What to Eat in Saigon
Another delicious source of halal food is
recommended to choose naturally gluten-free
cuon, rice and all the fish, chicken, beef and
foods over the processed gluten-free products,
pork dishes are fine (make sure there’s no soy
such as gluten-free breads, pastas and so on.
sauce). Hu tieu, goi cuon, mi quang, com hen (rice with snails) and mien (mung bean noodles) are fine too. Some sauces such as soy sauce
Mexican restaurants may be of significant importance for wheat-less warriors.
usually have added wheat, so be careful there. Those who wish to avoid gluten or are wheat sensitive generally don’t need to worry about small amounts. Celiacs, however, do. Glutinous (sticky) rice contains no gluten, nor do all plain rice products (white, brown or black). It is best to avoid fish or meats deep-fried as often they are dipped in flour first. Oils are gluten-free, as are potatoes, but the oils used for french fries may have been used for other deep-fried food dipped in flour. All alcohol is wheat-free except BEER! Oh man, do I miss it! Many micro-breweries abroad have a slew of grain-less swill. A few imported brands are available in Saigon.
Mexican food traditionally uses corn flour wraps; however, restaurants use wheat or wheat/ corn mixes as a cheaper option. Ask to be sure before you order. This can be challenging, as wait staff are often unaware. Even the kitchen staff may not know that many sauces contain wheat. Saigon has many import stores and Vietnamese and Western supermarkets stocking a long list of gluten-free items including pastas, crisps, bread mixes, pancakes, oats and cookies. But I suggest going for local options such as banh trang, a readily available large round rice cracker, rather than gluten-free crisp breads, as they are far cheaper and locally produced. So, folks, there you have it. If you are able to digest
Middle-Eastern cuisine and the good news is,
Now for the good news! Whether you need to
Most Western restaurants have yet to adopt
this highly wheat-sensitive “info-meal”, choose
there’s plenty of it in Saigon, from Turkish and
be gluten-free or fall for the “farce”, Vietnam
specific gluten-free menus, though many Italian
wisely the next time you desire grain-less grub or
Lebanese to Syrian. Zeytun Restaurant at 185
allows gluten-free living relatively easily if you
restaurants have gluten-free pasta available on
hear someone asking, “Is it gluten free”? Unless a
Bui Vien and Al Sham Saigon at 300 Vo Van
stick to Vietnamese cuisine. Here is a list of
request. Some chefs I spoke with are reluctant
medical professional determines you are celiac or
Kiet have a growing reputation among locals
common Vietnamese dishes that are naturally
to display gluten-free options, for risk of
wheat-sensitive, enjoy your durum semolina and
and expats, regardless of dietary restrictions
gluten free:
cross-contamination. However, it is highly
embrace your inner gluten gluttony!
Indian From biryanis to butter chicken, Indian cuisine is huge in Saigon and the city is home to a handful of high-quality Indian restaurants serving authentic dishes. Baba’s Kitchen at 164 Bui Vien and Ganesh at 38 Hai Ba Trung are famous for butter chicken and dum biryani respectively.
If noodle dishes aren’t your thing, The Daun
by Malaysians and Singaporeans with Malay
Restaurant at 194 Le Thanh Ton, right next to
and Indian Muslim specialities ranging from
Nabil Biryani House at 31 Truong Dinh has some
Ben Thanh Market, has a menu that includes
nasi goreng kampung (fried rice) to mee
of the best biryani you can find in Vietnam.
22 | iamhcmc.com/gazette
to absorb nutrients. A slew of other effects
pho, bun bo, banh trang (rice cakes), banh
23
#iAMHCMC
DRINK FEATURE
Care for a drink? Craft beers might be making the news, but craft cocktails are making a splash in Saigon as well. By Robyn Wilson It may not be the birthplace of the cocktail, but Ho Chi Minh City is certainly making its mark in the creative drinks scene. Rooftop bars, up-class cocktail lounges and hidden speakeasies are continuing to pop up all over the southern capital, with a number of talented mixologists at the helm. Deep at the heart of many of these watering holes lie innovative and fresh recipes that have a good dash of Asian flair as well as
Last Call is another venue that takes a lot of inspiration for its signature cocktails from Vietnamese food, like its Bun Bo 59. Into this drink goes chilli and lemongrassinfused tequila, along with flavours found
Pick Your Poison: Craft Cocktails in Saigon
within the fiery bun bo noodle-soup such as red capsicum, satay oil, lime and fresh coriander leaves. Subtler influences can also be found in drinks like Shri’s Old Fashioned—Saigon Style. This is made with the familiar whiskey and Angostura bitters but instead of brown sugar, By Trang Hua at Urban Bar
traditional flavours and pairings.
Room With a View or Secret Hideaway
The Main Players There are a number of contenders, offering good-quality cocktails in relaxed or lively atmospheres.
HCMC has scenery to suit every mood, whether it’s a room with a view or a secret venue that
of cocktail bar The Alley on popular Pasteur Street. It serves up a selection of Mekong Deltainspired cocktails, with a number of classics also available. Another relatively new entrant is the swish Qui - Cuisine Mixology, which sits towards the high end of the market. This is another bar that prides itself on its Vietnamese-influenced cocktails. “We are able to use local ingredients that only can be found in Vietnam, so our cocktails are unique and different compared with the ones
private rooftop dining and an indoor VIP
Ring the doorbell to enter this little hole in the wall and you will be greeted with old-fashioned decor and chilled-out vibes.
1920s-themed speakeasy that serves reasonably priced classic cocktails all night long in a vintage setting.
Kitchen + Bar’s slogan, which has happy hour
often used in HCMC. Mixologists making up cocktails that require a
If you’d rather your feet were placed firmly on
touch of coffee or tea may use a traditional phin By Trang Hua at Urban Bar
across the city. The earlier mentioned Urban Kitchen + Bar is fully grounded and can be found on District 1’s
Down the road from Urban is Last Call, which not only serves up tasty cocktails but has regular promotions throughout the week for any cocktail lover on a budget.
Urban Kitchen + Bar mixologist Rex Tu says he
serving Vietnamese-inspired cocktails and food in a stylish setting.
Twisting Tradition
make the home-made jams used in his cocktails.
little longer than your average western-style
“I also dry fruits like apple, berry, pear,
Further interesting and innovative creations
my homemade jam to combine with the drink,”
are getting HCMC mixologists noticed. Urban
he adds.
Kitchen + Bar’s Rex Tu, for example, says his
Pham Minh Tam uses regional influences on his drinks menu at The Alley.
on cocktails every day between 5 p.m. and
Dress to impress at Chill Skybar, a venue
of different inspirations when creating their
Delta, mixes infused whiskey with the tropical
7 p.m.
that has become a bit of an institution among
cocktails, such as local ingredients or dishes.
flavours of banana syrup and lime leaves. Other mixologists even go so far as to base
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24 | iamhcmc.com/gazette
customers. Mr Tu spent two years crafting this drink, which he describes as having the perfect balance of sweet and spice. To make it he mixes a four-week, cinnamon-
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cocktails are created from Vietnamese food.”
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machine, which can result in a richer taste.
pineapple, banana and mix them with a little of
One cocktail on the menu, named Mekong
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the coffee to drip through. Typical brewing time for a phin filter takes a
Vietnamese mixologists draw from a number
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filter, which sits on the top of a cup, allowing
experiments with various local tropical fruits to
Meanwhile, Mekong Delta-born and raised The super-slick Anan Saigon is one such place,
“Come thirsty and leave happy” is Urban
method, which Le Thanh Tung at Qui says is
with one of the best views in the city.
found in Europe,” says Qui bar manager Le Thanh Tung.
introduction of the Vietnamese brewing
rooftop bar. Head over here to sip a cocktail
Ngo Van Nam street.
If you’re after something a little more out in the open, however, HCMC is fast becoming known for its rooftop bars with superb views.
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An interesting twist on technique is the
Shri Restaurant & Lounge, which opened its
the ground, there are a number of other bars
Another hidden hideout is Snuffbox, a
finish.
Vietnamese handmade chocolate.
executive style.
doors in 2010, is another well-established
Speakeasy The Alley is one such hidden place.
Shri adds regional sugarcane juice for the sweet
Flavour isn’t the only thing that Vietnamese mixologists are experimenting with.
HCMC’s elite. Boasting a high-class restaurant, lounge, this is the place to drink cocktails in
you have to hunt to find.
Most recently, the city hosted the opening
#iAMHCMC
DRINK FEATURE
smoking gun, which brings out all the individual flavours of the drink.
infuses gin with clams, lemon basil, green chilli,
“If I present that to you, you will feel different
lemongrass and ginger. He then adds lime,
and you will want to come back,” he says—a
Cointreau, smoky scotch and sea salt to get the
perfect example of HCMC’s quickly evolving
finished result.
and impressive craft cocktail scene. 25
#iAMHCMC
DRINK FEATURE
DRINK FEATURE
In a land where beer is king, Vietnam’s fledgling wine industry struggles to take hold. By Jesús López-Gomez
#iAMHCMC
Carteau said it makes sense that new wine drinkers would go for a strong, pronounced taste. At that point, “they’re not connoisseurs, so they’re going to go for something stronger,” he said.
The colonial French left in Vietnam their
Ten years ago when Carteau first arrived in
architecture and a handful of words: pho mai
Vietnam, Vietnamese drank almost exclusively
for fromage, the French word for cheese, or phot for “fault” or the French faute. They left the word bia and around it grew a lively beer culture. There are at least 50 words of French origin like ca phe, which has grown to be a staple of the native Vietnamese experience, as well as for visiting foreigners. Less visible is the French legacy of wine in Vietnam.
Can Vietnam Learn to Love Vino?
strong, red Chilean wines with high alcohol content. The palette has broadened since then to include more Spanish and French wines. Bui concurred saying French wine continues to be king, but it’s making space for wines from Australia and South America coming into vogue.
Does it Pair? By Annam Gourmet
A More Mature Affair
There’s a little bit of a mismatch with the Vietnamese diet, Bui said. She predicts a bettermatched group of white wines and light-bodied
Beer may have more presence—it’s literally out
reds are going to be the drink of choice for the
on the streets—but for FINEWINES Deputy
next generation of wine drinkers in this country.
Wine Director Lin Bui, the Vietnamese love
Some of the challenge in bringing wine into concert with Vietnamese cuisine is the difficulty of pairing the drink with the staple dishes.
for wine is a quieter, more mature affair, a relationship with a more subtle kind of strength. Wine’s abiding place in the Vietnamese lifestyle is due in part to its status as a much soughtafter gift.
“Pho?” Bui asked, laughing slightly when asked to offer a pair for the noodle soup. She hemmed
Bui said wine sales tend to spike around the end
and hawed for a while before suggesting the
of the Western calendar year leading up to the
stew might go well with a sparkling, fruity wine.
Lunar New Year in late January or February.
As a professional, she said that wouldn’t be
As much as 60 percent of FINEWINES’ sales
her first choice of food and wine pairings. But
are made during that time. By Shutterstock
Bui said Vietnamese consumers are becoming more familiar with viniculture through stores like her own, that offer both the drink and the product knowledge to start building a wine culture bottle by bottle. In Bui’s case, a love of wine was part of her family heritage. She remembers her grandparents
Teaching the Basics Wine knowledge certification was a basically unknown accreditation at the time when Bui
during the trade normalisation between the US
Bui said. The average consumer is starting to
and Vietnam in the ’90s. Other countries took
figure out basic wine pairings too.
the thawing as their cue to look at Vietnam too, and foreign goods began to flood the local
Boutique in Thao Dien, said he’s seeing more
Hong Kong.
wine lovers finding each other on social media.
FINEWINES was founded in 1996, two years
People are involving wine as part of their travels
after the US formally lifted its trade embargo
and even as a part of their corporate training,
on Vietnam.
and even Vietnam. FINEWINES intends to
States to gain a WSET (Wine & Spirit Education
become a wine accreditation centre as well. In the five years she’s been with the company, Bui said the sales volume of wine has changed little. What has changed is the familiarity with
“I learned that wine could be like, a daily
the product and growing range of wines sought.
thing, you know? I saw that every day when
When she started, red wine was 70 percent of
we cooked, we had a glass of wine at dinner,”
sales. Today, FINEWINES sells an even number
she said. “It’s something new.”
of reds and whites.
26 | iamhcmc.com/gazette
start to know what type of wine they want,”
offered certification in Southeast Asia were in
ago at FINEWINES and travelled to the United
complete with a daily glass of wine.
“It’s a lifestyle, right?” Wine began to flourish
Francois Carteau, owner of the Wine Embassy
Today, wine schools have sprung up in Singapore
insights for her was having an American diet
“They’re getting more and more mature. They
was seeking it. Back then, the only groups that
were wine drinkers. She was hired five years
Trust) certification. Bui said one of the biggest
By Tan Son Nhat Hotel
he said.
market, including wine.
Bui said back then the Vietnamese were calling
“There’s a sense of wine as a social network,”
all reds “Bordeaux”, though she maintains that
Carteau said. Bui said wine is starting to
there’s still plenty of work to be done building
integrate itself as part of the daily diet as it
wine knowledge.
would be in the west.
“The food culture, the wine culture is starting to become like something daily, not something too luxury,” she said.
it can be done with the right drink. That’s not to say there are no matches between fine wine and Vietnamese food. A goi ga salad would go great with a wellchosen white—the fresh cabbage salad would complement sparkling white wine or a lightbodied chardonnay. Barbecues are increasingly becoming a staple of Vietnamese cuisine. A US-made red like the Beringer cabernet sauvignon—Bui said the hint of fruitiness is the drink’s special power—is a great choice to bring along the next time you’re invited. Bui recommends something red and dry for occasions like these. If you’re ever in doubt, look for something in a serious-looking shade of red. “People in this
Bui said the go-to wine for a Vietnamese
culture love the red wine,” she said. “You
consumer tends to be a dark, deep red. The sense
will please every taste. No one says no to red
that alcohol ought to have a pronounced, strong
wine. I myself never say no to red wine,” Bui
taste frame the red wine as the “normal” drink.
said gamely. 27
#iAMHCMC
DRINK FEATURE
The humble coffee bean is big business in Vietnam. However, as climate change begins to affect crops, that big business could turn into a big nightmare. There is something deceivingly banal about coffee. It’s something about the big numbers that makes the mind sort of deaden, like when a report tells you that Vietnam is the second-largest producer
DRINK FEATURE
The Problem with Java
growing program in the ’90s and a simultaneous normalisation of economic relations with the United States. Guikema said Vietnamese coffee production probably peaked around the late ’90s. In 2012, Vietnam established a coffee master plan, which identified 614,500 hectares of farmland being used for coffee. That land was producing beans at an average of 2.4 tonnes per hectare. The plan also described an intent to push
after Brazil, an export market worth US$20 billion globally.
#iAMHCMC
the higher-quality Arabica beans like the
by Jesús López-Gomez
ones Guikema is growing on K’Ho Coffee’s
So, one may snap back to attention learning the
farms. The plan involves Vietnam growing the
land supply suitable for coffee growth could
premium bean’s production from 5 percent of
shrink by nearly three-fourths, according to
production to 8 percent in 2020.
The US-based National Academy of Sciences in
That’s about double the farmland that a similar
September published a report forecasting coffee
2016 study said would be lost by a warming
It’s a serious move to establish Vietnam as
production with advanced computer modelling
climate. Coffee supports livelihoods of 125
an exporter of high quality coffee. Only 6
while taking into account the combined effects
million people around the world, including
percent of coffee is consumed domestically.
of climate change and bee loss, the first study
some of the most marginalised and poor people
Much of it goes to the United States, Brazil
of its kind.
in developing countries.
and Germany, where coffee consumption is
“Climate change impact assessments suggest
That may make your future cup of coffee more
a significant reduction, up to 50 percent in
expensive, and is a huge threat to coffee farmers,
His Dalat coffee farm grows Arabica beans, a
the global area suitable for coffee farming by
many of whom are small actors like Guikema
plant species that represents a mere five percent
midcentury,” the study’s authors write.
and K’Ho Coffee. Most of the world’s coffee
In 2012, the nation’s coffee exports rose to a
comes from South America, and 80 percent of
record US$3.7 billion. That’s under threat,
environmental scientists studying the crop.
Weather Problems “I’d say the biggest challenge now is climate change,” Joshua Guikema, co founder of K’Ho Coffee, said.
of Vietnam’s robusta bean heavy output.
Other models indicate “coffee-suitable” areas
Some of the best coffees are also the ones most
may be reduced by up to 88 percent by 2050
sensitive to changes in growth conditions,
across the most severe warming scenarios.
and they would be the first to be threatened, Guikema said. “Coffee is susceptible to many diseases— especially the old varieties, which are really vulnerable,” he said.
“We expect by 2050 the demand for coffee to double. And by 2050 the land suitable for growing coffee will decrease,” Guikema said. “So we expect the prices to go up.”
those farmers are working on less than four hectares and modest incomes. K’Ho Coffee’s
4.5kg, 5.5kg and 6.5kg per person, respectively. Vietnam consumes 1.5kg of coffee per person on average.
Inventing a New Bean
operation spans 40 hectares.
amounted to 9.4 million bags at 600kg each, 11 percent-plus more than last year—but exports
as warming temperatures give rise to a fungus called coffee rust and makes things more habitable for a pest called the coffee berry borer, an insect blamed for millions of dollars worth
About 95 percent of Vietnamese coffee is made
The US-based World Coffee Research is
on private farms—85 percent are less than one
developing new varieties of coffee plants. It is
hectare and only one percent are larger than five
testing new varieties and new techniques like
July 2017 was Brazil’s lowest recorded coffee
Guikema is building a new nursery to grow
hectares. The silver lining is that the impending
growing under forest shade.
export, 1.75 million bags. Vietnam’s shipments
new, experimental coffee plants. Coffee’s
during that month reached 1.55 million bags,
strength and saving grace may be a curious and
nearly 30 percent lower than the previous year.
conscientious customer base. Guikema said he’s
Both countries’ shipments appear to be trending
confident that if a coffee can be made that’s
downward. Vietnam’s coffee economy was
better for the environment and better on the
created and solidified through a national coffee
palette, people will take to it.
crisis is cause for innovation.
A US$6 million project is underway that takes experimental beans raised in Nicaragua for a four-year experiment in Vietnam and Cameroon.
28 | iamhcmc.com/gazette
In July 2017, coffee shipments globally
present a different picture.
of lost coffee crops.
29
#iAMHCMC
HEALTH FEATURE
Plastic Poisoning
by Jesús López-Gomez
Think Before You Shop But it’s bad news for the environment. A “business as usual” projection from current plastic output puts 200 million tons of plastic in the ocean annually by 2025. That’s one ton of plastic to every three tons of fish. Once out in the wild, plastic isn’t just hanging out. That’s what Phillips thought before she
inert,” Phillips said.
In a developing country, cheap plastic goods are often equated with material happiness. However, as the compound degrades, it leaves only poison.
As traffic congestion escalates, public transportation construction stalls. Is enough being done to fix a potentially debilitating problem?
commercial orchid grower. She was raising
will connect the island in the Saigon River with
“This is the story of the chicken and the
orchids in plastic containers and remembers being
District 2. The bridge construction is celebrated
egg,” Duong said. “Developers are waiting
shocked by how far her plants’ blooms were off
by developers: land prices near the new bridge
for infrastructure to be completed, and in
schedule. Some were maturing too quickly, and
have already increased by nearly 80 percent
the meantime the government prefers land
some too slowly while some simply died.
since the beginning of this year. Several high-
to be developed before they start to build the
rises are already being built on the island, which
bridges.” It’s a real-estate stand-off.
Phillips writes in her book that plastics are
financial organisations, women’s rights—plastic
links between chemical exposures, also called
“all bioactive”. They’re detectable in virtually
may rank low, if not for its boringness than for
environmental exposures, and a burgeoning array
everything we breathe, eat, and touch, including
its apparent intractability.
of chronic diseases and disorders,” she writes.
each other. It’s as simple as that.
An issue that seems impossible to address in a
“These so-called new morbidities include
meaningful manner demands way less cognitive
obesity, type 2 diabetes, autism, ADHD,
energy. Just ignore it.
asthma, thyroid disorders, and male infertility.
Right?
“Of special concern are exposures that cross
“a loss of fertility has been seen in Japan and throughout Asia,” US plastics researcher Cassandra Phillips said—comments that confirm previous reporting done by #iAMHCMC on the declining birthrate in Vietnam. Not having a baby? Sorry, plastics are still an issue for unburdened singles like yourself too.
Swimming in the Plastic Soup In a book Phillips co-authored titled Plastic Ocean—the tome arguably responsible for
Next time you’re offered the chance to temporarily own a plastic bag (the ubiquitous white bags are used for an average of 12 minutes), consider that we are the responsible party for the plastic problem. A group of five countries—China, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam—is responsible for 60 percent of the plastic residue in the oceans, according to global management consultant firm McKinsey & Co.
popularising the name “The Great Pacific
A rise in plastics is actually kind of a good thing,
Garbage Patch” for the oceanic plastic soup in
the authors of Stemming the Tide: Land-Based
the central-north Pacific Ocean—she described
Strategies for a Plastic-Free Ocean, argue.
some of the emerging research that’s beginning
City architects predict that once the buildings begin to go up in the area, new bridges will be needed to accommodate the influx of traffic. But where are the buildings?
break on the construction of a new bridge that
on record with concerns about suspected
expression in the developing fetus.”
connecting District 7 with District 2.
that assumption were in her profession as a
about—global warming, misconduct by
Actually, as a result of the Asia’s glut of plastic,
Island) will have to get used to the sounds of
with District 2, and the Thu Thiem 4 Bridge,
jackhammers and cranes, as ground will soon
Society and the Autism Society all have “gone
placental barriers and appear to alter gene
Residents of Kim Cuong Island (Diamond
Thiem 3 Bridge, which will connect District 4
She said her first insight into the dangers of
In the index of things we should be worried
“And we are still in the early stages of learning how they may be affecting our health, despite studies numbering in the thousands and still being churned out, with no end in sight. It’s no exaggeration to say this subject could fill a book.” To cut down on the plastic, Phillips offers what one may dismiss as too-small-to-matter: reject plastic straws and use reusable bags when you shop.
will cater to the city’s ultra rich, offering three swimming pools, tennis courts and a personal shuttle river bus service to District 1.
Unimaginable Consequences
This project and several other high-profile
While development focus sits squarely on
infrastructure projects represent some of the
District 2, other areas in the city suffer. This
city government’s efforts to usher in new
year city officials conducted a survey to
developments while keeping an eye on the
determine the worst traffic areas. They listed
traffic levels.
37 in total, spread across Saigon. What’s worse, a 2009 study from the University of Toronto
Big Plans and Little Action If it sounds like much of the development is focused around District 2, that’s because it is. It follows the Ho Chi Minh City Government’s urban development plan that was originally approved in 1998 and reaffirmed in 2014.
determined that traffic road expansions actually increase the amount of traffic in an area, rather than reduce it, a phenomenon called induced demand: when there’s more of something, people want it more.
All solutions seem to point to public transport rather than road adjustments, meaning that the metro construction can’t come quick enough.
There are more aggressive steps you can take:
Saigon’s expansion is to be focused in the south
ridding your home of plastic serving utensils
and east, which roughly correlates to Districts
and kitchenware, for example.
2 and 7.
You could even pay a premium for something
As real estate consultant company CBRE’s
head of the management board for the metro
called a chemical body burden test, a series of
Senior Director of Research & Consulting
project, recently told the media, the construction
lab tests that determine how much plastic and
Services, Dung Duong, told #iAMHCMC, “the
is lagging, partly due to money disbursement
other toxic elements you’re carrying (spoiler:
east is the gateway of the city to other provinces
issues. Quang predicts that the consequences
it’s probably a lot).
in the north. So, if you want to get to all other
of a pull-out “will be beyond imagination
coastal cities like Vung Tau or Phan Thiet, then
and control”.
But, when queried for tips, Phillips offered small, do-able changes. The plastic problem
you need to get through the east.”
However, as Le Nguyen Minh Quang, the
For the next few years, even if the metro is
More use of plastics corresponds to an increases
is at a point where literally anything would be
Today’s city planners have been betting big on
completed by 2019, it’s likely that traffic will
in income and consumption. In this framing,
better than what we’re doing now. Phillips’ tips
the much-awaited Thu Thiem area. In addition
only become worse. As the metro line will focus
The American Medical Association, the
Asia’s increased plastic use is a marker of
don’t require a revolution, so maybe curtailing
to the Thu Thiem 2 Bridge, two other bridges
on Districts 2, 9 and 1, the 37 hotspots will
American Academy of Pediatrics, the Endocrine
economic health.
the problem more broadly won’t either.
are in the pipeline for construction: the Thu
likely go unaided.
to connect plastic with a raft of health issues.
30 | iamhcmc.com/gazette
#iAMHCMC
Saigon’s Ticking Traffic Time Bomb
undertook the research necessary to write her book. “I was buying the line that plastics were
REAL ESTATE FEATURE
by Keely Burkey
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#iAMHCMC
RECIPE OF THE MONTH
EDUCATION ADVERTORIAL
THE GOLDEN SPOON AWARDS
#iAMHCMC
All of Life is a Stage! Acting at AIS With vivacious vitality and an ear for music, musical director Jacqui Gaynor is transforming AIS’s musical department into a mini Broadway. Next on the playbill: Mulan! When Jacqui Gaynor, a woman of energetic vitality with a permanent twinkle in her eye, walked into the principal’s office at the Australian International School (AIS) seven years ago for a job interview, she knew right away she
accompanied choirs and was musical director for several school and community shows including Beauty and the Beast, Oliver and Jekyll and Hyde.
So when she was offered the post at AIS, the choice was clear: she took it and hasn’t looked back since.
The Classics, With a Modern Twist
was the woman for the Music Teacher position. It all happened on a whim: on a vacation with her family in Thailand, she came across the
Stewed Chicken with Pink Mandarin For Vietnamese people, the Tet holiday means a lot of things, and chief among them is good food. This playful dish, created by the chefs at Song Tra Hotel & Restaurant for the 2013 Golden Spoon Awards, pays homage to the mandarins and boiled chicken used to welcome the new year.
DIRECTIONS
posting and decided to fly to HCMC for a Serves: 4 Cooking Time: 1 hour Difficulty: Easy Ingredients • 800g garden chicken • 400g pink mandarin • 200g fresh lotus seeds • 250ml fresh coconut water • 250ml chicken broth • 50g wood ear mushroom, soaked until soft • 20g garlic • 100g shallot • 2g ground black pepper • 300ml cooking oil • 300ml water • 3g salt • 5g general seasoning powder
1. Prepare the Ingredients
2. Cook the Stew
Rinse the chicken and chop the meat into bite-
Put the lotus seeds into 300ml of water and
Add the lotus seed water until the chicken is
sized pieces. Peel the mandarins and squeeze
1g of salt. Bring to a boil for five minutes.
fully submerged. Keep stewing till the chicken
the juice from each fruit to collect 100ml total.
Remove the lotus seeds and set aside, and keep
is cooked, then add the lotus seeds and wood
the boiled water.
ear mushrooms and stew for 10 more minutes.
Peel the remaining 70g of shallots and keep
Heat 300ml of oil in a pan and flash-fry the
Flavour with 2g of salt to taste, then gradually
them whole. Remove the lotus seeds from the
chicken so the flesh firms a bit. Place the chicken
pour in the mandarin juice until it’s agreeable
pods and rinse them well.
aside to drain the grease. Fry the shallots till
to your palate.
Crush the 20g garlic and 30g of the shallots.
Marinate the chicken with the crushed garlic and the shallot, along with 2g of pepper and 5g of seasoning powder.
brown, then take them out of the oil and set aside.
needed someone to head up their music program and direct stage shows, and that’s when the lightbulb turned on.
A Musical Love Affair A professional performer from the age of 17,
an adapted version of Alice in Wonderland in 2014 that included modern songs from Ed Sheeran, Jason Mraz and Pharrell Williams to make it relevant and appealing to all the kids involved.
“I love empowering young people through the performing arts and bringing out their self-confidence, selfexpression and creativity.”
Jacqui toured the world as a professional singer
Spotlighting a student’s particular abilities is
and pianist for nine years. In 1991 she chose a
the hallmark of a good show. Instead of fitting
career change and settled into family life and
the student to the role, Jacqui adapts the role
music teaching on Australia’s Gold Coast.
to the student’s strengths.
For 20 years, as well as teaching primary
Australian International School
and high school music, Jacqui trained and
enrolments@aisvietnam.com | aisvietnam.com
264 Mai Chi Tho, D2 | +84 28 3742 4040
Presentation
Put the fried chicken and shallots into a pot. Add the fresh coconut water and chicken broth.
Place the chicken onto a hollow serving plate
Mix the chicken with the marinade well and
Bring to a boil on high heat, skim off the foam,
together with the wood ear mushrooms and
set aside for 20 minutes so it absorbs the
set the heat to medium and stew the chicken
lotus seeds; serve with fresh rice noodles or
spices. Rinse the wood ear mushroom and
for 10 minutes, so the broth and coconut water
wheat noodles. Some mandarin segments can
slice them lengthwise into wide strips.
penetrate the chicken meat.
be added on top as a garnish.
32 | iamhcmc.com/gazette
weekend to see what they needed. The principal
AIS started their musical theatre tradition with
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#iAMHCMC
TRAVEL FEATURE
TRAVEL FEATURE
by Robyn Wilson
marriage of flavours, so different from what I
of street food favourites that you can get your
Instead I ended up eating bun dau mam tom, a
had been used to but equally satisfying.
hands on more easily than in HCMC.
more typical lunch dish. For this you’re served
Banh Mi Two Ways
The popular lunch dish bun cha is one example of this. Made with bun noodles, grilled pork, herbs and a wonderfully sweet and sour dip, this
The longer I stay in Vietnam’s capital, the
is one of Hanoi’s most famous meals. Vendors
more I unearth these differences—a fun part
selling bun cha will also likely serve crab spring
to learning the culinary ropes to any city. Take
rolls—nem cua be—as an accompaniment.
the iconic banh mi as another example—the nation’s favourite Viet-French fusion sandwich.
mi shop (Lo Banh Mi 109, 54D Xo Viet Nhge
should definitely be part of every tourist’s food
Tinh) about three times a week. They pack it full
experience.
slug of soy sauce. This is a far from a subtle sandwich: it bursts with powerful flavours and I can’t get enough of the stuff.
Every country does food differently, and every city too. Moving from Saigon to Hanoi isn’t just a change in weather: the food scene is night and day as well.
even on former US president Barack Obama’s to-do list when he visited Vietnam in 2016. This
strips of fiery green chilli, cucumber and a good
Here in Hanoi, however, the banh mi are modest and minimalist. A few thin slices of pork are added into a crispy baguette, with some veg, pâté and a little sauce. But their understated flavours still manage to leave an impression. With less to compete against, the pork stands out much more than ones you find in the South, for example.
Banh cuon—a steamed rice flour pancake, filled with pork and mushroom and served with fish sauce—is another must-try northern street food and is often eaten for breakfast.
a strongly tasting fermented fish paste dip. Bun dau mam tom is certainly not for everyone, but my addiction to mam (fermented fish paste) put this meal straight onto my favourites list.
Wetting the Whistle Another interesting comparison to make between Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi can be found in their beer scenes. Hanoi is famous around the world for its ridiculously cheap lager, bia hoi, which is brewed fresh with no preservatives and consumed on the same day for around VND5,000 a glass. Being very low in alcohol content (around 3 percent), it’s not uncommon for locals to start drinking this
Xoi, or sticky rice, is also enjoyed in the morning
pretty early in the day in Hanoi. This contrasts
in Hanoi. I had one particularly tasty bowl of
somewhat with the Americanised craft beer
xoi tucked down an alleyway on the edge of
boom that is sweeping across the South at
Hoan Kiem district. A friendly vendor scooped
the moment. A string of microbreweries have
up a portion of rice and topped it with a thick
popped up over HCMC including Heart of
slice of slowly braised pork, a little vegetable
Darkness, Phat Rooster, BiaCraft and Tê Tê.
and meat broth and a couple of whole raw red
These are much stronger beers, packing a whole
chillies on the side.
load of flavour, a higher alcohol content and,
Until Hanoi, I hadn’t been mad about xoi (it’s nice but never blew me away) but after that bowl I fell in love with its simplicity. In fact, it
Perched on a small plastic chair in Hanoi’s Ba
onions—when that familiar but almost forgotten
a staple meal for me in the South. But its bold
Dinh district, I tasted something that I hadn’t
flavour filled my mouth. When I lived in Ho
broth, made from a fermented fish paste, gives
eaten in a long time: dill. I was slurping a bowl
Chi Minh City, the addition of herbs like dill
it a unique sweet and salty taste that would
of bun ca—a light, fish noodle soup, which
were seldom used in the noodle dishes I tried.
overpower the likes of delicate dill. Instead,
In addition to finding different takes on certain
popular times to eat this dish in the north—worth
is topped with fish patties and a few spring
Soups like bun mam, which I love, had become
what I had in front of me in Hanoi was a subtle
foods in Hanoi, there is also a wide selection
bearing in mind if you fancy a taste.
Different Tastes
up bun noodles, cubes of fried tofu, herbs and
Eating a plate of bun cha and spring rolls was
In Ho Chi Minh City, I visit my favourite banh
of rich pate and mayonnaise, crispy pork belly,
Relearning the Culinary Ropes
#iAMHCMC
was so tasty that I went back the next day for lunch, only to find out that the vendor opened early in the mornings and late at night, the more
at around VND100,000 a glass, they are also a lot more expensive than bia hoi.
Such variances are a pleasure to experience. It’s only by absorbing these sometimes stark but also subtle regional differences that you get to see how unique Vietnam and its culinary scene really are.
NO SET CUISINE The long shape geographic variances have created some unique cuisines in different regions. When you travel north to south, here’s what you can expect.
Northern Cuisine
Central Cuisine
Southern Cuisine
Influenced by tradition, some dishes cooked
The royal lands of dynasties past, central
Welcome to the land of the sweet! The
here have a distinctly Chinese feeling, given
cuisine has a bit more of an intricate flair.
fertile soil and warmer weather let fruits and
the region’s close proximity to its northern neighbour.
With an abundant use of spices and greater
tropical ingredients flourish here.
attention to detail, central food in Hoi An
Herbs are used in abundance, and desserts
However, to show independence from China,
and Hue give eaters a taste of a decadent
are ubiquitous, thanks to the plethora of
food here also makes use of shrimp paste
past.
coconuts and cane sugar coming straight
and fish sauce. Simple and spare, Northern
from the Mekong Delta. Saigon in particular
dishes are Vietnamese food stripped to its
In general, diners can expect a spicier flavour
is called “The House of Food”, and it’s no
bare bones.
profile in soup broths.
joke.
34 | iamhcmc.com/gazette
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Sách chuyên về quảng cáo Phát hành miễn phí (nhiều tác giả)