Coffee Photo by mgift One afternoon in November 2017, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visited Vy Café on Le Thanh Ton Street in HCMC’s District 1 and had a coffee and a chat with Nguyen Cong Hiep, a former employee of the Canadian consulate. Trudeau was wearing a white shirt and has his sleeves casually rolled up. At the café, he ordered a moka robusta that cost VND30,000 ($1.29) a cup. He was sitting on a small folding chair on the sidewalk with a plastic stool for a table like any regular Saigon coffee drinker. This is a typical way of enjoying coffee at this café. Trudeau’s visit brought the shop huge popularity. Photo by VnExpress/Giang Huy In November 2016 Britain’s Prince William was spotted in a café very similar to Vy on a sidewalk in Hanoi’s Pho Bac Street during his first trip to Vietnam. He was with pop star Hong Nhung (pink outfit), popular musician Thanh Bui and actor Xuan Bac, who were ambassadors for a … [Read more...] about What is it about casual Vietnamese food experiences that world leaders find irresistible?
Hanoi street food map
Coffee shop brings Truong Sa to the heart of Hanoi
VietNamNet Bridge – At first glance, Lê Nổ Tổ Chè at Hanoi’s 35 Nguyen Cong Hoan Street looks much like any other coffee shop in the capital. The establishment, however, boasts a unique draw: its décor focuses on the Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelago, confirming Vietnamese sovereignty over the islands and instilling in visitors a sense of national pride. Indisputable: The coffee shop has beautiful pictures, clear notes, and a map of Vietnam to show the country’s sovereignty over the Truong Sa islands. VNS Photo Hoang Linh Hostess Tran Thi Thanh Liem warmly welcomed us and passionately recounted how she turned her idea of a coffee shop focused on the Truong Sa islands into reality. Her husband, who works at the General Political Department at the Ministry of Defence, made two trips to Truong Sa. He told her stories about the people on the islands and showed her photographs he took, and love for the motherland’s territory rose … [Read more...] about Coffee shop brings Truong Sa to the heart of Hanoi
The Guardian names Hanoi among safer spaces for women
The Hanoitimes - The Guardian, a UK newspaper has announced its research article with theme “What would a truly walkable city look like?”, aiming to introduce many kinds of safe urbans or the policies which put people off walking. Susan Claris, associate director of transport consulting at the design and planning company Arup, described Hanoi among the safer places for women. Safe public toilets are something Susan Claris of Arup calls a “huge indicator of a civilized, walkable city.” A view of Hanoi. In Vietnam, Action Aid, an international non-governmental organization, found 87% of women and girls had experienced sexual harassment in public places, and that they felt least safe in public toilets, many of which have unisex entrances, as well as on buses. Action Aid, Plan International and UN Women are developing pilot locations in cities across the country to test different interventions, such as street lighting. Action Aid launched an app called … [Read more...] about The Guardian names Hanoi among safer spaces for women
An English teacher reaches out to Hanoi’s homeless
The Hanoi Railway Station is one of the hotspots in the capital city for the homeless. They gather there once the city has gone to sleep, taking refuge for the night. On a Thursday night at around 10pm, groups of homeless people had replaced the crowds of passengers when Axe arrived at the station along with 20 or so volunteers. They carried with them bags full of neatly organized hot, nutritious meals and other necessities. Knowing their “delivery” guys had arrived, the homeless people, elders and children included, rose and stood in line to receive food, drinks, clothes, footwear, and even toothbrushes and toilet paper. No one pushed anyone or cut the line because everyone knew that Christopher and his team were well organized and would arrive there every Thursday at this hour. “I have been here for almost a month, if it wasn’t for this meal, I would have gone to sleep with a roaring belly many nights, ” said Bui Thi Thu Hang. The fifty-year-old … [Read more...] about An English teacher reaches out to Hanoi’s homeless
Vietnamese flavours in kitchens worldwide
Vietnamese food has made its mark on the world cuisine map. Along with traditional Vietnamese culture and popular beach, mountain and city locations, the country’s gastronomy is drawing visitors and earning the country a reputation as a hot travel destination. For any destination, cuisine is one of the most significant factors attracting tourists. For Vietnam, the appeal lies in the wide range of delicious and cheap street food available such as banh mi (Vietnamese baguette), kebab rice noodles, spring rolls, pho and Quang style noodles. In recent years, the inclusion of Vietnamese dishes on various food lists compiled by leading media channels has helped elevate the cuisine’s status. For example, Business Insider listed beef pho in its list of top ten must-try dishes, National Geographic named banh mi as one of the best street foods in the world, and Vietnamese pho was listed in the top 50 delicious dishes by CNN and top ten healthy dishes by the Times. Moreover, … [Read more...] about Vietnamese flavours in kitchens worldwide