Interestingly, the subject that seems to most inspire Saigon’s contemporary designers is the past – the tumultuous historic events of the 1960s and 1970s, along with Vietnam’s traditional culture, heritage, arts, and crafts. The story of Vietnamese-Australian designer, artist and entrepreneur Mai Lam is similar to other returning Vietnamese we met in Saigon: after losing … Read more
Saigon has undergone a style revolution in recent years, so much so, that for Asian-based travellers who think nothing of hopping on a flight for a weekend break (or visa run), Saigon shopping, along with its stylish restaurants and bars, are proving as alluring as the historical sights and street life. The Saigon shopping scene is … Read more
Perhaps for the same nostalgic reasons that Mumbai’s locals prefer to call their city Bombay, Ho Chi Minh City, as it was renamed in 1975 after the fall of Saigon, is, we quickly discovered, still fondly referred to as Saigon by the locals. We don’t care what it’s called – we loved it. Although I’m not … Read more
I’ve been eager to gather these recipes for the best Asian inspired cocktails in Bangkok for some time. Aside from martinis before dinner we are wine drinkers. We’ll always order a bottle of wine with dinner or glasses of matching wines if it’s a degustation menu. Except in Asia. Because nobody makes cocktails like Asians bartenders … Read more
We first met Thai-born chef Duangporn ‘Bo’ Songvisava, better known as Chef Bo and her Australian chef husband Dylan Jones – protégés of the legendary master of Thai cuisine David Thompson at Nahm London – after eating a very memorable meal at their restaurant Bo.lan, just after it opened in Bangkok. In the last 18 … Read more