by Ollie Arci In this week’s social media furore, fast-food giant Burger King attracted scorn after an ill-advised marketing video was posted on the company’s Instagram account before being shared widely and mocked on other platforms. In the short clip, several diners are shown attempting to eat a ‘Vietnamese Sweet Chilli Tendercrisp’ burger with oversized chopsticks. Like any good scandal du jour, it was quickly pounced upon with fans and foes taking things too far. The clip does, however, highlight a grander injustice. The poor attempt at humour has a heritage, following hot on the heels of Dolce & Gabbana’s own brush with insensitivity just a few months ago. Cultural appropriation is nothing new, with Native American headdresses a common site at decidedly middle-class music festivals. This particular swipe hurts all the more because of its condescension. Captioned "Take your taste buds all the way to Ho Chi Minh City", … [Read more...] about Latest foody fiasco leaves a bitter taste
Foodie ho chi minh city
Hanoi KiloRun proves to be a foodie’s delight
Photo acquired by VnExpress Many tourists headed to the Hoan Kiem (Sword) Lake in the heart of the capital city last Sunday to participate in the "KiloRun Hanoi 2019" festival. The festival attracted hundreds of visitors from Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Japan, Britain, Belgium and the U.S. Photo acquired by VnExpress The morning run attracted a large number of participants for the different distance categories of 2.3 km, 6.7 km and 10.7 km. The tourists ran past prominent sightseeing spots like the Hanoi Opera House, Ngoc Son Temple, Thang Long Royal Citadel and Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum. The chilly weather and less crowded streets during the weekend added comfort to the run. Photo by Pham Huyen. The afternoon run, with 8 stops at traditional specialty restaurants in Hanoi's Old Quarter, appealed to those who love to discover new dishes and beverages, including egg coffee, sticky rice, Vietnamese pancake, bun cha (which got a publicity fillip from Obama ), spring … [Read more...] about Hanoi KiloRun proves to be a foodie’s delight
GrabFood expands to 12 new cities and provinces: Risky or wise?
GrabFood expansion: Risky or wise? First of all, it is obvious that the on-demand food delivery market in Vietnam has great potential. According to Euromonitor, the Vietnamese market has a growth rate of 11 per cent per year, and is expected to be worth $38 million by 2020. Besides some big players with a firm position in the market such as Foody, Now.vn, and Vietnammm, users also witnessed some well-known brands withdrawing from the food delivery market due to the huge competitive pressure such as Foodpanda or Lala. This proved that the food delivery market is not an easy market to operate in. As a newcomer among its rivals, GrabFood proved its strength with remarkable milestones on the journey to expand its domestic operation. After the impressive success in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, and Danang, it continued to launch, at the same time, in 12 new provinces and cities, bringing the total number of locations where GrabFood is present up to 15 cities and provinces and becoming the … [Read more...] about GrabFood expands to 12 new cities and provinces: Risky or wise?
French food-wine festival to entertain foodies in HCM City, Hanoi
French cuisine introduced at the 8th edition (Photo: VNA) HCM City (VNA) – “Balade en France”, the annual French food and wine festival, will take place in Ho Chi Minh City from December 1-2 as part of the activities marking the 45th founding anniversary of Vietnam-France diplomatic relations. Jointly held by the French Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City and SOPEXA company, the ninth edition of the event is organised within the framework of the “Un Mois En France” (One Month in France) programme. This year, “Balade en France” is more special than previous ones as it is held right after the official visit to Vietnam by French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe in November, French General Consul Vincent Floreani told reporters on November 21. He hoped that the event will draw the participation of more than 4,000 visitors, who come to enjoy French culture and gastronomy. A representative of the SOPEXA company said that French businesses will … [Read more...] about French food-wine festival to entertain foodies in HCM City, Hanoi
Saigon a top pick among globetrotting foodies
Gourmand patrons of Booking.com, one the world’s largest e-commerce travel firms, say Ho Chi Minh City is among the best places in the world to take a local cuisine tour. An online survey selected the southern metropolis into sixth place on the list of 11 best places to grab a bite of local food. “Trying the local and street food is a great way for travelers to really embrace the local culture, get immersed in local communities and explore the new and different,” said Pepijn Rijvers, senior vice president and chief marketing officer of the company. The survey covered a total of 56,727 respondents from 30 countries and territories, to choose the top food heavens based on reviews and real experiences. The list was dominated by famous Asian food paradises that receive millions of tourists every year. Malaysia’s Ipoh topped the list, followed by Taiwan’s Kaohsiung, Japan’s Nagoya, Johor Bahru of Malaysia and Brazil’s Joao Pessoa. Vietnam’s … [Read more...] about Saigon a top pick among globetrotting foodies
Social News 5/4
Twenty-seven more communes and wards this year join family medical practice A health staff member takes blood for testing at An Hòa ward health station in Cần Thơ City’s Ninh Kiều District. Source http://soytecantho.vn The Department of Health in the Mekong Delta city of Cần Thơ this year plans to expand a model of family medical practice clinics to 27 more communes and wards. Family medical practice clinics aim to provide comprehensive and continuous health care services to each local individual and family in order to reduce overcrowding of patients at city or central-level hospitals. These clinics are located at health stations in communes and wards. Each commune or ward has one health station. Cần Thơ aims to equip more than 80 per cent of its 85 health stations with these clinics by 2020. According to Dr Bùi Thị Lệ Phi, the department’s head, the city now has 18 commune-based health stations with family … [Read more...] about Social News 5/4
Social News 5/4 (Hourly Updated)
Twenty-seven more communes and wards this year join family medical practice A health staff member takes blood for testing at An Hòa ward health station in Cần Thơ City’s Ninh Kiều District. Source http://soytecantho.vn The Department of Health in the Mekong Delta city of Cần Thơ this year plans to expand a model of family medical practice clinics to 27 more communes and wards. Family medical practice clinics aim to provide comprehensive and continuous health care services to each local individual and family in order to reduce overcrowding of patients at city or central-level hospitals. These clinics are located at health stations in communes and wards. Each commune or ward has one health station. Cần Thơ aims to equip more than 80 per cent of its 85 health stations with these clinics by 2020. According to Dr Bùi Thị Lệ Phi, the department’s head, the city now has 18 commune-based health stations with family … [Read more...] about Social News 5/4 (Hourly Updated)
BUSINESS IN BRIEF 25/3
Hanoi eyes 159 industrial clusters by 2030 The capital city will have 159 industrial clusters, covering a total area of more than 3,200ha by 2030, baodautu.vn reports. This is pursuant to its industrial cluster development master plan for 2020 with a vision to 2030. In the period up to 2020, there will be 138 industrial clusters with an area of more than 2,620ha in the city. Of these, 52 are newly-established zones, spanning 590ha. The plan has been approved by the municipal People’s Committee. In the 2021 to 2030 period, five existing industrial clusters will be expanded, having a total area of 45.4ha, and 21 new ones, covering 536ha, will be established. According to the plant, industrial complexes which are located in the five northern districts of the city —Soc Son, Me Linh, Dong Anh, Long Bien and Gia Lam — will prioritise to attract investments in several sectors, including electronics and information technology, engineering, automotives … [Read more...] about BUSINESS IN BRIEF 25/3
Breakfast @ Tuoi Tre News – March 22
Check out the news you should not miss today, March 22: Politics -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in commences a three-day state visit to Vietnam today, March 22, during which he and his spouse are scheduled to meet with the Vietnamese under-23 football team. -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov begins a two-day visit to Vietnam at the invitation of Vietnamese Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh today, March 22. - A memorial service was held on Thursday morning at the Reunification Palace in Ho Chi Minh City for late Prime Minister Phan Van Khai, before the burial ceremony in his hometown of Cu Chi later the same day. -- Vietnamese Party chief Nguyen Phu Trong will pay official visits to France from March 25 to 27, and to Cuba from March 28 to 30. Society -- Police in the central province of Quang Nam said they had rescued four young men, who had worked at a local gold mine before being duped in traveling to China by an alleged human trafficker. -- A traffic police officer in Ho Chi … [Read more...] about Breakfast @ Tuoi Tre News – March 22
Vietnamese cuisine has much more to offer than ‘phở’ and ‘bánh mì’
While Vietnamese cuisine has become increasingly popular with global diners, with two of the most delicious being phở (beef noodle soup) and bánh mì (Vietnamese-style sandwiches), many foodies have said that Vietnam still has more stunning foods to taste. One night in late 2017, Rachael Dickson and her younger sister Madeline Dickson were sitting on a bamboo chair at a restaurant in District 3, Ho Chi Minh City. They were attentively listening to a tour guide explaining the components of bún bò Huế (spicy Hue-style beef noodle soup). Eatable banana flowers When the tour guide was twittering on the vegetables served with the soup, the two sisters could not conceal their surprise knowing sliced banana flowers were among the plants. To these newcomers to Vietnam, everything seemed to be new, as what they had known about Vietnamese food were only phở and bánh mì. Madeline Dickson (L, 2nd) and her friends watch the process of making … [Read more...] about Vietnamese cuisine has much more to offer than ‘phở’ and ‘bánh mì’