The Vietnam Times Art Print

Believe it or not, Vietnam is every foodie’s dream come true. It is one of the few places in the world where you can eat well for less. One can start one’s morning with an endless array of food choices from the ubiquitous “pho” (noodle soup), “banh cuon” (often known as Vietnamese ravioli), “bun bo Hue” (Hue spicy noodle soup) or “com tam” (Saigon’s broken rice dish).

Just like the country itself, the Vietnamese street food scene is nothing short of amazing. What is a “xôi” (sticky rice) shop in the morning soon morphs into a “bún vịt” (duck noodle) stand at lunchtime and a “chè” (dessert soup) stall after dark.

It amazes us how a dumpling vendor sits harmoniously next to a “hủ tiếu” (pork and seafood noodle) shop and quietly dishes out dim sum portions to patrons at the “hủ tiếu” shop next door. It fascinates us how “bún chả” (grilled pork with rice vermicelli) in Hanoi, after travelling almost a thousand miles away, is reincarnated as “bún thịt nướng” (grilled pork noodle salad) in Saigon. For each coastal city you’ve been to in Vietnam, there’s always a myriad versions of “bún cá” (fish noodle soup). And just as interestingly, tucking into a bowl of “cao lầu” is literally like untangling the history of Hoi An in a bowl. To put it simply, it’s hard to go hungry in Vietnam.

‘The Vietnam Times’ Poster is an exclusive collaboration between Collective Memory and Hanoi-born graphic designer, Diem Quynh.