A new project is bringing contemporary art to the streets of Hanoi

Choosing between the matcha latte and spicy mango tea is a tough call, but it’s not the most difficult decision you’ll face at Gardenista Cafe. Rather, it’s deciding which Instagram filter to slap on that photo of an old-fashioned bathtub — brimming with plants — that has been outfitted with wooden planks and repurposed into a table.

 

A podcast project is documenting the lives of young people born after Doi Moi

Hanoi has a problem with arsenic. Now it’s entered the water system. Words and photos by Nick Ross

Deep in Hanoi’s Old Quarter sits the workshop of woodworker Pham Van Quang. Words by Emily Petsko. Photos by Julie Vola

When Hanoi becomes too much an attack on the senses, sometimes it pays to forget it’s there.

The Red River Tea Room is a haven on the shores of West Lake for those tiring of rambunctious backpackers, loud Vietnamese ballads and weak beer.

In among the bustle of downtown Hoan Kiem lives Highway 4, an elegant yet laid-back setting with a knockout menu and an impressive selection of award-winning traditional rice liquors, all under the roof of a renovated French villa dating back to the 1950s; yellow brick with an inviting sign hanging over the door, nestled in green ivy.

Is “wannawaffle?" a rhetorical question? The obvious answer is, yes, of course I do. But the real question here is, what kind of waffle do you want? Chocolate, matcha, raisin? Do you want it covered in raspberry gelato or nutella or butterscotch sauce? Would you like it as a pizza? Maybe what we’re really being asked here is, do you want to waffle? Because it might take you a bit of waffling to decide on all these options.

South American steakhouses seem to be getting rather popular these days. So how well cut out for the beef fest is Rico Steakhouse? Our mystery diner finds out. Photos by Vu Bao Khanh