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Creator

Dana Filek-Gibson

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Dana Filek-Gibson is a writer, editor, and communicator based in Brooklyn, New York. She previously lived in Saigon and misses Vietnam — and cà phê sữa đá — every single day.

Stories by Dana Filek-Gibson

108 stories

Hẻm Gems: Chef Badeh Brings Syrian Cuisine to Saigon

Saigon Hẻm Gems

Hẻm Gems: Chef Badeh Brings Syrian Cuisine to Saigon

In the small covered area outside the front door, Chef Badeh brings together two of my favorite things: bread and fire.

Dana Filek-GibsonJul 28, 2017
With Ariana Grande, International Pop Culture Comes to Vietnam

Music & Arts

With Ariana Grande, International Pop Culture Comes to Vietnam

When Ariana Grande takes the stage at Saigon’s Quan Khu 7 Stadium on August 23, it will be one of the many nights she’s done so during her Dangerous Woman tour. The American pop star will sing her chart-topping hits surrounded by towering speakers and Jumbotrons, spotlights and an army of background dancers – and for Vietnam’s young, tech-savvy, pop culture fanatics, that’s exactly the appeal.

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Dana Filek-GibsonJul 27, 2017
Hẻm Gems: Kickin' It at Kim Thao's Hột Vịt Lộn Hangout

Saigon Hẻm Gems

Hẻm Gems: Kickin' It at Kim Thao's Hột Vịt Lộn Hangout

In the thick of rainy season, afternoon snack spots are hard to come by. Street vendors make do with cement-weighted umbrellas and heavily used tarpaulin, carving out (relatively) dry patches on the sidewalk from which to operate, occasionally disrupted by a tide of rainwater rising to overtake their carts. For the most part, however, outdoor dining is not at its best in the monsoon months.

Dana Filek-GibsonJul 21, 2017
Is Over-Tourism Threatening Sapa?

Travel

Is Over-Tourism Threatening Sapa?

Heading back from So’s village, there is only one way into Sapa, and one way out.

Dana Filek-GibsonJul 20, 2017
At Hanoi’s Fury Room, Young Vietnamese Relieve Stress Through Destruction

Society

At Hanoi’s Fury Room, Young Vietnamese Relieve Stress Through Destruction

Next time you’re in the capital and looking to unwind, you could opt for the standard walk around Hoan Kiem Lake and an ice-cold bia hơi . Or you could break something.

Dana Filek-GibsonJul 17, 2017
In Vietnam, Taboo and Tradition Hinder Contraception Awareness

Health

In Vietnam, Taboo and Tradition Hinder Contraception Awareness

With many urban Vietnamese waiting longer to get married, the country’s younger generations are recognizing the need to open up about sex education in the conservative country.

Dana Filek-GibsonJul 9, 2017
Hẻm Gems: Co Huoi and Her West-of-the-Border Delights

Saigon Hẻm Gems

Hẻm Gems: Co Huoi and Her West-of-the-Border Delights

One of my favorite Saigon pastimes is wandering around strange neighborhoods. If you’re feeling lost or bored or lonely or just a little too comfortable, have someone drop you off in a district you don’t know and just walk around for a while. In this exercise, two things are guaranteed: 1) You will learn something new. 2) There will definitely be food.

Dana Filek-GibsonJun 23, 2017
A Present Retrospective: Fusing Past, Present and Propaganda

Music & Arts

A Present Retrospective: Fusing Past, Present and Propaganda

Work Room Four’s current exhibition, A Present Retrospective , connects past and present in the iconic work of Cuban graphic artist René Mederos and the responses of five contemporary Vietnamese artists.

Dana Filek-GibsonMay 24, 2017
Street Cred: The Brothers From Tay Son

Vietnam

Street Cred: The Brothers From Tay Son

Flip through the history books and you’ll find a recurring character trait in many national heroes. From the Trung sisters to Ngo Quyen to Vo Thi Sau , Vietnamese history is full of badasses. While several of the country’s most famous rebels managed to oust their enemies from power for a few days, months or years, three Robin Hood-esque brothers from central Vietnam held onto power for three decades.

Dana Filek-GibsonMay 21, 2017
Hẻm Gems: Quan 249’s Wondrous Cơm Chiên Emporium

Saigon Hẻm Gems

Hẻm Gems: Quan 249’s Wondrous Cơm Chiên Emporium

It’s 6pm on a Thursday, and I’m up to my eyeballs in cơm chiên . Page after page, Quan 249’s excessively handled menu features a laundry list of fried rice combinations, some you’ve heard of, some you haven’t. There are other options – a bit of mì xào , a smattering of hủ tiếu , but no other dish on the menu manages to take up so much space or venture quite so far into the realm of foreign cuisine.

Dana Filek-GibsonMay 19, 2017
French Hip-Hop Meets Viet Rap in New Piu Piu Collaboration

Music & Arts

French Hip-Hop Meets Viet Rap in New Piu Piu Collaboration

As Vietnam’s underground hip-hop scene begins to emerge into the spotlight, one of its rising stars joins forces with an up-and-coming foreign artist to create a track for worldwide release.

Dana Filek-GibsonMay 13, 2017
Hẻm Gems: To Chan's Noodle Soup Offers Comfort in a Bowl

Saigon Hẻm Gems

Hẻm Gems: To Chan's Noodle Soup Offers Comfort in a Bowl

If you turn up to a hủ tiếu spot anywhere in this city and there is not a hand-painted, wooden noodle cart taking up one corner of the venue, you may want to think twice about sitting down.

Dana Filek-GibsonMay 12, 2017
Street Cred: Duy Tan, The 8-Year-Old Emperor

Vietnam

Street Cred: Duy Tan, The 8-Year-Old Emperor

When the French first enthroned Duy Tan, the youngest emperor of the Nguyen dynasty, their expectation was that a boy, at the ripe age of eight, would not take much interest in imperial rule.

Dana Filek-GibsonApr 22, 2017
[Video] A Mesmerizing Timelapse of Mui Ne From Above

Travel

[Video] A Mesmerizing Timelapse of Mui Ne From Above

It’s safe to say that Rufus Blackwell has a soft spot for Vietnam.

Dana Filek-GibsonMar 31, 2017
Art for You Returns to Saigon

Arts & Culture

Art for You Returns to Saigon

In Vietnam and around the world, Art with a capital "A" can be an intimidating subject. The pressure to "get" abstract or contemporary artwork has a way of deterring some from becoming museum goers or art aficionados, fearful of not understanding the piece or, worse, mistaking a fallen glove for an exhibition.

Dana Filek-GibsonMar 23, 2017
Hẻm Gems: An Expedition to D2's Hole-in-the-Wall Mexican Joint

Saigon Hẻm Gems

Hẻm Gems: An Expedition to D2's Hole-in-the-Wall Mexican Joint

On the modest patio in front of Simple Place, a charming little hole-in-the-wall in District 2, my Spanish coworker Victor launches into a stirring speech about tacos.

Dana Filek-GibsonMar 17, 2017
3A Station Is Closing in 2 Months

Arts & Culture

3A Station Is Closing in 2 Months

After three years, 3A Station is closing.

Dana Filek-GibsonMar 2, 2017
Vietnamese Athletes Head to the Start Line in First-Ever Asian Winter Games

Sports

Vietnamese Athletes Head to the Start Line in First-Ever Asian Winter Games

This week, even during Saigon’s cool, dry season mornings, people across the city will face 34-degree heat on their morning commute, many of them heading toward air-conditioned offices and shaded patios. But in the mountains of Japan’s Hokkaido Prefecture, a team of Vietnamese athletes are braving the cold – and competition – for the first time.

Dana Filek-GibsonFeb 22, 2017
Hẻm Gems: Beef and Booze at Lau Bo Co Thao

Saigon Hẻm Gems

Hẻm Gems: Beef and Booze at Lau Bo Co Thao

The alley where cô Thao has set up shop isn’t worth remembering. A high concrete wall runs down one side, reflecting the sun that’s sapping our energy on this hot, dusty Friday afternoon, while the other is lined with modest storefronts half-obscured by tattered awnings.

Dana Filek-GibsonFeb 17, 2017
Street Cred: Nguyen Du, Father of Vietnamese Literature

Saigon

Street Cred: Nguyen Du, Father of Vietnamese Literature

Even if you’re in need of a refresher on Vietnamese history, chances are you know the name Nguyen Du. The 19 th -century statesman and poet is often known as the father of Vietnamese literature, and his epic poem Truyen Kieu is easily the country’s most famous work.

Dana Filek-GibsonFeb 12, 2017
Southeast Asia's Air Pollution Deaths Could Triple by 2030

Environment

Southeast Asia's Air Pollution Deaths Could Triple by 2030

A new Harvard-backed report is predicting the future of Southeast Asia’s air quality, and it does not look good.

Dana Filek-GibsonJan 24, 2017
The Story of Ông Táo, the Kitchen God Who Rides a Carp to Heaven

Culture

The Story of Ông Táo, the Kitchen God Who Rides a Carp to Heaven

This evening, as Saigoneers continue their many Tet preparations and young revellers head out for a night on the town, Ong Tao is packing his bags for his annual trip to heaven.

Dana Filek-GibsonJan 20, 2017
Hẻm Gems: Loriekot’s Filipino Fare in the Heart of Saigon

Saigon Hẻm Gems

Hẻm Gems: Loriekot’s Filipino Fare in the Heart of Saigon

In Saigon, there are plenty of places you don’t see when you’re breezing by on a motorbike. If you are (hopefully) focused on the road ahead, the narrow shopfronts and modest quán lining most Saigon streets start to run together, blurring into a mess of awnings and neon signs, plastic furniture and noisy, fearless touts.

Dana Filek-GibsonJan 20, 2017
Hẻm Gems: Lunch Hour Gone Rogue at Oc Thao

Saigon Hẻm Gems

Hẻm Gems: Lunch Hour Gone Rogue at Oc Thao

In the vast and complex world of Saigon street food, ốc is generally classified as a staple of the fourth meal: nhậu . Its various forms, whether doused in garlic, drizzled with mỡ hành or swimming in a sea of tamarind, represent a collection of highly snackable, bite-sized morsels that pair well with evenings on the sidewalk, long, extended periods of eating, and ice-filled glasses of Saigon Red.

Dana Filek-GibsonJan 6, 2017
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