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- Quãng 8
Film & TV
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- Loạt Soạt
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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: Cô Hong’s Killer Late-Night Cơm Tấm

Saigon Hẻm Gems

Hẻm Gems: Cô Hong’s Killer Late-Night Cơm Tấm

In the 16 years she’s spent selling cơm tấm on the District 4 side of the Calmette Bridge, cô Hong has seen some things.

Dana Filek-GibsonDec 16, 2016

Hẻm Gems: Striking a Balance With D10's Chè

Saigon Hẻm Gems

Hẻm Gems: Striking a Balance With D10's Chè

If life is all about balance so, too, is food.

Independent stories about the people, places and ideas shaping Saigon and Vietnam.

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Dana Filek-Gibson

Dec 2, 2016

In His Second Feature, Viet Max Leans on Hip-Hop Roots, Unconventional Style

Arts & Culture

In His Second Feature, Viet Max Leans on Hip-Hop Roots, Unconventional Style

Viet Max is a man of many talents. At 37, the Hanoi native has managed to parlay his eclectic skill set into a breakdancing career, a street fashion brand and, more recently, work as a feature film director.

Dana Filek-GibsonNov 27, 2016

Take a Tour of D10’s 64-Year-Old Mosque

Society

Take a Tour of D10’s 64-Year-Old Mosque

The gate to Masjid Niamatul Islamiyah does its best to hide the shaded, green garden behind it from street view. On the outside, you’re more likely to notice the motorbike repair shop next door spilling out onto the sidewalk than the high, faded gray-green metal gate in the background. Peek over the fence and the courtyard doesn’t seem like anything special, either, until you begin to notice the pastel-hued headstones floating between plants at the back of the complex and the green-and-white lettering above its modest prayer hall on the left.

Dana Filek-GibsonNov 20, 2016

Earn a Free Stay in Da Lat by Planting a Tree

Travel

Earn a Free Stay in Da Lat by Planting a Tree

In Da Lat, the cozy Nha Gio Countryside guesthouse opens its doors to travelers who are willing to plant a tree as payment for a night’s stay.

Dana Filek-GibsonNov 18, 2016

Hẻm Gems: An Old-School Nhậu on D10's Bia Hơi Block

Saigon Hẻm Gems

Hẻm Gems: An Old-School Nhậu on D10's Bia Hơi Block

Any self-respecting Saigoneer has a certain reverence for the art of nhậu .

Dana Filek-GibsonNov 18, 2016

Vietnam Launches New National Tourism Website

Travel

Vietnam Launches New National Tourism Website

On Tuesday, the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) launched its new and improved tourism website in an effort to boost the quality of the country’s tourism information and services.

Dana Filek-GibsonNov 10, 2016

Lost and Found: A Trip to Saigon’s Antique Market

Heritage

Lost and Found: A Trip to Saigon’s Antique Market

The second he sees me, rolling down the crumbling concrete path on a dented bicycle, Chien perks up and heads in my direction.

Dana Filek-GibsonNov 5, 2016

Vietnamese Design Startup Earns Over $27,000 in First 3 Days

Tech

Vietnamese Design Startup Earns Over $27,000 in First 3 Days

Fresh off a win at the Vietnam Creative Business Cup, Hanoi-based startup DesignBold raked in over US$27,000 in the first three days of its beta phase, a promising sign for the young venture.

Dana Filek-GibsonNov 3, 2016

Taiwan Is on the Brink of Legalizing Same-Sex Marriage

Society

Taiwan Is on the Brink of Legalizing Same-Sex Marriage

Tens of thousands of people recently descended upon Taipei to celebrate Taiwan’s 14 th annual Pride weekend with a renewed hope: as early as next year, the small island nation could become the first in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage.

Dana Filek-GibsonNov 2, 2016

International Photographer Captures Spirit of Đạo Mẫu in Vibrant New Photo Book

Arts & Culture

International Photographer Captures Spirit of Đạo Mẫu in Vibrant New Photo Book

Tewfic El-Sawy’s introduction to Đạo Mẫu , also known as the Mother Goddess religion, began with music.

Dana Filek-GibsonNov 1, 2016

International Pop-Up Restaurant to Open This Week in Saigon

Eat & Drink

International Pop-Up Restaurant to Open This Week in Saigon

When James Sharman starts talking about the last three weeks, he gets a little wide-eyed. His hands animate each story, hovering above the table. Between sips of coffee, he launches into tales of squid fishing and mountain villages and cooking with middle-aged women in Hoi An. If you didn’t know any better, you’d peg the Englishman for just another traveler passing through Southeast Asia.

Dana Filek-GibsonOct 24, 2016

Slimmer New MEGA City Book Highlights Rapid Change in Saigon

Development

Slimmer New MEGA City Book Highlights Rapid Change in Saigon

For many downtown Saigon residents, it’s hard to remember a time when the Nguyen Hue walking street didn’t exist , despite the fact it’s not even two years old. Such is life in the southern hub: in the blink of an eye, buildings go up or come down, restaurants open, shops close, and what’s a park today could be a train station tomorrow.

Dana Filek-GibsonOct 20, 2016

Hẻm Gems: Saigon's Original Bò 7 Món

Saigon Hẻm Gems

Hẻm Gems: Saigon's Original Bò 7 Món

Going to dinner at Au Pagolac is like going to dinner with family. That is, of course, provided your family spans several generations and also serves its meals in crisp, white button-ups and the occasional clip-on bow tie.

Dana Filek-GibsonOct 7, 2016

[Video] Mini-Documentary Weaves Visual Portrait of Ta Oi Artisan

Film & TV

[Video] Mini-Documentary Weaves Visual Portrait of Ta Oi Artisan

As urban Vietnam charges into the future, connecting to the global economy during its modern development, the traditions of rural Vietnam stay alive through a handful of artisans.

Dana Filek-GibsonOct 6, 2016

Hẻm Gems: A Cuppa in Saigon's Oldest Cafe

Saigon Hẻm Gems

Hẻm Gems: A Cuppa in Saigon's Oldest Cafe

One of the first things Co Suong does when we sit down in the back of her tiny District 3 cafe is bring out the newspaper clippings.

Dana Filek-GibsonSep 30, 2016

Hẻm Gems: Getting Lost in D3’s Soup Bermuda Triangle

Saigon Hẻm Gems

Hẻm Gems: Getting Lost in D3’s Soup Bermuda Triangle

During a busy Thursday lunch hour, my coworker and I commit a soup drive-by.

Dana Filek-GibsonSep 30, 2016

The Evolution of Bánh Xèo: A Street Food History

Food Culture

The Evolution of Bánh Xèo: A Street Food History

While phở , bánh mì and now, occasionally, bún chả hog the spotlight in Vietnamese cuisine, everyone in Vietnam is familiar, to some degree, with bánh xèo . On street corners and in tiny, modest quán , the thin, savory rice flour pancake has earned its place among the pantheon of roadside Vietnamese fare. But as any upstanding street food diner will tell you, its dozens of variations mean that true appreciation of bánh xèo goes beyond the consumption of a single regional style.

Dana Filek-GibsonSep 3, 2016

Street Cred: Hai Thuong Lan Ong, the Father of Traditional Vietnamese Medicine

Saigon

Street Cred: Hai Thuong Lan Ong, the Father of Traditional Vietnamese Medicine

Hai Thuong Lan Ong is one of the most influential figures in the history of traditional Vietnamese medicine.

Dana Filek-GibsonAug 27, 2016

Saigon’s Traffic Nightmare: Challenges and Potential Solutions

Development

Saigon’s Traffic Nightmare: Challenges and Potential Solutions

On one particularly horrific Monday evening last summer, I wound up in a traffic jam. Bounding over the bridge between District 1 and Phu Nhuan, my jaw dropped as I found a sea of vehicles on the other side.

Dana Filek-GibsonAug 21, 2016

Hẻm Gems: Slurping Mì Ốc Hến in District 4 With Công 'the Enforcer'

Saigon Hẻm Gems

Hẻm Gems: Slurping Mì Ốc Hến in District 4 With Công 'the Enforcer'

Shuffling along in flip-flops and a pair of baggy shorts, Công the Enforcer arrives at our table.

Dana Filek-GibsonAug 19, 2016

Chowing Down on Crickets: Vietnam’s First Mass-Market Edible Insect Business

Food Culture

Chowing Down on Crickets: Vietnam’s First Mass-Market Edible Insect Business

Crickets look a lot different when they’re fried and doused in seasoning.

Dana Filek-GibsonAug 18, 2016

Experts to Dismantle Hoi An’s Japanese Bridge for Restoration

Travel

Experts to Dismantle Hoi An’s Japanese Bridge for Restoration

In an effort to restore Hoi An’s famed 17 th -century Japanese Bridge, conservation experts plan to dismantle the structure entirely and perform restoration work on its individual pieces before rebuilding the bridge.

Dana Filek-GibsonAug 18, 2016

For Japanese Retailers, Saigon Center Opening a Sign of Good Things to Come

Development

For Japanese Retailers, Saigon Center Opening a Sign of Good Things to Come

Across the street from a colorful, decades-old Hindu temple, motorbikes pour into the parking garage of the newly opened Saigon Center. Spiraling five floors below ground, the downtown shopping mall employs a veritable army of parking attendants and for good reason: at 3pm on a weekday, the place is packed.

Dana Filek-GibsonAug 3, 2016