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[Hurricane88]

Hanoi man opens chocolate shop with no store keepers

TUOI TRE NEWS
UPDATED : 10/27/2016 10:44 GMT + 7

When Dao Khanh Hiep came across an article about shops without clerks in Japan, his first thought was whether it would be possible to run a similar ‘trust shop’ in his hometown, Hanoi.

As the name suggests, a no-keeper shop allows customers to choose their goods and leave money in an unattended box at the checkout counter.

Store owners have 100 percent faith in their customers, believing they will not be let down by their customers' honesty and kindness.

With that belief in mind, Hiep, 33, set up his own ‘trust shop,’ selling chocolate, ice cream, and bottled beverages, on Lieu Giai Street in the Vietnamese capital.
The shop is equipped with automatic doors, which open when customers ring the doorbell.
After stepping into the venue, shoppers can freely choose between sweet products and put money into an unmanned cashier’s box.

Hiep said many customers were surprised at first, but then became intrigued by the way his no-keeper shop works.

“What a nice surprise to see this kind of shop,” Nguyen Hoang Long, a high school student, said. “I think the model should be multiplied.”

The store owner has faith in the success of his business and truly believes in people’s kindness.

He noted, however, that despite having no attendants, the shop does have a surveillance camera system that can be accessed remotely.

There is also a camera at the door equipped with a sensor that can scan customers’ faces and distinguish between first-time and returning shoppers.

Whenever the camera recognizes a new customer, it alerts attendants to instruct buyers via a loudspeaker system.

The store has been open for months and there has yet to be any theft or other worrisome issues, Hiep underlined.

“Young people today have developed a culture of being honest and kind, but there are not enough places for them to do good things,” Hiep said.

“That’s why I opened this store – from this small community we will build a new culture for shoppers everywhere.”

Hiep also shared an unforgettable experience with the no-keeper shop.
“A group of ten young people entered the store just as the Internet was disconnected and all the doors automatically locked them in,” he recalled.

“That incident helped me come up with the solution to install a backup Internet connection for the store.”

Hiep said he wants to open more trust shops in Hanoi, with the Old Quarter as his desired location.

[Hurricane88]

Thai Lion Air Opens Low-Cost Bangkok-Saigon Route

Published on Monday, 24 October 2016 12:00 Written by Saigoneer.

Saigoneers will soon have another option for flights to Bangkok, as Thai Lion Air is set to offer daily flights between the two cities.

The Bangkok Post reports Thai Lion Air (TLA), a subsidiary of Indonesia's Lion Group, will begin operating flights on the popular route from October 28. The low-cost carrier will join Thai AirAsia, Nok Air, Thai Air, Vietnam Airlines and VietJet Air in competition for passengers flying between the two major hubs.

According to the news source, the TLA flight will depart Bangkok's Don Mueang airport at 5:25am daily and arrive in Saigon at 7am. The return flight will leave Saigon at 7:55am and arrive in Bangkok at 9am.

TLA is offering a promotional fare of just THB980, or $US28, one-way to attract new customers.

[Hurricane88]

[Photos] A Final Look at Binh Tay Market Before Its Renovation

Published on Wednesday, 19 October 2016 15:30 Written by Saigoneer.

http://saigoneer.com/saigon-building...its-renovation

too many photos...so just click and read..

[Hurricane88]

[Photos] A Bird's-Eye View of Saigon’s MEGA City

Published on Wednesday, 26 October 2016 11:54 Written by Saigoneer. Photo by Lee Starnes.

http://saigoneer.com/saigon-developm...%99s-mega-city

[Hurricane88]

Hẻm Gems: Nguyen Tri Phuong's Chicken Rice Paradise

Last Updated on Friday, 21 October 2016 11:41

Published on Friday, 21
October 2016 11:35 Written by Khoi Pham. Photos by Brandon Coleman.


We promise this will be the last Nguyen Tri Phuong-based Hẻm Gem…for now.

If you have been regularly following our weekly Hẻm Gem reviews, you might notice that Saigoneer has a special place in our heart for the dynamic food mecca that is District 10’s Nguyen Tri Phuong Street. From delicious duck noodles to the crustacean-heavy bánh canh ghẹ muối ớt xanh to this week’s Chinese food extravaganza at Com Ga Hai Nam, the vibrant district connector is a perfect destination for your next weekend (or weekday) binge-eating trip. At 379 Nguyen Tri Phuong, Com Ga Hai Nam, whose specialty is Singaporean-Hainanese chicken rice, serves up 10 pages' worth of various Chinese-style dishes on their menu that will satisfy all of your cravings for Sino cuisine.

I have come to look forward to our Hẻm Gem expeditions ever since we started making it a common fixture of our Fridays a few weeks ago. The special thing about good food – unlike obscure indie bands – is the joy of introducing it to others. Relishing a bowl of simmering mì hoành thánh or munching on chewy chicken asses is so much more enjoyable when you have friends with whom to share these delights.

As Saigoneer’s band of hangry foodies arrive at the famed District 10 eatery, we quickly realize that this is not a normal food business: Com Ga Hai Nam is like a well-oiled factory of mouthwatering chicken rice. The patch of pavement in front of the vendor is free of parked motorbikes because as soon as diners step off their vehicle, a team of ninja-like attendants will quickly wheel the bikes away to a nearby hẻm for safe-keeping. Another team of nimble greeters is always on stand-by at a corner, dashing to and fro to deliver takeaway orders at a speed that could rival any McDonalds’ drive-through window.


After informing them of our party number, we are hustled up the stairs by the greeter team to a vibrantly crimson square table that I later learn is an iconic feature of the chicken rice place. The dining area is rather cramped, with common white tile-and-mirror walls that you might come across in any food stall nationwide. On the patches of wall not covered by mirrors are a plethora of food illustrations that have seen better days. All of the food items feature both Vietnamese captions and red decals of Chinese characters. But what Com Ga Hai Nam lacks in interior design, it certainly makes up for in its impressive repertoire of dishes on offer. From at least five different types of rice to 10 variations of stir-fried noodles, one could possibly overdose on Chinese food should you stay at the eatery long enough.

At the recommendation of our colleague, who used to live in the area and is well-versed in all things Nguyen Tri Phuong, we decide to go for two portions of Singapore-style fried rice and stir-fried noodles; chicken rice with a few different protein options: poached chicken, roast chicken and xá xíu, or char siew; and a big bowl of canh củ sen – Chinese-style lotus root soup – as a light, cleansing relief from the distinctive oiliness of the food.

As expected, everything is wonderful and I have to force myself to make small talk with everybody so that I don’t gulp down the food too fast and choke to death. The rice is well-cooked and soft, awash with a golden sheen of chicken fat that goes great with the clear, warm soup. Contrary to common belief, the fact that Vietnam is a top global rice exporter does not mean there is uniform ability when it comes to cooking rice. I’ve learned this the hard way, literally: some vendors tend to churn out tough, undercooked bowls that fail to do the national grain justice. This is obviously not the case with Com Ga Hai Nam, because I could happily eat their version all day, sans garnish or chicken.

Com Ga Hai Nam’s xá xíu and chicken options – VND38,000 each – also live up to the restaurant's reputation as one of the best chicken rice locations in the area. The slices of burgundy pork are tender and flavorful, as they are prepared in small chunks rather than slabs, thus allowing that tantalizing mix of spices to coat more surface area. I haven’t tried the chicken, but according to my colleagues, the roasted version is highly recommended.

It would be a heinous crime to write about a delectable Vietnamese dish without mentioning its accompanying sauces. In this case, the stall’s signature sauce to go with the chicken is a sweet-and-savory mix that features a delicate balance of chili, ginger and garlic to accentuate its chicken. Again, just give me that delicious concoction and their chicken rice, and I’m a happy camper.

The wok dishes – fried rice and stir-fried noodles at VND43,000 and VND45,000, respectively – possess that must-have smoky taste of Chinese food and are well-prepared, both in terms of the texture of the rice and the complementary vegetables. However, I personally find them a tiny bit oily. Thus, I would recommend ordering a portion of soup – lotus root, seaweed or bok choy soup – to wash down the richness.

All told, the trip is yet another resounding success for our ragtag team of food enthusiasts as we waddle back to the cab well-fed and well-satiated. At this point I’m starting to believe that one could throw a rock anywhere on Nguyen Tri Phuong Street and it would land on an eatery with amazing food.

To sum up:

Taste: 5/5

Price: 5/5

Atmosphere: 4/5

Friendliness: 3/5

Location: 4/5

[KangTuo]

Originally Posted by snipeshot08

I'm trying to copy my idol ==> KT, go there early early morning to offload first

still have meh?? every morning bus pass by, took a glance towards the lane.. kang kang leh

[KangTuo]

Originally Posted by snipeshot08

Whats the modus operandi huh??? Open from wat time to wat time??? S$50 per shot huh??? I suakoo like hell.......

opening timing I don't know lah. but its sure close in the morning
$50 one shot lor... how many you can go?

you act sua koo only lah... you also know its $50

[Hurricane88]

Originally Posted by KangTuo

opening timing I don't know lah. but its sure close in the morning
$50 one shot lor... how many you can go?

you act sua koo only lah... you also know its $50

Either one is lying or botn are lying...

[Hurricane88]

Originally Posted by KangTuo

still have meh?? every morning bus pass by, took a glance towards the lane.. kang kang leh

You need to wait till Monday for bro SS08 to reply...

[Hurricane88]

Tan Son Nhat airport puts expanded international terminal to use

TUOI TRE NEWS
UPDATED : 10/27/2016 15:09 GMT + 7



A section of the expanded international terminal at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City was on Wednesday put into operation with added services to improve passengers’ experience.

The new section is a three-story wing of the expanded international terminal, lying east of the old T2 terminal, with a total area of 8,780 square meters.

The newly-opened wing added seven additional boarding gates to the airport, three of which are installed with jet bridges while the remaining four use shuttle buses to take passengers to their planes.

A 100-square-meter sleeping area featuring 20 couches and a 40-square-meter children’s playground operated by the Southern Airports Services JSC (SASCO) are also available to passengers, free-of-charge, in the new wing.

The expanded terminal is also equipped with ten mini bedrooms, each measuring approximately four square meters, for passengers for an additional fee.

‘Fresh to go’ convenient stores in the wing offer affordable items starting at VND20,000 (US$0.9).

The inauguration of the new section is expected to reduce the load on the existing terminal at Tan Son Nhat International Airport, long infamous for being constantly overloaded.

During this year’s travel peak in July, Tan Son Nhat airport handled an average of 680 arrivals and departures each day.

A total of 107,906 flights carrying over 16 million passengers arrived at or departed from Tan Son Nhat in the first half of 2016, an increase of 21.93 percent and 25.37 percent, respectively, from the same period in 2015.

The airport is expected to welcome over 32 million passengers in 2016, far surpassing its planned capacity of 25 million passengers by 2020.

[Hurricane88]

Vietnam man arrested for storing dead tiger in freezer

TUOI TRE NEWS
UPDATED : 10/28/2016 10:00 GMT + 7

A Vietnamese suspect was on Thursday caught red-handed storing a dead tiger and tiger skin inside a freezer.

Police in the north-central province of Nghe An on Thursday arrested 26-year-old Le Van Duc, who lives in Dien Lam Commune, Dien Chau District.

Duc was caught stuffing a dead tiger into his freezer at around 7:00 pm.
Police later found a headless tiger skin stored underneath the frozen dead tiger.

The dead tiger weighed 37 kilograms and the tiger skin weighed 21 kilograms, according to police measurements.

Duc is being questioned on the origin of the tiger and where he planned to sell the endangered animal.

The poaching, transportation, and trading of endangered wild animals are outlawed in Vietnam, and transgressors are eligible for up to seven years behind bars, according to the country’s Penal Code.

In Vietnam, tigers are poached and traded for their skin, which can be processed into household decorations, while their bones can be slow-cooked into a thick paste that is rumored to cure a wide range of illnesses.

[Hurricane88]

Initiative launched to support Vietnamese women with broken Korean marriages

TUOI TRE NEWS
UPDATED : 10/28/2016 10:54 GMT + 7

The Women’s Association of the southern Vietnamese city of Can Tho and the Korea Center for United Nations Human Rights Policy (KOCUN) on Thursday jointly launched an initiative to help Vietnamese deal with various issues relating to marriages with South Korean men.

The “Korea-Vietnam Caring” initiative aims to provide financial aid, legal consul, and psychological advice to these unfortunate families, helping them to quickly adapt to their new life and the culture of Vietnam.

Can Tho, along with many other provinces throughout the Mekong Delta in southern Vietnam, is known for its many female residents choosing to marry South Korean men.

It is estimated that hundreds of Mekong Delta women marry men from the East Asian country each year.

However, not all of these marriages have a happy ending. Over the years, the number of broken marriages has risen and many Vietnamese brides are choosing to return to their country, some with young children.

These people encounter various difficulties when coming back to Vietnam, especially with children in tow.

Established in 2009, KOCUN also provides Vietnamese women with various training courses in an effort to prepare them for their life in South Korea.

[Hurricane88]

Asia coffee's quotations unchanged; Concerns over rain in Vietnam

REUTERS
UPDATED : 10/28/2016 08:36 GMT + 7

HANOI, Oct 27 - Discounts of Vietnamese and Indonesian coffee were steady on Thursday, as rain continued to pose a threat to Vietnam's harvest, while dwindling stocks kept Indonesian coffee trade dull, traders said.

Rain in recent weeks have delayed the maturing process of coffee cherries in the Central Highlands of the world's biggest robusta producer, raising concerns over supply in the next few weeks.

"The harvest comes in later than usual and if the weather does not improve, there may be some shortages in the first half of November," said Phan Hung Anh, deputy director of Anh Minh Co based in Daklak, Vietnam's largest growing province.

The rainy season often ends in early November, ahead of the peak harvest season later next month.

ICE robusta futures touched a two-year high on Wednesday over concerns of a global production deficit and wet weather in Vietnam.

Robusta beans rose to 44.5-45 million dong ($1,993-$2,016) per tonne on Thursday in Daklak, from 44-44.7 million dong early this week.

At 45 million dong, the price is the highest since the week ended March 30, 2013, based on Reuters data.

Vietnamese robusta grade 2 were traded unchanged in the past week at discounts of $50-$60 a tonne to ICE January contract , which ended at $2,178/tonne on Wednesday.

Beans grade 1, similar to the Sumatran coffee, stood at a discount of $5 a tonne.

While most farmers have run out of stocks, old-crop beans kept by foreign firms were high and could help meet demand from roasters, traders said.

Vietnam's coffee exports in the first half of October, the first month of the 2016/2017 season, jumped 45.2 percent from a year ago to 60,700 tonnes, Vietnam Customs data showed.

In Indonesia, exporters and farmers were holding onto their thin stocks, keeping trading light, traders said.

Indonesia's robusta grade 4, 80 defects COFID-G4-USD stood at par with ICE January contract or a premium of $5 a tonne. Last week they were quoted at par to a premium of $7 a tonne.

Vietnam's 2017-18 crop outlook

River water levels are expected to be 20-60 percent below average in the Central Highlands during the dry season that lasts until April, the United Nation team in Vietnam said in a report on Tuesday.

Water shortages during the February-April flowering period for the next 2017/2018 crop cycle could reduce coffee output.

[Hurricane88]

Hẻm Gems: Conquering the Crab in D10

Last Updated on Friday, 14 October 2016 12:07 Published on Friday, 14 October 2016 12:07 Written by Khoi Pham.

http://saigoneer.com/saigon-street-f...he-crab-in-d10




My uncle used to say that you haven't had real crab until you have to cook and dismantle one. For this week’s Hẻm Gem, Saigoneer takes you on a trip to do just that, relishing real crabs by breaking them apart with your bare hands. So put away your ceviche and crab croquettes and maybe do some hand muscle exercises because you’re gonna need them to properly enjoy a hearty bowl of bánh canh ghẹ muối ớt xanh.

I’ll admit that I had some reservations before going to the eatery, simply because of the place’s name. The bánh canh ghẹ, or crab soup with chewy rice noodles I understand, but it’s not common that you come across a street food stall that features a condiment so heavily in its branding. Saigon is home to scores of street food stalls that could differ dramatically in terms of a cuisine's origin, flavor and execution, but usually the nomenclature of Saigon street vendors is either owner-, address-, or location-oriented. To demonstrate the three naming conventions, we have chị Hiền’s cơm tấm, Quán 94, where crabs star in a one-crustacean show, and Ky Dong’s therapeutic phở gà. Sometimes, the dish’s price could feature in the name, in the case of Binh Thanh’s Pho Mot Do –literally "one-dollar phở" – but rarely a condiment.

Muối ớt xanh just means green chili salt, which I’m sure would go great with any seafood, but it can be one-dimensional at times, flavor-wise. So for this humble dipping sauce to make its way onto the District 10 soup spot’s banner, it must be some damn good green chili concoction.

It started out as a casual call for lunch in the Saigoneer office, but after a glance at the glorious sight of the bánh canh bowl – I mean, just look at how the crab glistens in the photo above – it doesn’t take much convincing to get everyone on board for a trip to District 10’s food paradise on Nguyen Tri Phuong. You might recognize the name of the street as home to the best duck noodles in town, but as someone who has spent an embarrassing amount of time indulging in the delicacies of this enticing food ‘hood, I can assure you that Nguyen Tri Phuong is the gastronomical gift that keeps on giving.

Our cab arrives at the soup vendor around noon, and lady luck is on our side as the dining area looks rather empty compared to the stall’s usual jam-packed, spilling-onto-the-pavement evening crowd. The bánh canh ghẹ place is divided into two sections: one is smaller and houses the kitchen while the other is newer and more spacious, featuring a tank of live ghẹ, or blue crab, the star of this shindig. We opt for the new section, but just a side note: beware of the strong sea essence emanating from the crab bath.

The menu at Banh Canh Ghe Muoi Ot Xanh is decidedly simple: only bánh canh, with a whole spectrum of crab sizes catering to shellfish connoisseurs of all eating capacities. A small bowl of bánh canh will set you back VND50,000, while the medium and large ones cost VND65,000 and VND80,000, respectively. There’s also a special “large 1” option at VND90,000 per person, but as crab soup newbies we didn't think we were ready for it yet.

The dining room is spacious and smells strongly of the sea, but what catches my eyes is the muối ớt xanh – the centerpiece of the table – in a pretty glass container that slightly resembles an ashtray. Upon tasting this elusive concoction, it immediately dawns on me why the sauce made its way into the branding: muối ớt xanh is a wonderful seafood elixir. The name might lead you to believe it's dominated by saltiness, but there’s more to this sauce than meets the eye. Apart from green chili and salt, the condiment also has lime juice, lime zest and a touch of sugar to fill out the sweet-savory balance. If the sauce is this good just on spoons and fingertips, who knows what it will do to crustaceans?

Our bánh canh bowls finally arrive, to an immediate chorus of oohs and aahs, and then complete silence as we temporarily sever our friendship to devote the next hour or so of our lives to the long-awaited crab soup. The noodle portion looks mouthwatering, with an intimidating ghẹ smacked right in the middle on a bed of creamy noodles and a sprinkle of soup staples like chopped spring onions and black pepper.

However nothing is conventional about this soup. From the broth to the strands of noodle, they’re not what you would normally expect from a bowl of bánh canh. The broth is decadently rich, both from the crustacean and coconut milk, while the beige noodles are chewy in an almost udon-esque way. This richness has the potential to be overpowering, but luckily there’s the sour muối ớt xanh that adds much-needed freshness to balance things out.

The blue crab, while very fresh, is just a normal steamed crab that’s honestly the least impressive component of the dish, in my opinion. I ordered the medium-sized portion, and shelling the beast is too much of an ordeal considering the disappointing end result. So Saigoneers, should you decide to one day attempt to have the “real crab” experience, don’t be afraid to go for the larger sizes.

All told, having crab the “real” way is a fulfilling experience because every element of the dish works so well together, from the freshness of the ghẹ and the rich broth to that sweet-and-sour muối ớt xanh. At the end of our meal, the waitress brings out small metallic bowls filled with cinnamon-infused water to help wash that pungent whiff of seafood off our hands, but I don’t think it helps much. My hands still faintly reek of crab and cinnamon on our way back, not that I mind it. Without the war wounds, how are we supposed to convince people that we battled the beast and emerged victorious?

To sum up:

Taste: 5/5

Price: 4/5

Atmosphere: 4/5

Friendliness: 4/5

Location: 4/5

Bánh Canh Ghẹ Muối Ớt Xanh

484 Nguyen Tri Phuong, Ward 9, D10

[hardy1980]

Hi Bros!

Me and few friends will be going to HCM from 15/11 to 17/11. Our first time there... any place to recommend for food and fun? thanks in advance