Neighborhoods
After the Rain in Chợ Lớn
Incense, old shop houses and a slower rhythm through Saigon’s storied western quarter.
By Mai Pham · April 26, 2026
Salon Saigon · Cultural Journal
The creative guide to Saigon.
Art, culture, places, architecture, and experiences shaping modern Saigon.
Architecture
The Quiet Modernism of Saigon
Selected reading
Featured stories
Food
The New Vietnamese Table
Six kitchens drawing from memory, regional produce and a distinctly contemporary sensibility.
By An Nguyen · March 9, 2026
Art & Culture
Independent Art, New Energy
The artist-led spaces giving experimental work room to breathe in modern Saigon.
By Thao Le · January 30, 2026
The city, considered
Curated places
Built Saigon
Architecture highlights
Tropical Modernism
Buildings designed around climate, craft and everyday life.
The Old Shophouse
Narrow facades revealing deep, adaptive interiors.
Sacred Geometry
Pagodas, churches and temples across the city.
Walk slowly
Cultural neighborhoods
01
Chợ Lớn
Temples, markets and layered histories
02
Đa Kao
Old villas and creative addresses
03
Thảo Điền
Studios, gardens and contemporary design
04
Tân Định
Market color and residential calm
Food & cafe culture
Good tables, quiet corners.
A considered collection of cafes, kitchens and rooms that express the city with originality.
Cafes
Coffee in the Old Apartments
Up worn staircases and along open corridors, a gentler side of the city’s cafe culture.
By Mai Pham · December 12, 2025
Food
The New Vietnamese Table
Six kitchens drawing from memory, regional produce and a distinctly contemporary sensibility.
By An Nguyen · March 9, 2026
Hidden Saigon
Look beyond the obvious.
Courtyards, passages, archives and small rooms that reward curiosity.
Read the story