Curcumin is extacted from Tumeric found in Curcuma Longa

Curcumin is found in Turmeric which is known as Nghe in Vietnamese and Huang Jiang in Chinese and is a natural extract from the spice turmeric, which makes curry yellow. Turmeric is derived from the plant Curcuma Longa. The use of Curcumin is predominant in India and Asia for centuries due to its many beneficial properties Curcumin has been used in eons long ago to treat disorder ranging from arthritis to indigestion.

“What makes Curcumin so special?” one might ask. Well “Curcumin is the phytochemical that gives a yellow color to turmeric and is now recognized as being responsible for most of the therapeutic effects.” Curcumin was first isolated from turmeric in 1815 by a group of Western scientist who marveled its therapeutic effects. What they concluded was that Curcumin was an antioxidant which inherently has many aspects beneficial to one’s health. Antioxidant is defined as a “substances that may protect your cells against the effects of free radicals.” Free radicals are chemicals generated by the body or by external forces (eg. air pollution) that are harmful to our body cells.

The usage of Curcumin has dated back long before anything about it was scientifically proven. The primary reason people used it because they believed that it benefitted an individual memory, but they didn’t know why. Scientist has recently determined that Curcumin may help prevent Alzheimer’s disease. A cause of Alzheimer’s disease is the accumulation of a protein in the brain, amyloid. And Curcumin may prevent Alzheimer’s disease by decreasing amyloid accumulation. However, once a person is already stricken with this plague there is NO CURE. Curcumin also assist those with osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis because it reduces the COX-2 enzyme in the body. By inhibiting the COX-2 enzyme, Curcumin decreases the pain and swelling in arthritis and in turn many stated that Curcumin has anti-inflammatory properties.

Tumor

Perhaps the most extensive research currently done on the role of Curcumin is the prevention and treatment of cancer. Curcumin may prevent and treatcancer through several mechanisms. Firstly, it may hinder certain devastating chemicals cancer causing effect. Secondly, the antioxidant decreases the amount of blood vessels feeding the tumor and in turn inhibits further growth of tumor cells. Angiogenesis is the scientific terminology used to describe the process in which tumor uses blood vessels to continue its growth. And Curcumin negates this effect by affecting the enzymes used in the blood vessel formation. Finally, it is hypothesized that Curcumin can cause a cancer to splice itself, a process known as apoptosis. Apoptosis is the response our normal body gives when it senses abnormality in certain cells; however, in many cases, cancer cells can attempt to prevent apoptosis.

Curcumin Pills with Honey (Can be found in Asian Supermarket)

The knowledge of Curcumins benefits are only known to certain extent. In areas such as India and Asia, it was believed that Curcumin was the cure to many ailments. However in today’s view, the most promising health benefits that can be attributed to Curcumin is its ability to defend against free radicals within the body and decreasing amyloid accumulation. Curcumin can be found in a variety of forms: round pills, powder, and even face cream. So next time when you see a bottle such as the figure seen to the right, don’t be alarmed you know what it is and what it does

www.charakinternational.com/pdfs/Aggarwal-Curcumin-Ch-1.pdf

http://news.softpedia.com/news/Curcumin-Efficient-Against-Colorectal-Cancer-36094.shtml

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/antioxidants.html

http://www.allthingsbeautiful.com/all_things_beautiful/images/metastasizing_cancer.jpg

http://www.camnangthuoc.vn/news/images/product/nghe-mat%20ong5.jpg

credit: Wong Fu Productions http://areyouaniceguy.com

For better or worse, what you choose to do will affect someone close to you.   Whatever your motivation, whatever your calling, just do it.

I came across this outlandishly funny video produced by WongFu in partnership with the American Cancer Society.  You may recall from our past articles “Parallel Story…” or “Moi Anh Mot Dieu” the various implications for smoking cessation.  Yes, it is redundant and boring.

Perhaps what we need is a funny story told in the best way possible – the WongFu video way.

Laugh a little, then put those cigarettes where they belong – in the trash!  I bet none of you will want to have an intimate make-out session with David Choi, or do you?

Enjoy

This post is brought to you by Andrew Lam

By ANDREW LAM – New America Media

One summer afternoon many years ago, I stole home and robbed my parents of their American Dream. I wasn’t going to be a doctor, after all. I was going to study creative writing.

When they heard the news, it was as if all the air had been sucked out of the living room. Mother covered her mouth and cried; Father cursed in French. Older brother shook his head and left the room.

I sat silent and defiant. I was only a small child when we fled Vietnam in 1975, but I remember how I trembled then as my small world collapsed around me. I trembled on this day, too, as I told my parents that I was following my passion.

At UC Berkeley, more than half of those in the Vietnamese Students Association, to which I belonged, majored in computer science and electrical engineering. These fields were highly competitive. A few told me they didn’t want to become engineers: some wanted to be artists, or architects, and had ample talent to do so, but their parents were against them. It was worse for those with family still living in impoverished Vietnam. One, in particular, was an “anchor kid” whose family sold everything to buy him perilous passage across the South China Sea on a boatful of refugees. He knew that others were literally dying for the opportunities he had before him, and failure was not an option.

Many of my friends were driven; theirs was an iron will to achieve academic success. On the wall of the dorm room of a Vietnamese friend was his painting of a mandarin dressed in silk brocade and wearing a hat. Flanked by soldiers carrying banners, the young mandarin rides in an ornate carriage while peasants look on and cheer. It was a visual sutra to help him focus on his studies.

And I, with a degree in biochemistry and on a path to attend medical school to the delight of my parents, was, in their eyes, throwing it all away – for what? I had, in secret, applied to and been accepted into the graduate program in creative writing at San Francisco State University. “Andrew, you are not going to medical school,” said Helen, my first writing teacher after reading one of my short stories. My response was entirely lacking in eloquence. “But … but … my mom is going to kill me.”

Filial piety was ingrained in me long before I stepped foot onto American shores. It is in essence the opposite of individualism. “Father’s benefaction is like Mount Everest, Mother’s love like the water from the purest source,” we sang in first grade. If American teenagers long to be free and to find themselves, Vietnamese are taught filial obligation, forever honoring and fulfilling a debt incurred in their name.

My mom didn’t kill me; she wept. It was my father who vented his fury. “I wanted to write, too, you know, when I was young. I studied French poetry and philosophy. But do you think I could feed our family on poems? Can you name one Vietnamese who’s making a living as an American writer? What makes you think you can do it?”

This was the late ‘80s, and the vast majority in our community were first-generation refugees, many of them boat people who had subsisted for years in refugee camps in Southeast Asia.

“I can’t name one,’ I said. “There may not be anyone right now. So, I’ll be the first.”

Father looked at me and with that look I knew he was not expecting an answer; it was not how I talked in the family, which was to say respectfully and with vague compliance. Perhaps for the first time, he was assessing me anew.

I matched his gaze, which both thrilled and terrified me. And crossing that invisible line, failure was no longer an option.

My friend with the painting of a mandarin became an optometrist and gave up art. I remember the first time he showed me the picture of the mandarin, saying “Do trang nguyen ve lang” – Vietnamese for, ‘Mandarin returns home after passing the imperial examination.” But the image needed no explanation, to me or any student from Confucian Asia; it embodied the dream of glorious academic achievement and with it influence and wealth for the entire family. Villages and towns pooled resources and sent their best and brightest to compete at the imperial court, hoping that one of their own would make it to the center of power. Mandarins were selected and ranked according to their performance in the rigorous examinations, which took place every four years.

Vietnam was for a long time a tributary of China and it was governed by mandarins, a meritocracy open to even the lowest peasant if he had the determination and ability to prevail.

Of all the temples in Hanoi, the most beautiful is Van Mieu, the Temple of Literature, dedicated to all those laureates of Vietnam who became mandarins, their names etched on stone steles going back eight centuries.

It was Vietnam’s first university, the Imperial Academy. That it became a temple to the worship of education seems entirely appropriate.

Under French colonial rule, China’s imperial examinations were replaced by the baccalaureate. To have passed its requirements was something so rare that one’s name was forever connected to the title. My paternal grandmother’s closest friend was Ong Tu Tai Quoc – Mr. “Baccalaureate” Quoc.

My paternal grandfather’s baccalaureate took him to Bordeaux to study law and when he returned, he married the daughter of one of the wealthiest men in the Mekong Delta. And for Vietnamese in America, education is everything. So, for someone lucky enough to escape the horrors of post-war Vietnam and be handed through the hard work of his parents the opportunity to become a doctor, to say “no, thank you” was akin to Confucian sin. By refusing to fulfill my expected role within the family, I was being dishonorable. “Selfish,” more than a few relatives called me.

But part of America’s seduction is that it invites betrayal of the parochial. The old culture demands the child to obey and honor the wishes of his parents. America tells him to think for himself and look out for number one. America spurs rebellion of the individual against the communal: follow your dream. It also demands it: life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Many children of Asian immigrants learn early to negotiate between the “I” and the “We,” between seemingly opposed ideas and flagrant contradictions, in order to appease and survive in both cultures.

In Vietnam, as a child during the war, I read French comic books and martial arts epics translated from Chinese into Vietnamese, even my mother’s indulgent romance novels. In America, I read American novels and spent my spare time in public libraries, devoting the summers to devouring book after book. When not studying, I was reading. If I was encouraged to mourn the loss of my homeland, I was also glad that I became an American because here, and perhaps nowhere else, as mythologist Joseph Campbell urges, I could follow my passion, my bliss.

Some years passed…

Eavesdropping from upstairs during a visit home, I heard my mother greeting friends and learned of a new addition to our family. “These are Andrew Lam’s awards,” she said, motioning to a bookshelf displaying my trophies, diplomas, and writing awards. “Andrew Lam” was stressed with a tone of importance. “My son, the Berkeley radical,” my father would say by way of talking about me to his friends. “Parents give birth to children,” adds my mother, “God gives birth to their personalities.”

Later that day, I went out to my parent’s backyard for a swim. It was in mid-September when kids were going back to school and leaves had started to turn colors. Though it was sunny out, the water was very cold. I remember standing on tip-toe for a long time at the pool’s edge, fearing the inevitable plunge, yet longing for the seductive blue water. Then, I closed my eyes, took a breath, and leapt. It was cold. But as I adjusted to the temperature and swam, I couldn’t understand why I hesitated for so long.

Finding and following my passion and path in life is a bit like that. Scary. Delightful. A struggle — to be sure. But once I dove into the pool, I took to the water. And I kept on swimming.

[It’s summer and you just took the first flight out to Vietnam, and now here you are in (Name your City), Vietnam. It’s early morning and the city streets are already filled with traffic, swarms of mopeds, people, and cars. Up and down the busy sidelines small vendors begin to set up their stalls, chairs, tables, and open up their ‘kitchen’ offering portable dishes to the every passerby. The mixed aroma of noodles, rice, cakes, marinated meats in baguettes, sweets and deserts, along with the infinite mouth-watering ingredients give your sense a rude awakening.]

Welcome to Vietnam & welcome to the wonderful world of street food. Now when we coin the word ‘street food’ we are actually referring to the ethnic foods you see freshly chopped and cooked right in front of your eyes or as some refer it ‘food you eat off the street’. For foreign travelers, the sight of ‘street food’ arises curiosity and the common reaction, ‘it’s look good, but is it safe.’ The best way to overcome this is simply believing that  a trip to Vietnam is not complete without tasting the street food! So close your eyes and take a bite, it’s a taste of culture!

Many iconic Vietnamese foods are street foods, here are the common ones:

Vietnamese Spring Rolls: Cha Gio

Photography: Su-Lin

Start of your journey of the simple and traditional Vietnamese Spring Rolls. This all-time favorite food is made with rice paper, meat of your choice (chicken, beef, shrimp), and noodles. Bursting with fresh vegetable and garden herbs – you will fall for it’s rich taste fast!

Steamed rice cakes: Banh Cuon

Photography: NguyenDong

In the mood for a good variety mix? Get in the groove for some Banh Cuon, a morning favorite among Vietnamese. Banh Cuon is made of rice soaked overnight and then mortared into flour. The dish is dressed with lean meat, shrimps, mushrooms, dried onions, and crushed pepper, but it not complete with the sweet, sour, and spicy fish sauce.

Sugar Cane Juice: Nuoc Mia

Photography: Indi.ca

Bread with deep fried fish patty: Banh mi cha ca

Photography: PlaysWithFood

You can’t say you’ve had a proper fried fish patty sandwich if you haven’t tried it fresh of the streets of Vietnam. The crusty bun is stuffed with herbs, chili, peper, cucumber, and hot fried fish patty. Scallion are a common additional ingredient. Every bit is a plethora of to-die-for flavors rich enough to say it’s a steal for only 10,000 d.

Greg Drescher, Director of Education for the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone offered some tips on choosing where to stop and eat. “Ask the locals, the concierge at your hotel or a taxi driver which vendors seem to do a lot of business. If it’s a popular stall, the food is more likely to move quickly and be freshly prepared [1].” In the end of it all just remember one thing, your Vietnam trip is not complete without tasting ‘street food.’

Questions or Comments: Share us your experience and knowledge with Vietnamese ‘street food’ with us and other readers by leaving a note below!

Most Vietnamese who are vegans, whether completely or just on special days, are so for religious reasons. Before continuing on, there may be a need to establish the difference between vegetarianism and vegan.

Vegetarians are people who simply don’t eat meat. They avoid anything that has ever been alive walking, crawling, swimming or flying. Vegans are a little stricter than that. Not only do vegans not eat meat, they also don’t eat any animal byproducts such as eggs. Though eggs that are laid for human consumption have nearly no chance of hatching (because the roosters are kept away from the hens), vegans believe that since there is no way of being sure of this, eggs are to be avoided altogether.

Many may believe that, as a vegan, all one eats is bland bread and grass. Don’t be fooled, if you are gifted cook or if you know where to look, you can find Vietnamese vegan foods that taste just like the original inspiration, maybe even better because it is even less fattening.

Not everything is bland—we have soy sauce! Yes, soy sauce, made from soy beans is completely vegan, so that is a great flavoring there. Of course, there are some dishes where soy sauce just won’t do and must be enjoyed with Vietnamese’s famous fish sauce. Fish sauce comes from, obviously, fish, so as a vegan, the original is off limits and you must make your own.

Making one’s own fish sauce out of something other than fish and tasting like it should sounds completely impossible, but trust me, it can be done! Fish sauce, depending on what you eat it with may be prepared different ways. All Vietnamese know that fish sauce comes very thick in a large bottle with an extremely strong smell. If it’s for dipping unseasoned meats, it is most likely very thick and strong. If it’s for topping into a bowl of noodles, you’d put a bit more in, so the sauce would be thinned out, so it wouldn’t be so strong.

If you’re eating noodles with crunchy deep fried tofu and “duck,” you’ll need a watered down, sweetened vegan fish sauce. (Notice “duck” is in quotation marks, I’ll tell you how to make vegan “duck” later on.) You’ll need the following ingredients: ½ c. sugar, ¾ c. coconut juice, 1 ½ tsp salt, thai chilies, chopped garlic, soy sauce and lime juice. From the ingredient list alone, you can probably see where the flavor’s going to come from—from the coconut juice and soy sauce, and trust me, it’s even better.

Simply mix the ½ cup of sugar, ¾ cup of coconut juice, 1 ½ tsp of chili and some lime juice together. You should, whenever you’re making fish sauce, taste it to make sure it’s just right. When the flavor is just right, just add a few drops of soy sauce and stir it in to give it the color of fish sauce and add to it chopped garlic to add a little more flavor to it. This vegan fish sauce should taste exactly like the real thing. Remember to use either warm water or warm coconut juice to ensure that the sugar completely disintegrates and mixes well into the sauce so it doesn’t leave a viscous puddle at the bottom.

Roasted duck is a dish every Vietnamese has had at least once. The flavor of it is moist and uncanny and nothing can ever come close to it, right? Believe it or not, we’ve found a way for vegans to enjoy the oh-so-delicious thit vit quay, without the meat… and the extra fat. Guess what is the main ingredient in thit vit quay chay—tofu!

All one needs to make this delicious, usually fatty, dish is store-bought firm tofu, a can of coconut flavored soda, soy sauce, salt, coffee vegetarian oyster sauce and fresh chili pepper. Coconut flavored soda may be found in any Vietnamese supermarket. All the ingredients listed sound simple enough, but some may wonder what coffee vegetarian oyster sauce is—it’s just like what it sounds like. Regular oyster sauce obviously may not be used because it is not vegan; you can buy vegan oyster sauce in a regular Vietnamese grocery store. Vegan oyster sauce’s main ingredient is coffee.

First, soak the tofu in warm water—not too long, though, or it will become too soft. After draining the tofu and lightly padding it dry, fill a deep pan full of vegetable oil and fry slices of tofu that have been cut about an eighth of an inch thick, until it barely becomes a golden color. Beware: do not fry it for too long, or you’ll come up with another well-known tofu dish. Ideally, as soon as you see the first hint of golden brown, take it out. Leave the tofu to the side to let cool while you prepare the sauce that will make the tofu-duck taste like actual duck—or thit vit quay.

Banh beo is literally translated into English as “water fern cake.” It is one of the famous dishes of the city of Hue in Vietnam. Hue is the ancient royal capital of Vietnam and is known for its large vegan population because the majority of the ancient population, and even now, is strictly Buddhist. Banh beo are individually steamed cakes usually topped with vegetable oil, green onions, chopped dried shrimp and decorated with deep fried pork skin. Obviously, if we’re going to make vegan banh beo, we’ll have to use some substitutions. The flour is mixed with warm water and tapioca flavoring in a pot and is very thin and soupy with a white color, resembling coconut milk. After stirring the flour with the water and warming it so it would mix well, turn the stove off to let it cool. Ladle the thin soupy mix into small dishes and carefully place the small dishes into a steamer. Steamers, like the one shown, are large metal containers stacked on top of one another. The bottom level is filled with boiling water and the next level is has small holes punched all over the bottom of it to let the warm from the hot water come through. In this level, foods that are steamed are usually placed on top of each other, usually wrapped in banana leaves, such as banh nam or banh bot loc. However, with banh beo, the soupy dough is carefully placed in its small plates. Since they are not stackable, we add another level to the steamer and place some more plates of banh beo on top of that. Of course, there is not enough steam from the hot water to reach up to twenty levels of banh beo—usually, there are only two levels, with a cover to cover over the top level. This entire steamer is placed on the stove and we simply light the stove until the water boils and turn it off. Leave the plates in the steamer for a little over an hour and check the banh beo. Cooking time may vary, but you will know when the banh beo is done when it becomes thick and no longer runny.

The shrimp that will top the vegan banh beo is made of carrots. After peeling carrots, skim down the carrots with a  peeler and put the thin slices into a food processor to quickly chop up into tiny pieces to resemble shrimp. Put it to the side.

Prepare a little rice porridge. Simply take cooked rice, add water to it and cook on low heat until it mixes well. Take a small bit of thick rice porridge and mix it with the chopped carrot. It should be so well mixed that you wouldn’t even notice there was rice porridge in the mix. This simply thickens the carrot to make it look more shrimp-like.

Atop the steamed cakes, add a little vegetable with chopped green onions before topping it with a table spoon or two of “shrimp.” As for the pork skin that is usually served with this dish, use, instead, small pieces of dried bread, resembling croutons—that are unseasoned. The vegetarian fish sauce served with this should be moderately mixed with water with just a little sugar.

There are so many delicious healthy alternatives to Vietnamese foods usually made with different types of meat. Of course, there are some who are attached to the original meat version of certain dishes, but give the vegan alternative a chance. You’ll find that some of the dishes are just as delicious, or even moreso, and all are healthier, made completely without any sort of meat or animal byproducts.

Photo Sources:
The photo of the vegan duck is my own.
Banh beo: www.biggestmenu.com
Steamer: http://www.wingyipstore.co.uk/pictures/content1341/metal+steamer.jpg

Featured artists include Kristine Sa, David Applesauce Tran, Giana Nguyen, Connie Lim, Tony T Nguyen, and Sue Jin Kim.

The OneVietnam Team is a proud sponsor of the event and we can’t wait to get close and personal with some of the best talents in our community.  Did you mention that food for the event will be provided by Wolfgang?!  So what are you waiting for?  Get your tickets now at http://www.tonytmusic.com/sessions.html.

Parents and grandparents are always well-equipped and prepared to discuss Vietnamese culture. From language to just what we consume and the type of apparel we wear can come under the scrutiny of the older generation. Inside of an immigrant family culture clashes are more prevalent. For me it always appears that my mother would prefer that I completely follow Vietnamese customs or not at all. The idea of a hybrid culture doesn’t suit her method of thinking. Alas, it is more common for most youth of varying backgrounds to maintain a hybrid cultural living. I love all sorts of Vietnamese food and I practically add Sriracha to all other types of food I eat. It is quite important to preserve our Vietnamese heritage but what methods do we take to keep the traditions going? The preservation of language is one strong indicator of the strength of culture. Given that we all end up in the education system,it is easy to get carried away with English and forget to practice our Vietnamese. We must remember that language allows us to become better communicators and will open pathways for us to become closer to our family members, friends in the Vietnamese community and our culture. So I challenge you all, for maybe one day to just reflect on how you behave and what you say and do. After assessing your actions see how much they resonate with your Vietnamese side or your American side and think of different ways that you reconnect to Vietnamese culture. For those up to a more challenging task, try reflecting for an entire week!

I came across this picture of models Yen Nhi and Yen Trang. It’s amazing to see how the Áo Dài has been designed to be daily wear: fashionable and effortless, yet meaningful and full of culture. I always hear about the days when our moms wore white Áo Dài dresses to school, and with this modern twist, it becomes easy to maintain culture while embracing the new. The Áo Dài maintains its long sleeves and side splits while updating the neckline.

Also, the red Áo Dài and headdress common in Vietnamese weddings has been updated to a more modern look. The dress embraces the original Áo Dài neckline while fusing the flowing white dress of a Western wedding. It is definitive of the Vietnamese-American culture and lifestyle.

Fashion shows and pageants also embrace the Áo Dài, but now with more colorful and original textures and cuts. The court of Miss Vietnam of Northern California Intercollegiate shows the stunning blend of Vietnamese heritage and American style.

All over the world, from Vietnam to America, the Áo Dài is getting a makeover, updating this beautiful dress while maintaining its traditional overall look. Although this is just a piece of fashion, it is telling of the growth of our diverse Vietnamese communities all over the world fusing into one.

What makes the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) so dangerous is its ability to mutate to escape the body’s defenses. While the evolutionary design of HIV is very beautiful in its sophistication, HIV has proven to be disastrous in its consequences of those infected.

However, a new discovery might mean the end of this epidemic: the publication of two scientific articles in Science has detailed the findings of antibodies that can neutralize up to 90% of various HIV strains. The antibodies were found in an African-American male, known as Patient 45.

In general terms, antibodies are like the human’s army against the disease. The body makes antibodies to fight off the diseases. However, often time in HIV, antibodies do not appear naturally until long after HIV has established a death grip on the human body.

The science behind making of the vaccine is to elicit the body to make these antibodies naturally before the virus/bacteria/fungus attacks: Grow an enemy before the enemy approaches!

HIV Epidemic in Vietnam

Vietnam faces a concentrated HIV epidemic. HIV prevalence data in Vietnam is based primarily on HIV/AIDS case reporting and on the HIV Sentinel Surveillance conducted annually in 40 of Vietnam’s 64 provinces. The government now reports HIV cases in all provinces, 93 percent of all districts, and 49 percent of all communes, although many high prevalence provinces report cases in 100 percent of communes. Even though Vietnam has implemented HIV/AIDS case reporting, the general lack of HIV testing thus far suggests that the actual number of PLWHA is much higher. HIV prevalence in the general population is estimated to be approximately 0.5 percent, and because of the overlapping risks of injecting drug use and unprotected sex, this number is increasing. HIV prevalence among drug users was estimated to be 32 percent in 2003 and another study in 2005 estimated prevalence rates of 1.6 percent among all people in prostitution, compared to 33 percent in people in prostitution who also use injecting drugs

Human Sex Trafficking and Drug Use

This two aspects are definitely a burden to the Vietnamese community at large.  Yet, to address these issues, we have to look at different groups that work on ways for women and men to combat being exploited by the system.  A great project is by the LIN group.  You can read about their work in how they combat human trafficking by empowering women through the culinary arts.

To conclude…

The epidemic has brought to the forefront the limitations of the medical profession, but it has also given us hope of the future of what progress can do.  We’re still a long ways to go from creating a viable HIV vaccine, and then an even longer ways away from getting this vaccine to Vietnam.  Yet, I am hopeful and optimistic.

Parkson Le Thanh Ton in the Heart of Saigon

Today on our tour of Saigon markets we finally make it to that glittering paragon of Western modernity in Saigon: the Parkson department store. While Diamond Plaza may have been the first real department store, Malaysia-owned Parskon is what people think of when you say mall or department store in Saigon.

Located on Le Thanh Ton in very heart of the financial district of District 1, Parkson Le Thanh Ton offers all the designer jewelry, clothing, and cosmetics, and home products you can expect to find at Diamond Plaza or any other department store. In fact, it really isn’t that different from Diamond Plaza and both places offer pretty much the exact same things. You can even find an arcade and bowling alley at the top of Parkson, just like at Diamond!

There are only two real main differences that set Parkson apart from Diamond: the gigantic food court and the nightclub. The food court is easily several times the size of Diamond’s with a much wider variety of food. Grab a bite to eat up there and enjoy an opportunity to people-watch a cross-section of Saigon’s population. You can see the business lunches, the students hanging out, and the family out on day-trips all jumbled into one and it’s quite interesting.

Then, when it gets late head up to the top floor, go to the other side of the arcade and you’ll find Bounce–one of the most popular nightclubs in Saigon. Bounce is a more westernized club in terms of both the music and design, and usually attracts a younger crowd. Saturday is hip hop night, so put on your clubbing clothes and check out the place tonight!