Food & Drink

Heart of Darkness

Inspired by Joseph Conrad’s seminal novel, John Pemberton turned his homebrewing hobby into a full-time profession in 2015. Vietnamese beer hasn’t been the same since.

Jul 3, 2019

INSPIRED BY JOSEPH CONRAD’S seminal novel, John Pemberton turned his homebrewing hobby into a full-time profession in 2015. Vietnamese beer hasn’t been the same since. Heart of Darkness made its name on bold, hoppy IPAs, like Kurtz’s Insane IPA and the Loose Rivet hazy IPA, two of 250 beers to come out of its Saigon operation. But some of its most fascinating beers lean local: the White Surf, a passionfruit-laced Berliner weisse, and the Hot and Cold, a pilsner brewed with cucumbers and Vietnamese chilies.

Where to try it: The home base in Saigon’s District 1 and the new Heart of Darkness brewpub in Singapore have the biggest range. They also export to Thailand and Hong Kong.

Food & Drink

The New Taste of Saigon

Stepping out of the shadows of French fine dining, a new guard of visionary young chefs is capturing the city’s culinary zeitgeist.

Food & Drink

Red Door Cafe

Duck through the art arcade at 151 Dong Khoi (never mind the cheap knickknacks and ersatz Klimts), head down the hallway and turn right, then walk up to the third floor to find Red Door, where a discerning crowd of coffee lovers confabulates over cold brews and drip pours.