I like Pete Wells; I like to read his reviews of restaurants in the New York Times. He can be tough and snarky, but at least he is also witty and right. A Pete Wells classic from his review of Per Se: “I don’t know what could have saved limp, dispiriting yam dumplings, but it […]

At Trufflepig, we like to partake in all things fine and swine. When we come by fine swine, it’s sublime. Or perhaps a lovely wine, how divine. Okay, I’m done, I promise. On a recent trip to Vietnam, I was introduced to a program that is doing some great work west of Hanoi. Bloom Microventures has […]

There’s a reason we’re always heading back to the countries we love: Research. We do a lot of it, and its probably just about the best part of our jobs. Finding new things, meeting new people and visiting new places helps us grow, both as a company and on a personal level. It’s a bit […]

We’ve all been there. You’re on vacation and walking by a local restaurant or food stall, and are either captivated or disgusted (or both) by what you see. Your brain says try it but your digestive system screams and runs away. What to do? Do you take that chance, knowing that in 12 hours you […]

Ever found yourself looking for a shop and finding not one, but about fifty of the same name? Probably not, but in Hanoi this is par for the course. With a serious disregard for copyright issues in Vietnam, knock off businesses are everywhere. On our first trip to Vietnam my wife and I travelled independently, […]

I love restaurants that make just one dish. It’s the culinary equivalent of the poker player who’s so confident they go “all-in” and commit all their chips to a single hand. Sure, you don’t always win, but my experience has been that you tend to win way more than you lose. Where: Hanoi, Vietnam (a […]