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COMPLIMENTARY COPY ENTARY COPY READ ME TAKE ME COMPLIMENTARY COPY COMPLIMENTARY COPY COMPLIMENT REBEL WITH A CAUSE Johnny Tri Nguyen Talks MMA, Hollywood and Being Shirtless VIETNAM NOVEMBER 2013 PAGE 22 GIVING THANKS Time for Stuffed Turkey and Pumpkin Pie PAGE 44 TREASURE ISLAND Is Siargao Island the Next Boracay? PAGE 66 Just Desserts NHÀ XUÂT BAN THANH NIÊN 1 2 3 CO M PLIME E NTA N R TAR Y C O PRE Y Y AD C O P Y COMP ME COMPLIMENTARY COPY L I M TAK EN T ARY E COP ME Y COMP L IM E N T REBEL WITH A CAUSE Johnny Tri Nguyen Talks MMA, Hollywood and Being Shirtless VIETNAM NOVEMBER 2013 PAGE 22 GIVING THANKS Time for Stuffed Turkey and Pumpkin Pie PAGE 44 TREASURE ISLAND Is Siargao Island the Next Boracay? EVERYWHERE YOU GO PAGE 66 Director XUAN TRAN Just Desserts Business Consultant ROBERT STOCKDILL NHÀ XUÂT BAN THANH NIÊN 1 [email protected] 093 253 4090 This Month’s Cover Managing Editor CHRISTINE VAN Image: Loc Nguyen [email protected] Model: Vu Ngoc Phuong Trinh Stylist: Fi Fi Hoang Deputy Editor JAMES PHAM Venue: Ciao Bella, D1 [email protected] Creative Director PAOLO MALING [email protected] Graphic Artist HIEN NGUYEN [email protected] Staff Photographers LOC NGUYEN NGOC TRAN Publication Manager HANG PHAN [email protected] 097 430 9710 Special thanks to Ciao Bella, Tony Fox, and Chef John Tran (pictured) for creating the mouthwatering dessert Pope's Pillow, featured on the cover. For advertising please contact: JULIAN AJELLO [email protected] 093 700 9910 NGAN NGUYEN ƠI VIỆT NAM [email protected] 090 279 7951 NHÀ XUẤT BẢN THANH NIÊN Chịu trách nhiệm xuất bản: Đoàn Minh Tuấn JIMMY VAN DER KLOET Biên tập: Nguyễn Giang - Quang Hùng [email protected] 094 877 9219 Thực hiện liên kết xuất bản: Metro Advertising Co.,Ltd TRAN HA 231-233 Lê Thánh Tôn, Phường Bến Thành, [email protected] Quận 1 094 612 0026 In lần thứ chín, số lượng 6000 cuốn, khổ 21cm x 29,7cm Đăng ký KHXB: 1110-2013/CXB/4 -52/TN QĐXB số: 366/QĐ-TN/CN General Chế bản và in tại nhà in Lê Quang Lộc [email protected] Nộp lưu chiểu tháng 9/2013 Inquiries [email protected] Website: www.oivietnam.com 4 5 Contents TRAVEL & LEISURE TREASURE ISLAND Hidden within the Philippines is an island that’s waiting to be discovered FEA66TURES P10 DATEBOOK P22 REBEL WITH A CAUSE P31 FOOTLOOSE With these events, you'll never have to be Johnny Tri Nguyen discusses MMA, Hollywood and A French expat’s dancing feet brings her bored again his upcoming comedy movie to Vietnam P14 TROI OI P26 WATERWORLD P44 GIVING THANKS Find out why a one-year-old, cigarettes and crime Drawing an artistic eye over the cargo barges in the Our Thanksgiving guide on where to find the best made our noteworthy numbers this month Saigon River dinners for the holiday P16 THE BULLETIN P28 FISH A LA CART P68 LANKA LOVE Check out the latest promotions and openings this Combining fish and chips with Vietnam’s streetside Exploring what the many layers the island-nation of month eating culture Sri Lanka has to offer 6 COVER STORY JUST DESSERTS From curious looking Vietnamese che to the more refined strawberry and chili cake, discover where to satisfy your sweet tooth in HCMC 34 7 WINE & DINE RESTAURANT REVIEWS Succulent seafood at Blue Crab, mouthwatering Mediterranean fare at Skewers and tempting tapas at El Camino are this month’s highlights 46 P90 FIT TO A T P51 FLAVOR OF THE MONTH P82 HIGHER LEARNING The founder of Gingko T-shirts speaks about copycats The best wines to stash in your house for special Advice on how to choose the right university in the US and fair trade occasions after your child graduates from high school P92 FOUNDATION OF HOPE P70 LIFE'S A TRIP P94 LEGAL EASE Microfinancing as a means to breaking the cycle Destinations centered around a hobby, interest or How adoptions work in Vietnam of poverty theme COLUMNS P95 MONEY TALKS P71 POSTCARDS FROM VIETNAM Doubling down on your money P32 JOIN THE CLUB Finding inspiration in the big blue sky To be a member all you need is passion and a camera P80 THE SYLLABUS P33 SAIGON MYTHBUSTERS Raising a creative student begins at home with the Hairy moles, long pinky nails and chopstick etiquette parents explained 8 ISSUE NO. 9 Editor’s NOVEMBER 2013 Note How Sweet It Is I CAN'T BELIEVE we're almost at When we asked him his secret, he told us Thanksgiving. Soon, Christmas lights will with a huge grin that he washed it with be up and little kids will be paraded around laundry detergent every day! dressed like baby Santas and then, before This month, we're featuring the Dairu you know it, Abba's Happy New Year will Foundation, one of the many organizations be played on an endless loop. Where did the here in Vietnam doing really great work, time go this year? helping those who need that little bit extra to Whether you celebrate Turkey Day or not, better their lives. the concept of stopping to consider what we As each holiday season rolls around, one have to be thankful for is universal. Here at of the things I miss most is having family Oi, we start every month with a clean slate, nearby. While the reality of our family putting the entire magazine together from dinners is probably more fiasco than fiesta, scratch. Our team pitches ideas, our readers where everyone tries to talk over each other, write in with suggestions and we reach out voicing radically different opinions on just to our wide network of writers from around about everything. I genuinely miss those the globe. I'm ecstatic to say that what comes times now that it's not so easy to simply meet together is just as exciting for me to read as I up for family dinners. hope it is for you. Despite this being my tenth But something about a beautifully laid out Thanksgiving here in Vietnam, through our table with turkey and all the trimmings seems talented writers and photographers, I still to bring back all the great memories of family, discover new reasons to love this country on with all its lovable quirks and maddening a daily basis. For that, I am thankful. idiosyncrasies. Our roundup of Thanksgiving I'm thankful as well for artists like Barbara meals around town ensures you won't be Anchisi in this month's Waterworld. I love without a taste of home come November 28. how she conveys peace and beauty in her And no great meal would be complete pieces, especially considering her choice of without a spectacular dessert. Boy, am I themes are anything but. Her multimedia thankful for desserts! While I don't really projects are so spectacularly different from have a huge sweet tooth, I enjoy the reality that she inspires me to find beauty in occasional indulgence. As a kid in Brooklyn, the mundane. the sweetest sound in the world was I'm thankful for our travel writers spread the music played from the Mister Softee far across the globe who bring the world to ice cream truck as it came up the block. my feet. Stephanie Raley writes about the Needless to say, the desserts featured in our beautiful island of Sri Lanka in Lanka Love. I cover series this month are slightly more visited the country in 2009 after the civil war sophisticated and worldly than those of my ended. At the time, there were still military youth. From ingredients that normally aren't checkpoints in Colombo, which was a bit associated with dessert (think beans and disconcerting, but once we got out of the city seaweed, beetroot and water chestnuts) to the the country was simply amazing. decadent and sinful, we've tried to include a I'm thankful for the resilient spirit of the little bit of something for everyone. Vietnamese people who always strive to As always, I love hearing from you, our make the best of every situation, along with readers. Which of our featured desserts the generosity of those who are able to help this month is your favorite? And which when you simply can't do it on your own. charities or personalities would you like My first couple of years in Vietnam, I helped to see featured in Oi? Email me with your out with some translation work for an Aussie thoughts at [email protected] friend who founded a microfinancing charity or leave comments on our website or our in the Mekong region. Instead of loaning Facebook page. out cash, she would buy cows using donated No matter where you hail from, I hope this funds and ‘loan’ them to families who needed season finds you with much to be thankful this program the most. Once the cow had a for, living in this beautifully chaotic country calf, the calf would then be ‘loaned’ out to we now call home. another farmer, continuing the cycle. From time to time, she would check to make sure the cows hadn't been sold off and that they were healthy. I remember one farmer who CHRISTINE VAN was so proud of how clean his cow was. Managing Editor 9 Datebook Fill up your calendar with these exciting events NOVEMBER 2 What: Zombie Walk Where: Red Bar, 70 Ngo Duc Ke, D1; Starts at 6pm About: Wake Up Saigon, the group that promotes play in public spaces, is hosting another zombie walk this year.