Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) offers bustling streets, amazing walks, too-hip-for-you cafes, rocking music clubs, luxurious salons, explosively delicious restaurants, and indoor cat zoos. Saigon is Vietnam. It's young, practical, crowded, and a little bit brash.

My Saigon is the detailed local lowdown on Saigon, full of the places, the tricks, the stories, and the nuances that only a seasoned Saigonese local would know.

Unfortunately, most visits to Saigon are limited to the same boring "attractions" a few unimpressive buildings,...