After a few months away, we take a look back at the podcast since it started; reminiscing on previous recording locations, co-hosts, and memorable moments. Editor-in-Chief (and co-host) Mike Tatarski has moved on from Saigoneer, so we took this chance to revisit the past - while still opening with Bánh Mì Banter. We're not quite sure when the podca…

In our first episode of the new year, we begin with Bánh Mì Banter, before rating 2021 on the usual criteria of deliciousness, billability and would you miss it?Then, in 'This or That,' we debate the pros and cons of the Lunar New Year and the Gregorian New Year - January 1 - to determine which we'd rather celebrate.…

This special episode builds on our recent article about the creation of 'Magical Nights - Saigon Surf Twist & Soul,' the recently released album of Phương Tâm's songs from the early 1960s.Hannah Hà, Mark Gergis and Jan Hagenkoetter were the driving force behind the album - Hannah, Tâm's daughter, shares how she learned about her mother's past as a …

We begin this week with Bánh Mì Banter, before exploring the Day of Phở in our latest 'That Time We...' segment. Created in 2018, this day celebrates arguably Vietnam's most famous dish - but what other delicacies are worthy of their own day?Then, in 'This or That,' we debate whether we'd prefer to attend a standard Vietnamese wedding, or a party a…

After a brief Covid-related break, we're back with a new episode beginning, as always with Bánh Mì Banter (0:59).Then (9:21), in 'We Rate Stuff,' we analyze the song 'Hello Vietnam,' which was originally composed in French by Marc Lavoine and called 'Bonjour Vietnam.' The English version performed by Quỳnh Anh is now best-known as the song played o…

We begin this week with Bánh Mì Banter (1:04), including some banter about an actual bánh mì and the hilarious incompetence of the Saigon Waterbus.Then (10:52), we rate the wonders (and possible pitfalls) of riding around with someone on a motorbike - either as the driver or the passenger.Finally, in This or That (32:46), we debate whether we'd…

This week, we begin our first episode recorded in person in well over six months with Bánh Mì Banter (0:56).Then, we move into our latest 'That Time We...' segment (8:17) by discussing the opening of the Bitexco Financial Tower in downtown Saigon on October 31, 2010.Finally (20:20), we debate whether we'd prefer to have a street named after us, o…

Today, we begin with Bánh Mì Banter (1:17), which includes a mea culpa from Paul regarding a particularly egregious food take he shared in a recent Saigoneer article. Then (10:07), we launch into our first 'We Rate Stuff' segment. How do we rate bicycle baskets under our rather arbitrary system?Finally (27:14), it's time for another round of 'Thi…

After a two-month break, we're back with a reformatted version of the podcast, meaning new segments and a revised structure. This episode begins, as all future episodes will, with Bánh Mì Banter (2:21).We then move into our first 'That Time We...' segment (15:05), which covers a Vietnamese historical event or figure related to the week an episode…

We begin this week (1:59) by looking at tourist attractions which have made headlines in recent years, such as the Zodiac animal statues with human genitalia in Hai Phong and the deformed Statue of Liberty in Sa Pa. These can be easy to mock, but they do also have fans, and highlight some of the aspirations of people who might be traveling for the …

After a much longer break than we expected, we are back with a new, remotely recorded episode discussing a topic that is impossible to escape: Vietnam's severe COVID-19 outbreak, which has the country in by far its worst position of the entire pandemic. How did we get here, and what impact are lockdowns having on daily life? (1:20)Then, amid the do…

We begin this week (1:12) by sharing our thoughts on the types of products Vietnamese companies should take to foreign markets. Domestic brands have struggled to make an impact overseas, with VinSmart being the latest casualty, but what uniquely Vietnamese goods could have an impact abroad?Then (17:04), we pitch ideas for new Vietnamese TV shows, f…

This week, we are joined by the new editor of Urbanist Hanoi (1:23) to chat about sports and outdoor activities available in the capital, as well as down here in Saigon. From rock climbing and roller derby to stand-up paddle boarding, there's a lot to do if you know where to look.Then (15:50), we look at the latest trends in sustainability in both …

Eric Nguyen, editor-in-chief of DiaCritics and author of the new novel 'Things We Lost to the Water,' joins us today. 'Things We Lost to the Water' tells the story of a family who escapes Vietnam after the war and ends up settling in New Orleans, spanning a time period from the late 1970s to the destruction of Hurricane Katrina in August 2005.We di…

In recent years, coffee producers in Vietnam have switched from focusing almost entirely on mass-market, low-quality products to more specialized beans aimed at discerning consumers. What does this mean for both coffee producers and coffee drinkers? (1:04)Then (20:36), we share some of our favorite recent street food finds, including pork belly in …

This week we're joined by Chau Nguyen (0:54), the founder of Urbanist Travel, to discuss how she shifted from a focus on international tourists to the domestic market amid pandemic flight restrictions, what the tourism industry should do to prepare for the eventual return of foreign visitors, and more. As always, we close with Bánh Mì Banter (27:…

This week, we return to one of our favorite topics: Vietnamese modernist architecture. Phạm Phú Vinh, an architecture student and expert on this style, joined us (1:16) to talk about the prevalence of mid-century modernist buildings in southern Vietnam, why this home-grown style is so overlooked by the public, what he thinks about Saigon's current …

On this week's show, Levi Doan, known as Levi Oi, joins us (1:00) to talk about her move from Berlin to Saigon, how she became a sought-after DJ in Vietnam, and the opportunities present in the country's creative community. Check out her SoundCloud page here: https://soundcloud.com/levioiWe also talked with Levi about the new campaign by Saigon off…

On this week's show, we begin (1:12) by discussing Vietnam's COVID-19 vaccination campaign, which began last week with an initial focus on medical workers. What do we think of the vaccine priority list, which places solders above the elderly, and how might vaccinations impact the country this year?Then (16:10), we debate some of Vietnam's most cont…

We're back from a longer-than-anticipated break with our 100th episode! To celebrate, we did a roundtable chat (1:49) on questions such as:"If you could add one tradition to Tet, what would it be?""Which is better, Hanoi phở or Saigon phở?""What is the best convenience store chain?"And much more. As always, we end with Bánh Mì Banter (30:15).…

It's our last episode of the year, and we're taking the chance to share some stories that may have gotten overlooked during the last 12 months ̣(1:03), from Facebook groups dedicated to acts of kindness and a stowaway raccoon, there was much more to 2020 than just the (admittedly very important) pandemic.As always, we end with Bánh Mì Banter (35:…

With Christmas approaching, we had some fun this week and shared our ideas for festive movies that could take place in Vietnam (1:52). 'Home Alone' set in an old Saigon villa? A female-led 'Die Hard' sequel that takes over the Bitexco Financial Tower?Our interview guest (24:38) is Debby Nguyen, a student at Northeastern University and author of the…

This week, we begin (1:14) by discussing Vietnam's first known community transmission of the novel coronavirus in 88 days. How has this small outbreak in Saigon been handled, and what has the public reaction been?Then (17:55), we look at the popularity of video games in Vietnam, domestic development and production of games, and how smartphones have…

On this week's show, we welcome our colleague Elise down from Hanoi for a wide-ranging discussion (1:10) about street/public art in Vietnam. What's out there that we like, what don't we like, and what could be done to foster a community of talent street artists?Our interview guest (24:34) is Linh Valerie Pham, a theater and puppetry artist based in…

On this week's show, we look (1:11) at the ongoing historic flooding in central Vietnam, where five provinces have been hit by multiple tropical storms in recent weeks and have sustained massive damage and tragic loss of life. What could be done to prevent such calamity in the future, and what sort of charity and relief efforts are currently underw…

We're back! We begin this week (1:08) by chatting about plans to expand pedestrian areas in Saigon and Hanoi. What do we like about existing spaces like Nguyen Hue, and what would we like to see in future vehicle-free zones?Then (17:18), in preparation for Halloween, we share a few scary stories and tales from Vietnam, including the legend of 'rock…

On this week's show, we begin (0:53) by looking at the uproar over a New Yorker article titled 'The Public-Shaming Pandemic' that was published last week. The feature covered, among other things, the social media abuse aimed at two wealthy Vietnamese sisters who caught the coronavirus back in March, but painted Vietnam poorly and contained several …

We begin (1:13) this week by talking about the recent launch of Urbanist Vietnam, our Vietnamese-language sister site. How do we decide which Saigoneer stories to translate into Vietnamese, and what can readers expect in terms of original features in the future?Then (16:23), we discuss the áo dài in contemporary Vietnam. Cultural officials in Thua …

On this week's show, we begin (1:08) with a conversation about our recent decision to use diacritics in Vietnamese names on the Saigoneer website. What are the benefits of using the language to its full extent, and what does the fact that most websites publishing in English don't use diacritics say about our relationship to Vietnamese?Then (21:16),…

On this week's show, we begin (1:09) by discussing the Vietnamese government's effort to get women to marry by age 30 and have two children by age 35, which is aimed at tackling Vietnam's rapidly aging population. What does this mean for young women, and what is missing from this official suggestion?Our interview guest (24:04) is Bill Nguyen, a vis…

This week, we begin (1:00) with a discussion about wildlife consumption in Vietnam. A recently-published study found cornavirus strains in a majority of field rat and bat guano samples taken in Vietnam from 2013 to 2014. What could these findings - and the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic - mean for the eating of bushmeat here?Then (20:13), on a lighter n…

On this week's show, our Urbanist Hanoi colleague shares what life in the capital was like during the peak of Vietnam's coronavirus outbreak in February and March (1:22), and how daily life has recovered over the last several weeks. Then (16:51), architect Mel Schenck becomes our first repeat guest after his appearance on our third episode ages ago…

On this week's single-topic show, we look (1:11) at how people of different genders and generations utilize different businesses and spaces in Saigon for civic life - or to just hang out with friends. From open-front cafes dominated by middle-aged men to convenience stores and roadside tea vendors popular with groups of gender-diverse youths, what …

A few weeks ago, we discussed depictions of Vietnam from foreign filmmakers and studios. Today (0:55), we dig into the themes and improving quality of domestically-produced movies like Song Lang, Goodbye Mother, Furie, and Good Morning and Good Night. What do these movies reflect about Vietnamese society, and what do we hope to see from local movie…

This week, we share our love of all things snackable (1:27), whether American classics like Cheez-Its and Fig Newtons or Vietnamese staples like chuối nếp nướng and the astonishing variety of fruit-based snacks available here. Conversely, what are some of the worst snacks?Our interview guest (20:01) is Damien Roberts, executive director of Saigon C…

On this week's single-topic show, we discuss movies about Vietnam created by foreign production companies and directors (1:28). The country's home-grown movie industry has improved in leaps and bounds in recent years (something we'll address in a future episode), but how has Vietnam been depicted from abroad?Of course, Hollywood has its classic war…

We're back with a new episode recorded, believe it or not, in our office. This may sound shocking to many around the world, but Vietnam's coronavirus outbreak has been so well-contained that a sense of normalcy has returned, and that's our topic for today.We discussed (1:57) reactions to Vietnam's success, possible ways forward, and whether it's to…

With no end in sight to working from home - and the coronavirus dominating daily life - we've had to think outside the box for this episode. We played a game of 'review roulette,' in which we each submitted a movie, album, TV show and book/article to a random generator, and then reviewed what we received. Most of the submissions were trashy or thin…

On this working-from-home episode, we each share a dispatch from our respective neighborhood of Saigon in the time of COVID-19 (1:16). What is daily life like? How are we spending our time? What happens to the fish at those weird foot massage places when there are no tourists? PSA: Since this episode was reported remotely it doesn't have our usual …

On this week's episode, our 80th (!), we begin (1:29) with the latest, as of March 12, on Vietnam's Covid-19 outbreak, which has entered a worrying stage with a string of new cases in different regions after over three weeks without any new infections. Then (19:41), we take a slightly whimsical detour to share how we'd spend a hypothetical 14-day h…

In honor of International Women's Day, we begin this week (1:19) by sharing stories of Vietnamese women from throughout history who haven't received the recognition we think they deserve. From a 15th century Confucian scholar to a contemporary poet, Vietnamese women have a fascinating, often overlooked history.Then (21:24), we sit down with Hong An…

This week, we begin (1:04) by discussing nhậu and some of the problems it presents for women or people who don't want to drink, as well as the opportunities for bonding that it can spur in certain groups. This conversation was inspired by an essay titled 'In Food and Community: How Vietnamese Drinking Culture Taught Me to Love My Queerness' by Alex…

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We're back from the Tet holiday!This week, we begin (1:25) with the novel coronavirus outbreak: how has it impacted our daily lives, and what changes have we seen in Saigon since the virus' spread began?Then (14:00), we look at the zero-tolerance drunk driving laws that went into effect on January 1. What sort of behavioral changes have these regul…

On this week's show, our last before the Lunar New Year break, we discuss (1:26) potential ways to improve traditional Tet dishes. Specialties like bánh tét, for example, are very heavy - could they be made healthier? And would it be possible to run a year-round Tet food restaurant?Then (22:00), we have an extended chat with Vietnamese writer Ngu…

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We're closing out the year with a special mega-episode, in which we chose a few of our favorite segments from the past 12 months.We begin (:50) by sharing our nominations for Vietnam's 'national senses,' if such a thing existed. What smells, sounds, sights, tastes and textures do we think best exemplify the country? The smell of pork chops grilling…

On this week's show, Saigoneer Korean's editor stops by to chat about the presence of South Korean culture in Saigon (1:32). What draws so many Korean expats to the city, and what's up with the popularity of Cộng Cà Phê among this group? Then (24:08), we dig in to K-pop. What do Koreans make of its massive popularity overseas, particularly in count…

On this week's show, we dig deep (1:24) into the recently-concluded Southeast Asia Games. Vietnam's athletes had a stellar showing, winning the second-most medals among the competing countries, but why does football - and particularly men's football - get the vast majority of coverage and public attention? Also, what are the competition's most whim…

On this week's show (1:05), we begin by discussing Saigon's rapidly worsening air quality. What can individual Saigoneers do about this seemingly intractable problem, and how does it impact our daily lives?Then (18:48), we ponder whether Saigon's bubble tea 'bubble' has burst, and what the next youth-centric F&B trend might be. As always, we close …