Sad times.

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.

From our first episodes recorded in a closet near a kindergarten to a proper recording studio and finally to our current office/recording space (as well as the tech-related struggles of recording remotely during lockdown), it's been a journey, but one that we've hugely enjoyed, and we hope you have too!

We're not quite sure when the podcast will return at this stage, but we hope to bring it back to your feed in the future!

You can listen to this episode below, or via Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your preferred podcast platform. 

A belated Happy (Gregorian) New Year from the Saigoneer Podcast team!

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.

Listen to this episode below, or subscribe via Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your preferred podcast platform.

Let us know what you think of the show, and have a great week!

Links discussed:

Thực vật Việt Nam (Flora of Vietnam)

r/whatsthisplant

Station Eleven trailer

We're hear to deliver a Christmas present from the Saigoneer Podcast!

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, and Hannah, Tâm's daughter, shares how she learned about her mother's past as a rockstar singer in 1960s Saigon, a previous life that no one in her family knew about.

The trio also discuss how they connected, the arduous process of tracking down physical copies of Tâm's music during the first year of the pandemic, the delicate work of bringing her songs to life on Magical Nights, and the importance of bringing Vietnamese voices to music from the 1960s.

The audio quality on this episode isn't up to our usual standards, as this is a phone recording of a Zoom call that wasn't planned for the podcast, but we think this is worth sharing as a companion to the website feature.

The last regular episode of the Saigoneer Podcast for 2021 is out now!

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 at a glitzy Saigon rooftop bar.

Listen to the show below, or subscribe via Spotify, Apple Podcasts or your preferred podcast platform.

Links discussed in this episode:

Vietnam Officially Designates December 12 the Day of Pho

Public Bike Service Finally Launches in Saigon After Week of Delay

After a brief Covid-related break, we're back with a new episode!

We begin, 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 on VietJet flights, but the lyrics contain some rather outdated language that may come as a surprise.

Finally (31:30), in 'This or That,' we debate whether we'd prefer (in a true dream world) a Waterbus system that takes full advantage of Saigon's sprawling network of waterways, or a complete Saigon Metro system with all planned lines completed.

Listen to this episode below, or subscribe to the Saigoneer Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your preferred podcast platform.

Let us know what you think of the show, and have a great week!

Links discussed this week:

New armored dinosaur found in Chile had bizarre weaponized tail (CNN)

Ho Chi Minh City in coldest day since this year’ beginning (Tuoi Tre News)

A new Saigoneer Podcast episode is out now!

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 prefer to spend a night out in a Saigon karaoke parlor, or a Saigon fruit-plates-on-the-table, Vinahouse-blasting nightclub.

Listen to this episode below, or subscribe via Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher or your preferred podcast platform.

Let us know what you think of the show, and have a great week!

Links related to the episode:

Bánh Mì Chả Cá - Bùi Thị Xuân

Garbology

Another new Saigoneer Podcast episode is available for your listening pleasure. 

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, or a type of food or drink, inspired by Vietnam's street naming convention.

Check out the episode below, or subscribe via Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your preferred podcast platform.

Let us know what you think of the show, and have a great week!

A new Saigoneer Podcast episode is out now!

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 'This or That,' with an environmental theme: to protect itself from the inevitability of future sea-level rise, should Saigon build underground, or up into the air?

Listen to this episode below, or subscribe via Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your preferred podcast platform. 

Let us know what you think of the show, and have a great week!

Links discussed in this episode:

What's the Deal With Cơm Tấm-Flavored Potato Chips? (Saigoneer) 

It's time for the second season of the podcast!

After a two-month break, we're back with a reformatted version of the Saigoneer 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 is released. Today, we cover the history and ultimate demise of a Nguyen Hue Street landmark, the Saigon Tax Center, which was torn down five years ago.

Finally, we play a game of "This or That" (40:03) by debating whether we prefer old film photos of Vietnam, or new digital pictures of the country, as well as what these images say about the people who made them.

Listen to the episode below, or subscribe via Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your preferred podcast platform.

Let us know what you think of the new format, and have a great week!

Links from the episode:

[Photos] Inside the Back-Breaking Mining Operations of Bac Kan Under French Rule

The Saigon Tax Trade Center Mosaic Staircase: A Forgotten Moroccan Masterpiece

Take a break from doomscrolling and listen to the first Saigoneer Podcast episode in two months.

After a much longer gap 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 doom and gloom, many people are coming together to help those in need. We each share some uplifting stories that have given us a break from the terrible headlines (23:49).

As always, we end with Bánh Mì Banter (41:16).

Listen to the episode below, or subscribe via Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your preferred podcast platform.

Let us know what you think of the show, and stay safe!

Links discussed in the episode

The dancing healthcare worker

Volunteer grocery shoppers

Covid-hit family spared 1,000-km cycle home

Hội Quán Các Bà Mẹ charity

The latest Saigoneer Podcast episode is out now!

We begin this week (1:12) by sharing our thoughts on the types of products Vietnamese companies should take to foreign markets in light of domestic brands having struggled to make an impact overseas. Consumer electronics company VinSmart is the latest casualty, but what uniquely Vietnamese goods could have an impact abroad?

Then (17:04), we pitch ideas for new Vietnamese TV shows, from an adaptation of Kitchen Nightmares to our very own Real Housewives of the Hẻm.

As always, we end with Bánh Mì Banter (29:30).

Listen to this episode below, or subscribe via Spotify, Apple podcasts, Stitcher or your preferred podcast platform.

Let us know what you think of the show, and have a great week!

Links discussed on this episode:

The Anthropocene Reviewed

From Its Myriad Tips (London Review of Books)

For the First Time, 2 Vietnamese Designers Will Participate in New York Fashion Week (Saigoneer)

A new Saigoneer Podcast is available now!

This week, we are joined by a new colleague, Linh Pham, (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 cities, from the spread of non-plastic straws to an app that allows you to see where informal recycling workers are.

As always, we close with Bánh Mì Banter (30:20).

Listen to this episode below, or subscribe via Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your preferred podcast platform.

Let us know what you think of the show, and have a great week!

[Photos] Scaling the Cliffs of Northern Vietnam

How to play ladder golf.

VECA, a new app connecting households and ve chai collectors (link is in Vietnamese)

We hope you had a good, safe holiday weekend!

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 discussed why he set the story in New Orleans, why the theme of water is so important to the book, what he wants readers to take away from it, his work at DiaCritics, and much more.

Listen to this episode below, or subscribe to the Saigoneer Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or your preferred podcast platform.

Learn more about Eric's debut novel here and check out DiaCritics.

A new Saigoneer Podcast episode is now available!

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 District 11 and affordable, authentic Thai near the canal.

As always, we end with Bánh Mì Banter (31:25).

Listen to this episode below, or subscribe via Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your preferred podcast platform.

Let us know what you think, and have a great week!

A new podcast episode is out now!

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 (27:08).

Listen to this episode below, or subscribe via Spotify, Apple podcasts or your preferred podcast platform.

Let us know what you think of the show, and have a great week!

A new Saigoneer Podcast episode is out now!

This week, we return to one of our favorite topics: Vietnamese modernist architecture.

Phạm Phú Vinh, an architecture student and researcher 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 architectural trends, and more.

We also chatted about Vinh's new book, Poetic Significance, Sài Gòn Mid-Century Modernist Architecture, which is available on Amazon, Book Depository, and other e-commerce sites. An extract of the book is available here.

As always, we end with Bánh Mì Banter (41:00).

Listen to this episode through Spotify below, or subscribe wherever podcasts are found.

Vinh's book can be purchased here.

Links discussed in this episode:

Gastropod

After Decades Under the Bed, a 1974 Vietnamese Film Finds an Audience Online

Our new episode is out now!

On this week's show, Levi Doan, known online 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.

We also talked with Levi about the new campaign by Saigon officials to crack down on noise pollution (22:44), especially outdoor karaoke and bars that blast music onto the sidewalk.

As always, we end with Bánh Mì Banter (35:49).

Listen to this episode through Spotify below, or subscribe to the Saigoneer Podcast on your preferred podcast platform.

Let us know what you think of the show, and have a great week!

Links discussed in this episode:

Levi Oi's Pomelo Power playlist

Save Vietnam Wildlife's Facebook page

Our latest episode is out now!

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 controversial dishes, from hột vịt lộn and field rats to dog meat.

As always, we end with Bánh Mì Banter (28:48).

Follow the Saigoneer Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your preferred podcast platform, or listen through SoundCloud below.

Have a great week!

Links discuss on this episode:

Teachers join medics as health ministry unveils priority list for Covid-19 vaccine (VnExpress)

Rent-a-sister: Coaxing Japan's hikikomori men out of their bedrooms (BBC News)

Metro Contractor to Restore Le Loi Boulevard's Surface This Year (Saigoneer)

V-Indie Spotify Playlist

We are 100!

We're back from a longer-than-anticipated break with our 100^th 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).

Listen to this episode through the SoundCloud link below, or subscribe to the Saigoneer Podcast via Spotify, Apple or your preferred podcast platform.

Thanks for listening, and let us know what you think of the show!

It's our last episode of the year!

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 (35:22).

Listen to this episode below, or subscribe via Spotify, Apple podcasts, or your preferred podcast platform.

Happy holidays, and see you in 2021!

Links discussed in the episode:

Cháo Hành Miễn Phí Facebook Group

Đạo Bún Bò Facebook Group

Bios Incube

Dog awarded medal after accidentally finishing 42k marathon in norther Vietnam (Tuoi Tre News)

A New Mantis Species in Vietnam Was Named After David Attenborough

Scientists Discover New Species of Rare Iridescent Snake in Ha Giang

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