Bureau Bites is a regular "pod-bite" bringing you the latest news from Vietnam and the region. Episode Background The Vietnamese Government has moved swiftly in its efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19. Travellers entering the country or who have travelled or transited through COVID-19 hotspots will go into quarantine (as of recording date). Some businesses have been directly affected and forced to close after unknowingly serving patrons carrying the virus. We talk to Stanley Boots, founder...
Mar 18, 2020•10 min
Bureau Bites is a regular "pod-bite" bringing you the latest news from Vietnam and the region. Episode Background The Vietnamese Government has announced temporary changes to the entry & exit of foreigners due to Coronavirus Visas on arrival for all foreign nationals have been suspended Vietnam's tourism industry has been decimated with estimated losses starting at US$7 billion for the first quarter of 2020 We ask Linh Le, principal founder of Luxperia, an inbound travel company tailoring bo...
Mar 17, 2020•5 min•Season 1Ep. 11
Bureau Bites is a regular "pod-bite" bringing you the latest news from Vietnam and the region. Background City officials have decided it's time to close bars and nightclubs in Saigon indefinitely in a bid to contain COVID-19 Restaurants remain open Chris Thompson (editor-at-large Harper's Bazaar Vietnam magazine) answers these questions: 1. What immediate impact is the decision to close bars and clubs going to have on businesses in the hospitality industry? 2. Why have restaurants been spared fo...
Mar 16, 2020•8 min•Season 1Ep. 1
In this "sporty" episode on location at much-loved Saigon pub Coolabah , we celebrate International Women's Day with special guest Naomi Skinner ( namrunsnam.com ) who has spent the past 6 months running 2,000km from Hanoi to Saigon to raise money for charity. On her rest day, she pops in and tells us over a few sneaky "rehydrating" beers about her odyssey and how she reckons roadside dogs in southern Vietnam are way more chilled than their northern counterparts who, she says, "chase to kill". O...
Mar 08, 2020•45 min•Season 1Ep. 9
In the 2020 return of The Bureau Podcast, Matt, Mike & Mel get straight into Bureau Bites, a segment in which they tell each other what they've got up to related to F&B in Saigon since the previous episode. Mel revisits some old favourite dining haunts from over a decade ago, Mike let's us know about a new burger joint in town, and Matt introduces his #MealsOnWheels side project on Instagram that has him visiting the best street food joints he can find on his motorbike. During The Bureau...
Feb 15, 2020•36 min•Season 1Ep. 8
In this "Royal-themed" episode with Matt, Mike & Mel, The Bureau Briefs returns in which Mel gives a big tick of approval to an iconic Saigon teahouse & bakery that has reopened its doors, but then stunningly cries "foul" over a much-hyped (and highly-rated) flame grilled chicken restaurant new to town. Meanwhile, Mike pays out on Matt for taking him on their own wild goose chase in search of a new Japanese-themed venue out the back blocks of Thu Duc. We give the Queen of Sambal, Imelda ...
Nov 24, 2019•47 min•Season 1Ep. 7
In another fun-packed episode with Matt, Mike & Mel, The Bureau Briefs is back bigger than ever in which we chat about some of the many events we wriggled our way into AND didn’t quite make it to over the past two weeks, we get the lowdown on the Harper's Bazaar Vietnam Star Awards night of nights, we get all fuzzy and excited about some new arrivals on the Saigon foodie scene, and we announce the prizes for next month's Movember.
Oct 19, 2019•38 min•Season 1Ep. 6
This episode The Bureau Briefs is back with some of the events we wriggled our way into over the past fortnight, we drool over some of Saigon’s best set lunches for business meetings as recommended by 5-star hotel concierges about the city, then we get all fuzzy and excited about some new arrivals on the scene, and finally, we give a shout out to some of our favourite influencers. Get excited!
Oct 05, 2019•41 min•Season 1Ep. 5
In this episode of The Bureau Podcast we’re at long-running, neighbourhood favourite Ruby Soho, a Saigon bar dedicated to pop-culture and the love of music, we introduce The Bureau Briefs, a new segment in which we review our past week or so in hospitality, we reveal what's got us excited in F&B since our last episode, and we chat to our headliner, French animator and Ruby Soho owner, Fred Serra, about his radio station project that creates playlists to dine for. Mike also gets humiliated by...
Sep 19, 2019•44 min•Season 1Ep. 4
This week on The Bureau Podcast we’re at The Studio Saigon and we chat about what’s got us excited in F&B in Saigon since our last episode, the "bartist" Richie Fawcett steps in for Mike who's gone MIA in Danang, and we chat with architect Dr Hoanh Tran about Saigon's rapidly changing skyline and its gentrification, while Richie talks about his Cloud 9 Project.
Sep 05, 2019•43 min•Season 1Ep. 3
In this episode on location at Fresh Catch Vietnam, we chat about what's got us excited in F&B in Saigon since our last episode, we sink our teeth into Beyond Burgers, then catch up with serial Saigon restaurateur Albin Deforges to talk about seafood sustainability, we "sip test" two beers about to be released on the market, and we ask, what ever happened to the Strawpocalypse?
Aug 26, 2019•37 min•Season 1Ep. 2
In our very first episode we chat about what's got us excited in F&B in Saigon the past week or so, we wonder whether we actually care if food is "authentic" or not, the meaning of W.T.F.A.T.B.A.O.F.N. is revealed, and we wonder what ever happened to celebrity chef Bobby Chinn?
Aug 26, 2019•29 min•Season 1Ep. 1
