I head just around the corner from Saigon Podcast Studio for one of my most-repeated favorites on this whole series: bún chả Hà Nội. Before I even get to the food, I go down another Google Street View rabbit hole, tracing this block back through the years to see how much has changed — including a brand-new bank building that wasn't even there two years ago, sitting right next to faded Chinese characters marking what I think used to be a Cantonese laundry service. At the table, I finally get the real history from the shop's owner, whose mother started the business all the way back in 1994, and I get a proper answer on what's actually in that addictively good dipping broth I've been eating for years without really understanding.

I also talk a bit about Adria and our eating habits, my monthly trips up to Hanoi for VTV's Vietnam Explained, and the very relatable mistake of buying a bottle of this shop's sauce, getting way too excited about it, and then letting it go bad in the fridge for six months.

5 Key Takeaways

1. This bún chả shop has been run by the same family since 1994.
2. The dipping broth isn't just fish sauce — it's nước chấm.
3. Google Street View only goes back to around 2017 in Vietnam.
4. Even people who don't eat much meat make an exception for good chả.
5. You really don't need to take Vietnamese condiments home with you. I

Timestamps

• [00:00:00] Intro from Saigon Podcast Studio, plus a shoutout for free trial sessions for anyone watching in Saigon
• [00:02:00] Going down the Google Street View rabbit hole — tracing the block back to 2017 and spotting the new bank building next door
• [00:04:00] Ordering at the counter and walking through what's on the plate — chả, rib meat, rice vermicelli, and the herb plate
• [00:11:00] Talking to the shop owner, confirming the 1994 history, and finally breaking down what's actually in the nước chấm
• [00:13:00] Mentioning the Hanoi trips for Vietnam Explained and teasing future lunch walks filmed up north

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Born and fled South African Comedian Devin Gray, one of the top rising stars in comedy. With appearances on Comedy Central, International Festivals and pretty much any local bar with a stool and a microphone Devin is sure to set the pace for a whirlwind of hilarity.

And circuituos is a word! I just didn't say it right.

cir·cu·i·tous
/sərˈkyo͞oədəs/
Learn to pronounce
adjective
(of a route or journey) longer than the most direct way.
"the canal followed a circuitous route"

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Support the show

🎙️ Recorded at Saigon Podcast Studio!

👉 www.saigonpodcaststudio.com

🎙️ Start Your Podcast Today!

👉 Book a FREE Discovery Call with me and let’s bring your idea to life!

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“Every day I’m walking around this neighbourhood, I’m learning something new.”

What started as a hunt for lunch turned into another deep dive into one of my favourite parts of Saigon.

In this episode of Lunch Walks, I head back to Tôn Thất Đạm, the Old Market street, looking for lunch and end up with a 40,000 VND bowl of bún thịt xào, while uncovering even more of the history hidden in the streets around Saigon Podcast Studio.

Along the way, I stop at a distinctive 1973 South Vietnamese modernist building on Nguyễn Công Trứ, designed by architect Lê Văn Lắm, and take a closer look at its unusual “double skin” design. The building was designed specifically for Saigon’s climate, helping protect it from the sun and rain while improving natural airflow.

Then I head into the Old Market, a neighbourhood shaped by generations of Cantonese, Indian, Indonesian, Malaysian and Vietnamese communities. The more I explore this area, the more I realise just how much history is hiding in streets I’ve walked down hundreds of times.

There’s lunch, Vietnamese sweets, freshly ground coffee, QR payments, another mystery modernist building and plenty more evidence that you can live in Saigon for years and still discover something completely new around the corner.

Key Takeaways

• Why my Lunch Walks are gradually turning into Saigon history walks
• The story behind a 1973 South Vietnamese modernist building
• How the building’s double skin helps deal with Saigon’s tropical climate
• Exploring Tôn Thất Đạm and the Old Market
• The different immigrant communities that helped shape this neighbourhood
• Finding a 40,000 VND bún thịt xào for lunch
• Trying a traditional sweet made with sticky rice, shredded coconut and mung bean
• Buying freshly ground Vietnamese coffee from an old neighbourhood shop
• How quickly Saigon has shifted from cash to QR payments
• Discovering another building using the same distinctive modernist design

Timestamps

00:00 Another Lunch Walk begins
03:30 A 1973 modernist building on Nguyễn Công Trứ
05:00 How the “double skin” design works
10:00 Arriving at Tôn Thất Đạm and the Old Market
14:30 Finding bún thịt xào for lunch
17:00 Vietnamese sweets and a chat with the seller
21:30 Buying freshly ground Vietnamese coffee
24:00 The affordability of living in Vietnam
27:00 Discovering another mystery modernist building
30:00 Back at the studio for the final sweet treat

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Book your free tour of Saigon Podcast Studio!

Support the show

🎙️ Recorded at Saigon Podcast Studio!

👉 www.saigonpodcaststudio.com

🎙️ Start Your Podcast Today!

👉 Book a FREE Discovery Call with me and let’s bring your idea to life!

🎥 Edit Videos Like a Pro with Descript!

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