A sudden five-minute monsoon just poured down before I even got moving today, so this one starts in blue skies and puddles. I'm walking along Hồ Tùng Mậu — once an actual canal until it was filled in back in the 1920s — and finally sharing some proper research I did on this neighborhood I keep saying I love. Along the way I point out a cluster of hundred-year-old shophouses, a hidden alley bar, and buildings I really hope survive the next wave of glass-and-concrete development. I also grab a rare bag of tofu with fermented shrimp paste (tofu nắm) before finally sitting down for a bowl of mì gà a few blocks from the studio.

Key Takeaways

• This neighborhood has real history behind it: Hồ Tùng Mậu was once a canal, and many of the surrounding shophouses date back to the early 1900s — built with tall windows and shutters designed for the heat and rain, long before AC existed.
• Preservation is informal, not guaranteed: None of these century-old buildings are officially protected — some survive mostly because they're awkwardly wedged between other structures, not because anyone's actively saving them. One inspiration for wanting this area preserved: George Town in Penang, Malaysia, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• The good stuff is easy to miss and easy to lose: Tofu nắm is a favorite that's genuinely hard to find — worth buying on sight rather than waiting until after lunch, because the seller might be sold out next time.
• Big personal update, worth knowing: After a year since an MS diagnosis and a strong initial recovery, a second round of treatment two months ago has brought lower energy and more frequent illness — though the latest MRI brought good news, with no new lesions and existing ones inactive.
• The podcast keeps growing in unexpected directions: The YouTube channel just crossed 950,000 views, and the "how's your accent understood on national TV" comments keep coming now that the VTV show is underway.

Chapters and Timestamps

• 00:00 – A surprise monsoon, then blue skies along Hồ Tùng Mậu
• 02:00 – The canal-turned-street history and hundred-year-old shophouse architecture
• 06:00 – A hidden alley bar and why some old buildings quietly survive
• 12:00 – Penang as inspiration for preserving this kind of neighborhood
• 20:00 – Podcast milestones and life on VTV's Vietnam Explained
• 24:00 – Sitting down for mì gà and talking through the meal
• 28:00 – Wrapping the walk, more neighborhood history, and heading back in the rain

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A Saigon resident, Lawrence Young has worked in the finance industry worldwide for 30 years, currently with Holborn Assets and created the non-troll Facebook group Ho Chi Minh Expat Group Saigon. Now at nearly 10,500 members in just 14 months.

He has seen the market go up and down over the years and is confident we will come out of the current crisis stronger but different.

We talk about what life has been like in Saigon and what it's like today after the latest guidance, starting April 1st, from the Prime Minister - 2 metre distancing, only leave for your home for essentials, groups of no more than two people outside and only essential services open. He also gives us his take on the state of the financial market, why we shouldn't panic and why it matters to everyone. Whether you own stocks or not.

If you would like to reach out to Lawrence for advice you can email him at lawrence.young@holbornassets.com or message him on LinkedIn.

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Lunch Walks continues, and this time I've got company — Te from Saigon Podcast Studio joins me, since Carrie had to duck out after we wrapped a Vietnam Content Marketing episode together. It's pouring rain in Nguyễn Thái Bình, but we push on anyway to a fried chicken and rice spot I only found a couple of weeks ago, tucked down a back alley I hadn't explored before. Along the way we talk about the neighborhood getting recognized by Time Out as one of the coolest in the world (or Vietnam — details are fuzzy), the nonstop construction that's part of daily life here, and why Vietnamese people always seem thrilled to end up on camera. Then the rain really sets in, and getting back to the studio turns into its own adventure.

Key Takeaways

• This neighborhood has fans beyond just me: Nguyễn Thái Bình has apparently been named one of the coolest neighborhoods around by Time Out — and between the mix of old buildings, cocktail bars, and hidden local spots, it's easy to see why.
• The best finds are the ones you almost walked past: This fried chicken and rice place had been on this street the whole time, but it took a few passes before it actually got noticed and tried.
• Not all rice is created equal: The rice here isn't broken rice (cơm tấm) — it's fried separately, which gives it a different color, texture, and flavor that's worth asking about if you don't recognize it.
• "Developing country" hits different when you live it: Watching construction happen in real time — new buildings going up constantly, the sound of drilling as a daily backdrop — makes the textbook definition of a developing economy feel a lot more real.
• Rainy season doesn't wait for you to finish lunch: What starts as a light rain can flood a street within minutes, turning a short walk back to the studio into a full production — sandals over sneakers, camera tucked away, and a lot of patience.

Chapters and Timestamps

• 00:00 – Heading out with Tay after wrapping Vietnam Content Marketing, rain already falling
• 02:00 – Nguyễn Thái Bình's reputation, and the neighborhood's mix of old and new
• 04:00 – Arriving at the fried chicken and rice spot, ordering fish sauce and garlic chicken
• 08:00 – Talking construction, development, and life as a foreigner watching Vietnam grow
• 11:00 – The bill, and Vietnamese love of being on camera
• 13:00 – Flash flooding on the walk back and sheltering from the rain
• 16:00 – Back at the studio, wrapping up the episode

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Back for round two! I'm heading out from the Saigon Podcast Studio again, this time down Thôn Đất Đàm — the market street I'm honestly surprised is still standing given how much prime real estate around here has been redeveloped.

Along the way I point out some old Chinese signage on the buildings, a newly renovated coffee spot that went from empty nightclub to permanently packed in a few months, and a 70-year-old coffee roaster where I stock up on my usual mix. Then it's on to “Bếp Võ” for my go-to order — dry noodles with chicken — before a coffee run and the walk back before the rain hits.

Key Takeaways

• Some things in Vietnam just work immediately: The corner coffee shop that used to be a nightclub sat empty for a while, then reopened completely redone — and it's been packed non-stop ever since. No slow build, just instant success.
• History hides in plain sight: Old Cantonese/Chinese signage on the market buildings is a reminder of how long this street has been here — probably 50 years or more — even as everyone assumes it'll eventually be torn down for redevelopment.
• The best lunch spots are the ones you never have to think about: Same order every time at Bếp Võ— dry noodles with chicken, no menu needed — and it still comes out to under $5.
• Rainy season rules everything: No umbrella, two blocks from the studio, and still a real risk of getting stuck in a downpour — planning your day (and your route) around the rain is just part of living in Saigon.

Chapters and Timestamps

• 00:00 – Back for Lunch Walks #2, heading out from the studio
• 03:00 – The market street and its Chinese-lettered buildings
• 04:00 – The coffee shop that went from nightclub to instant hit
• 08:00 – Arriving at Bếp Võ for dry noodles with chicken
• 11:00 – The bill, the walk to coffee, and beating the rain back to the studio

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"This corner... I love seeing it every day. It kinda sums up Vietnam for me — an amazing juxtaposition of the old and the new."

Welcome to the very first Vietnam Lunch Walks; a new series where I take you along on my actual lunch breaks around the neighborhood I love most in Saigon. This one's been a while coming: it's the first new Discover Vietnam episode in six months, after a stretch of low motivation and a busy year setting up Saigon Podcast Studio.

In this episode, I walk you from the studio on Pasteur Street to my favourite halal phở spot near Bến Thành Market, order my usual (phở gà with extra chicken), and then take you on a loop through the neighborhood — past the old bank building, the stock exchange, and my favourite bridge in the world, with a few old Saigon stories along the way.

Key Takeaways

Consistency is hard, even for the host: Six months between episodes isn't unusual for Discover Vietnam — motivation for content creation comes and goes, and this episode is a reminder to just start again.

Old vs. new is the whole vibe: The view of the old bank building against the Bitexco Tower is a favourite spot precisely because it captures Saigon's mix of old and new.

Great phở comes down to small details: Good white breast meat over tough "walking chicken," a light hand with chili, and sawtooth basil are what make this order worth repeating weekly.

Documenting a neighborhood before it disappears: Older buildings nearby are quietly being replaced with modern glass developments, which is part of the motivation for filming these walks now.

Chapters and Timestamps
00:00 – Welcome to Lunch Walks: launching a new series after a 6-month break
02:00 – A favourite view: the old bank building against the Bitexco Tower
05:00 – Ordering phở gà at the halal spot near Bến Thành Market
13:00 – Walking tour: the canal, the favourite bridge, and a 2016 street story
17:00 – Watching old Saigon disappear, then back to the studio to wrap up

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After realising we were in the same quarantine facility online Mizuka reached out and connected with our WhatsApp group and Adrie on Instagram where they were following each others Stories from opposite buildings.

After chatting for several days online Niall and Adrie finally met Mizuka in person, at a distance, on one of our walks.

Born and raised in Saigon, with her parents still living here, Mizuka made the difficult decision to return to Vietnam from her final year of studies in the U.S. to be with her parents before she was locked out of Vietnam. Or her parents were locked out of the U.S.

Her story is one of many similar yet unique stories around the world about how the rapid escalation of Covid-19 affected people.

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Adrie, and roommate Anastasia, discuss what life in quarantine is like with host and fellow quarantee Niall.

Anastasia, originally from the Ukraine, has lived in Saigon for 5 years working in sales for a major hotel chain.

Her company sent her on an ill-fated dream trip to Australia for work on March 15th, 3 days after the pandemic was declared. As a result most of her business meetings went online and were then cancelled leaving her no reason to be in Australia and as borders closed every reason to get back to Vietnam as soon as possible.

Flying on the same flight from Sydney as Niall and Adrie she found herself on the same problem at the Vietnamese border of being moment away from being sent back to Australia, a country she has no ties to. Before luckily being allowed in at midnight and sent to quarantine with a group of foreigners who'd never met before. There she paired up with Niall and Adrie, wanting to be with the only other female in the group.

Listen to more details about her story and what life has been like in quarantine for the three new friends.

-------------------
Theme music composed by Lewis Wright.
Main Cover Art designed by Niall Mackay and Le Nguyen.
Episode art designed by Niall Mackay.

"Send me a message!"

Book a free call with me here if you want to start your own podcast!

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"Send me a message!"

Book a free call with me here if you want to start your own podcast!

Book your free tour of Saigon Podcast Studio!

Support the show

🎙️ Recorded at Saigon Podcast Studio!

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🎙️ Start Your Podcast Today!

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

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This is a special episode, maybe mini-season, of Seven Million Bikes direct from quarantine in Saigon. This was recorded on a phone recorder and I don't have a laptop for edits so it's a live interview with my wife, Adrie Mackay.

Adrie and I left Vietnam on March 9th for what was meant to be three weddings in three weeks on three continents; going to New Zealand, then the USA then back to Vietnam for the final wedding.

Weighing up the risks of the coronavirus we decided to start out trip, but almost immediately those plans changed as things developed rapidly in the world. And continued to change daily, then hourly, then almost by the minute as we tried to get back to Vietnam as soon as we could before the borders closed and we were stranded in New Zealand. In hindsight we should have listened to those red flags and stayed in Vietnam.

Adrie tells the story of how we got back into Vietnam, barely, and why we are in quarantine after the most anxiety inducing and stressful period of our lives together.

We feel ridiculously lucky that we made it into Vietnam at literally the 11th hour before the border effectively shut at midnight to foreigners.

******
Adrie and the presenter of Seven Million Bikes, Niall have been married for nearly 7 years, living in Vietnam for 4 of those, calling this country home. They have a beautiful French Bulldog called Biscuit who is waiting for them to get out of quarantine at her best friends house.
-------------------
Theme music composed by Lewis Wright.
Main Cover Art designed by Niall Mackay and Le Nguyen.
Episode art designed by Niall Mackay.

"Send me a message!"

Book a free call with me here if you want to start your own podcast!

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"Send me a message!"

Book a free call with me here if you want to start your own podcast!

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!

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These are affiliate links, and I’ll earn a small commission if you sign up, at no extra cost to you.

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