In this episode, we air our gripes about road users in Vietnam, chat about the "awards" season in Southeast Asia and beyond, and review a Japanese steakhouse that passed under our noses for years before we tried it. Then we wrap up the episode with a list of 10 things YOU SHOULDN'T DO when visiting Saigon! Try out Il Corda when in Saigon for a steak! (*We paid our own way) https://www.facebook.com/ilcorda Follow Matt on Instagram at www.instagram.com/mattcowanasia Follow Mel on Instagram at www.instagram.com/melaniecasul Follow The Bureau Asia on Instagram at www.instagram.com/thebureauasia L ..read more

Matt and Mel popped over to Thailand recently for a short break and during their little sojourn to the Land of Smiles, they came to the realisation of just how freaking loud and grubby their hometown of Saigon is in comparison to Bangkok! Matt also surprises Mel with a gift in the form of a "radio commercial" to promote free tickets for this month's upcoming Coracle Music Festival on the beaches of Mui Ne in Vietnam! Follow Matt on Instagram at www.instagram.com/mattcowanasia Follow Mel on Instagram at www.instagram.com/melaniecasul Follow The Bureau Asia on Instagram at www.instagram.com/theb ..read more

In this teaser from The Love Episode (out on Valentine's Day), we find out one stereotype about Vietnamese women in the bedroom.  Listen to the full episode here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3NbyBSc76RD4ZnlZmNLsHx?si=KExzx6zRSL2p16k0Skq8aw Subscribe to The Bureau Asia on YouTube and help Matt reach 1,000 subscribers! https://www.youtube.com/@TheBureauAsia/videos Join The Bureau Asia Group on Facebook to learn more about Vietnam and Southeast Asia: https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheBureauGroup Follow The Bureau Asia on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thebureauasia Follow The Burea ..read more

On this Valentine's Day episode, we preview upcoming Netflix release A Tourist's Guide To Love which was filmed in Vietnam last year and is due to drop on April 27, then we call good friend Stella to ask her some of our burning questions about love and relationships in Vietnam – don't miss it!  Subscribe to The Bureau Asia on YouTube and help Matt reach 1,000 subscribers! https://www.youtube.com/@TheBureauAsia/videos Join The Bureau Asia Group on Facebook to learn more about Vietnam and Southeast Asia: https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheBureauGroup Follow The Bureau Asia on Facebook: http ..read more

Fakeness abounds in Southeast Asia which makes it rife in Vietnam, too! Sometimes, however, it can be life threatening. Taken from the Vietnam V The Philippines: Who's winning??? episode. Check it out here: SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4M0h8ZWq6W6dKj8lGQRsFz?si=501791efb3ed45ee ANCHOR: https://anchor.fm/thebureaupodcast/episodes/Vietnam-V-The-Philippines-Whos-winning-e1ucui4 APPLE: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/vietnam-v-the-philippines-whos-winning/id1478396971?i=1000597807814 ..read more

Vietnam and the Philippines share a lot of common ground and are just a 2-hour flight from each other. The Philippines has long enjoyed a head start in its development, but in the last decade, Vietnam has made up a lot of ground to challenge its neighbour as more liveable. In this episode, we compare the two countries against indicators such as political stability, healthcare, culture & environment, education and infrastructure. So, who comes out on top?! Rock music history fans, check out Matt's recent episode on the history of rock music in Vietnam: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0Ufko ..read more

Here's a short clip from the Manila episode called It's NOT always fun in the Philippines! Listen to the full podcast here on The Bureau Podcast and let me know what you think! Full episode link: https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/YykCCA2aSwb Follow The Bureau Asia on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thebureauasia Follow The Bureau Asia on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebureauasia/ Watch The Bureau Asia on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheBureauAsia ..read more

We're shown a lot of what's FUN about the Philippines by YouTubers "pinoybaiting" their adoring Filipino fans BUT to hell with that, we're giving you what's NOT always FUN about the land of adobo and lechon kawali and aim to bait you with the facts! Here are 5 things you need to consider before planning your trip to the Philippines! Watch my Philippines Adventures on The Bureau Asia YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@TheBureauAsia Join The Bureau Asia Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheBureauGroup Follow Matt on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mattcowanasia  Fo ..read more

After the news, I interview the incomparable Bill Bensley who's brought to life more than 200 hotels and resorts in over 30 countries, including five amazing properties in Vietnam. Bill is widely regarded as one of the finest designers of our time and is responsible for designing Capella Ubud in Bali – a resort with ultra-luxurious tents that in 2020 was voted the best hotel in the world by Travel + Leisure Magazine. During the interview, we find out what he's cooking up in Africa and how he typically approaches his projects. After that, Mel drops by to chat about Detour – a new French-style c ..read more

After the news, I interview highly-respected Australian journalist, food writer and restaurant critic John Lethlean who’s been motorbike riding up in the north of Vietnam for the past couple of weeks on holiday. John’s been writing about hospitality and reviewing restaurants for more than 25 years for some of Australia’s largest publications, including The Age and The Australian newspapers, and is about to embark on a new journey having written his last review for The Weekend Australian magazine last weekend. To wrap up the episode, Mel swings by to chat about some new restaurant openings and ..read more