– Who We Are
Saigon Social is led by Jovel Chan, the food writer behind one of Ho Chi Minh City’s most-read English-language food blogs. What started as one woman’s Covid- lockdown obsession with local craft beer, chocolate and coffee has grown into a team based in the heart of Saigon, tracking down the artisans behind Vietnam’s most exciting flavours!
– Brand Story
2021
Jovel started a food blog from her apartment during Covid, writing about local craft discoveries — beer, chocolate, kombucha, coffee, gin, rum — that had become her lockdown “small luxuries.”
2022
Global interest in Vietnamese coffee, chocolate and culture took off — and Jovel’s posts on the subject became her most-read stories on Google.
2023
Saigon Supperclub was born — a food & drink community hosting curated gatherings across the city, from farmhouse dinners to wine cellars, always paired with local craft producers.
2024/25
The community outgrew pop-up dinners. Saigon Social opened as a permanent retail and experience space in District 1 — a hub for food lovers and the local artisans behind it all.
About the founder,
Saigon Social started as a food blog I wrote from my apartment during Covid — sharing local craft discoveries, beer, chocolate, kombucha, coffee, gin and rum, that had become my loddown “small luxuries!” I never expected it to become the most-read thing I’d ever written, or the start of anything bigger.
But in 2023, that blog grew into Saigon Supperclub — curated dinners across the city, from farmhouses to wine cellars, always paired with the local producers I’d come to love. And by 2024, it grew up, pop-up dinners entirely. Saigon Social became a real permanent space: part shop, part classroom, part living room.
My mission hasn’t changed since that first blog post: to change how people perceive and experience Vietnam’s food and drink scene, through untold stories, curated tastings and workshops, and unforgettable events.
Welcome to Saigon Social.
Jovel Chan
Founder, Saigon Social
Every Saigon Social host completes our 6 session training programme focused on Vietnam food and drink as well as technical industry terms. They learn the stories, ingredients, techniques and cultural context behind every experience, so they can do more than serve. They can explain, engage and answer the why.
Mastering body language, professional presence, and storytelling to create engaging guest experiences.
Managing diverse guests, ensuring street safety, and delivering seamless service recovery when challenges arise.
Building expertise in Vietnamese culinary heritage while staying current with modern food trends and innovations.
– Every guest, genuinely welcomed
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