A food delivery showdown in Vietnam

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Back in 2016, then US President Barack Obama and celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain (he passed away in 2018) propelled a Vietnamese street dish called bún chả into global headlines. The New Yorker describes this dish at its best as: “springy white noodles, smoky sausage, and charred pork belly served in a sweet and pungent broth.”

Bourdain himself also once described Vietnam as “it just seemed like another planet; a delicious one that sort of sucked me in and never let go.”

We have a common saying in Vietnamese that implies the shortest way to one’s heart is through the stomach.

In the pre-Covid 19 era, eating out on the street is part of everyday’s joy for Vietnamese people. Now four Asian tech heavyweights, Sea, Grab, Gojek and Woowa Brothers, are in fierce competition to get the biggest bite out of Vietnam’s food delivery market.

Now, which is owned by Sea, and GrabFood are leading the race. At least for now. Sea has never mentioned literally anything about its ownership of a food delivery business in the country.

Because this war might be more than just about food delivery. Sea’s cross-over to Grab and Gojek’s jurisdiction could be about fintech dominance in the long-run. Or perhaps Sea will just focus on ecommerce and gaming and will eventually offload its far-fetched food delivery business to a rival.

Time will tell. For now, if you ever happen to be in Vietnam again, you can certainly order our world-class street food cuisine, like phở and bún chả, from your fingertips.

— Thu Huong Le, Journalist at Tech in Asia

1️⃣ Why is Sea quietly running a food delivery business in Vietnam?
New York-listed Sea has been unwaveringly quiet about its ownership of a food delivery business in Vietnam. Ecommerce and gaming have been Sea’s strong suits. What does food delivery has to do with Sea’s game plan for Southeast Asia?

2️⃣ Gaming hardware boom propels Razer into profitable H1 2020
The gaming giant recorded US$447.5 million in revenues for H1 2020, representing a 25.3% growth year on year.

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