Rice n Mics

Tung Nguyen

Exploring the every day Asian Australian culture, experience and what makes us unique. The podcast brings on a variety of guests to get different perspectives and stories. Trying to aim for at least an episode a month.

  1. Weddings, Proposals & Growing Up - Nathan’s Big Day + Tung's Big Reveal | Ep 64

    5 DAYS AGO

    Weddings, Proposals & Growing Up - Nathan’s Big Day + Tung's Big Reveal | Ep 64

    Weddings hit different when it’s your close friends, and even more when you’re part of the chaos behind the scenes. We sit down with Nathan & Annette to break down their wedding day - the planning, the emotions, the cultural expectations, family dynamics… and the moments that nearly didn’t go to plan. I also reveal a big announcement of my own... We chat through everything from proposals and adrenaline, to budgets, vendors, tea ceremonies, first dances, and what it actually feels like once the day is over and married life begins. --- Corey's mum's catering: msbunmee Nathan's wedding venue: Highline --- Want to get in touch? Send us an email at ⁠⁠ricenmicspodcast@gmail.com⁠⁠ Follow us on our socials: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/ricenmicspodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Music: aKu - Love Shine | aKu - The Final Blow --- 0:00 Intro 3:11 Describe the wedding in one word 4:48 Tung's big announcement 9:07 Which knee to get on when proposing, adrenaline 14:50 Business class is crazy, having kids 17:14 How did Tung design the ring, new drip, wedding season 21:15 Picking the wedding venue 25:20 Parental input for the wedding, food choices, styling 30:54 The tea ceremony, Nathan's big reveal 37:03 Getting all the vendors, Tung becoming MC 40:52 What almost went wrong? Saving money 45:26 Consider being a celebrant 47:56 Feelings leading up to the wedding 50:23 Planning, parents inviting friends 54:29 The deck of cards 57:07 Budget, mid, high end venues, food options 1:00:28 Vendors for the wedding 1:04:58 Picking the first dance song, highlights 1:12:39 Would you change anything? 1:18:22 Planning Tung's wedding 1:20:24 How it feels to be married 1:23:14 Nerves, advice for future grooms/brides 1:26:54 BUDGET 1:29:12 Start planning 1:33:36 The photoshoot, potential destination wedding 1:39:05 Questions from viewers, engagement watches 1:42:54 Outro

    1h 45m
  2. Mortgage Broking in Australia: What First-Home Buyers Need to Know w/ Michael Nguyen | Ep 63

    10/12/2025

    Mortgage Broking in Australia: What First-Home Buyers Need to Know w/ Michael Nguyen | Ep 63

    Note: There will be video soon, working through some tech issues. Otherwise YouTube is where you can find it for now! We’ve hit that stage of life where everyone’s either getting engaged, married, planning a Japan trip, or trying to buy a house. And somewhere in that chaos, the words “mortgage broker” keep popping up, but what do they actually do? Are they just a fancy search engine for home loans? In this episode, Michael Nguyen joins us to break down the world of mortgage broking, answer the questions most first-home buyers are too scared to ask, and share what it’s really like working in the industry. Whether you’re buying soon or just curious, this one clears up a lot. --- Michael's email: michael@professionalhomeloans.com.au https://www.professionalhomeloans.com.au/ --- Want to get in touch? Send us an email at ⁠⁠ricenmicspodcast@gmail.com⁠⁠ Follow us on our socials: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/ricenmicspodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Music: aKu - Love Shine | aKu - The Final Blow --- 0:00 Intro 3:04 Inspiring kids with Dai Le 5:33 Growing up, selective schooling PTSD 14:00 TAFE, uni offers and experience 20:34 Becoming an Apprentice Broker 23:28 How do brokers get paid? The cutthroat side 28:10 Cut out the broker and save? 31:18 Struggling as an apprentice, abusing free gym trials 36:38 Getting from start to finish for a loan, compromising 40:02 Where to buy IPs 45:32 Can brokers get loans for themselves? Apprentice life 52:48 Be the dumbest guy in the room 55:26 Teaching other colleagues 57:23 Apprentice vs now 58:20 The self employment struggle 1:02:24 Fluctuating income, the first deal ever 1:04:56 Bad vs good broker 1:06:33 Why not go for the cheapest rate? 1:10:51 5% deposit scheme 1:13:38 Biggest first home buyer mistakes 1:18:02 Emotions of buying a place 1:22:24 Toughest deal 1:25:08 How afterpay/credit card churning affects home loans 1:27:17 Advice for aspiring brokers 1:31:11 Outro

    1h 35m
  3. Gambling and Lottery in Asian Culture // The $100M Dream | Ep 62

    24/09/2025

    Gambling and Lottery in Asian Culture // The $100M Dream | Ep 62

    Why are games of luck like the lottery, or even casual gambling such a big part of Asian culture? In this episode we dive into the weird world of superstition, fate, our experiences with gambling growing up and what we'd actually do if we won the lottery. --- Guests: Matt & Nathan --- Items mentioned ⁠Behind Asia's AWFUL Gambling Obsession⁠Gourd, crab, fish, tiger gameRacist Pokie Joke Origin$43M Pokie Machine MalfunctionSex dice watch--- Want to get in touch? Send us an email at ⁠⁠ricenmicspodcast@gmail.com⁠⁠ Follow us on our socials: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/ricenmicspodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Music: aKu - Love Shine | aKu - The Final Blow --- Chapters 0:00 Intro 1:46 How much was gambling around you growing up? 4:02 Las Vegas vs Macau, culture 10:47 Old vs New gamblers 13:35 Sports betting, VR betting, Crypto casinos 19:09 Zombie apocalypse, bidet tangent 21:12 Betting on anything, following trades, powerball 26:43 What would we do if we won the lottery? 35:55 Is hiring an in-house chef cheating on your mum? Proxy incense 39:27 Aunty claiming she prayed for you to win hypothetical 42:29 Stealth wealth 47:19 Enjoying work? Lean FIRE? Jobs we'd work at still? 50:32 Would you still credit card churn? 53:15 A farm! 53:48 Outro

    56 min
  4. Fairfield Councillor, City Planning & Motorcycling Enthusiast w/ Kevin Lam | Ep 61

    27/08/2025

    Fairfield Councillor, City Planning & Motorcycling Enthusiast w/ Kevin Lam | Ep 61

    What is it really like to serve the community you grew up in? Kevin Lam sits down to share how his parents' migration story helped shape his drive, path into city planning and eventually becoming a Fairfield Councilor. We also chat about a shared hobby, motorbikes. As the co-founder of Sydney West Riders, Kevin's built a community of over 14,000 riders for over a decade, running charity rides, events, and track days. Tune in now to hear all about balancing identity, giving back, and finding purpose in both work and passion. --- Guest: Kevin Lam Sydney West Riders Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/327472683998295 --- Want to get in touch? Send us an email at ⁠⁠ricenmicspodcast@gmail.com⁠⁠ Follow us on our socials: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/ricenmicspodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Music: aKu - Love Shine | aKu - The Final Blow --- Chapters 0:00 Intro 2:00 What it's like juggling so many responsibilities 2:51 Sydney West Riders origin story 7:51 What were we doing in Lithgow? 10:07 Career path - town planner 13:23 What's happening to the land across Cabra fire station? 14:47 Motivations for career from parents upbringing? 18:28 Running for 2016 Fairfield Council, how it works 25:55 Town planning, more info 30:07 Difference between mayor and local member 33:21 What does Kevin do as a councillor? 41:30 Biggest changes in council? 45:21 Will John St be the next food night market? 50:13 Are younger people more tuned into politics? 52:50 Most rewarding moments 58:03 Funny stories, media 1:01:32 Getting into motorbikes, safety courses 1:07:38 Motivation to keep going 1:14:28 Outro

    1h 15m
  5. How we're Staying Healthy in our Late 20's | Ep 60

    22/07/2025

    How we're Staying Healthy in our Late 20's | Ep 60

    When we got to a certain age, we're seeing our friends and us picking some sort of hobby that will determine our personality for the next several years. Maybe it's podcasting (I might be guilty), rebuilding cars, baking bread, or running a marathon to name a few... In this episode we chat about what we're doing to stay active/fit, and maybe we can reflect on this in a few years' time thanking our younger selves that we chose some of these things that we're doing to stay healthy. This episode is in partnership with the Australian Government. @healthgovau To find out more, visit https://www.health.gov.au/vaping --- Guests: Matt & Nathan Items mentioned WHO Bacon article --- Chapters 0:00 Intro 1:50 How has your approach to health changed? Hyrox? 6:18 What happens when you train too much 9:01 Pain tolerance, doctor scales 11:25 Necessity of warming up before exercise, extreme vs minimal activeness 13:45 Why is it taking me so long to recover from sickness, calisthenics 17:36 Doing more fitness for your future 19:55 Vaping segment 28:45 Why is it a challenge to be more fit now? Trying other sports 31:55 Body image, Nathan's experience with body dysmorphia 42:02 Cultural attitude towards fitness, nutrition 50:04 'Everything' can cause some sort of health issue 53:58 Eating is a CHORE 59:21 Prioritising eating at home 1:05:03 Mental health, career goals 1:10:30 What you can do to better yourself

    1h 18m
  6. What It's Like being a Comedian // The Area's Stand-Up Scene | Ep 59

    14/07/2025

    What It's Like being a Comedian // The Area's Stand-Up Scene | Ep 59

    I grew up watching a ton of comedies. I always wondered what it's really like getting up on stage and trying to make a room full of strangers laugh. I sit down with local stand-up comedians Ian Mu and David Truong to chat about them getting into the Sydney comedy scene from open mics, weird jokes, their jokes that landed or bombed, and what it takes to keep coming back to the mic (even after a rough set). --- Guests: David Truong & Ian Mu David's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_davidtruong__/ Ian's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ianstagramu/ --- Items mentioned Hiring actors NOT to laugh at a comedy show by Misfit Minds I Brought Silent Mimes To A Comedy Show! by 4fun yeahmadtv - https://www.youtube.com/@yeahmadtv The Cheatcoders Podcast - https://www.youtube.com/thecheatcoders --- Want to get in touch? Send us an email at ⁠⁠ricenmicspodcast@gmail.com⁠⁠ Follow us on our socials: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/ricenmicspodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Music: aKu - Love Shine | aKu - The Final Blow --- Chapters 0:00 Intro 3:00 How do David and Ian know each other? First gigs? 7:00 Was this a COVID project? How did it all start? 11:17 How hard it is to get on stage to begin with 15:34 Running your own show, difficulty selling tickets 20:10 Improv is not the same as stand-up, dealing with hecklers 23:55 Focusing on this full time 29:29 Role models 35:34 What is the average set length? Set etiquette 42:30 Worst bombs 52:19 Staying motivated, coming up with jokes 1:01:07 Comics helping other comics… If you know them. Clean vs dirty jokes 1:07:28 Taboo, low hanging fruit jokes 1:12:18 Representing the area 1:13:42 Advice for aspiring comedians 1:19:09 Outro

    1h 20m
  7. The Importance of Writing a Will // Experience Working as a Lawyer | Ep 58

    20/05/2025

    The Importance of Writing a Will // Experience Working as a Lawyer | Ep 58

    Dying is a natural part of life, but what about the admin work that comes after it? Who deals with it? Can you even deal with it? Another type of lawyer, Bao Nguyen, is joining us to share about the morbid side of death and importance of having a Will. We also get to know Bao's journey to law, with a side of political advisory. To get you thinking about own life admin if the unexpected ever happens, Arver Law is offering a $150 discount exclusively to Rice n Mics listeners for drafting of your Will, valid until 31 December 2025. Please email bnguyen@arverlaw.com.au for more information. Arver Law: https://www.arverlaw.com.au/ Want to get in touch? Send us an email at ⁠⁠ricenmicspodcast@gmail.com⁠⁠ Follow us on our socials: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/ricenmicspodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Music: aKu - Love Shine | aKu - The Final Blow Chapters 0:00 Intro 2:52 SWEH Expo, Arver Law 5:31 The law journey, too sane to work as a youth officer 8:57 Applying for a Cabra law firm, learning Viet, YES I AM SICK 12:28 Work at the Cabra law firm, differences with a larger firm 15:17 Toxic work culture, emails at 2AM?! 18:57 Hitting a dark spot, changes in work 21:08 More about the Cabra law firm, Maccas 24:35 The clarkeship/graduate experience, Shanghai exchange 32:30 VSA (Vietnamese Students Association) 35:35 Community events, working with Dai Le origin story 40:58 Working as a Policy Advisor for Dai 42:35 What's it like working in a politician's office? 45:25 Election time, who prints posters? Putting posters up? 48:57 Political drama 52:18 Young advisory committee, changes with Gen Z voters 54:16 BRAINROT political campaigns 55:44 The importance of wills, younger clients? 1:00:51 Issues when you don't have a will 1:04:30 Signing off my family member's wishes after death 1:08:02 Living wills vs dead wills 1:11:11 Why can't AI just write it? A DISCOUNT CODE?? 1:15:57 Outro

    1h 17m
  8. How Saigon Brew Built Vietnamese Coffee in a Can | Ep 57

    02/04/2025

    How Saigon Brew Built Vietnamese Coffee in a Can | Ep 57

    The founder of Saigon Brew, Dylan, joins us to talk about his Aussie-owned Vietnamese coffee brand. A journey some might find familiar of trying to find something more fulfilling than the 9-5 corporate life, we talk about his passion for his Vietnamese roots which led him to craft a beverage which resonates with his cultural heritage. Items mentioned: Top 100 coffee shops: https://bit.ly/3RDC4m9 Saigon Brew socials: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saigonbrew/ Website: https://saigonbrew.com.au/ Our listeners get 15% off with the code 'RICENMICS15' Want to get in touch? Send us an email at ⁠⁠ricenmicspodcast@gmail.com ⁠⁠Follow us on our socials: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/ricenmicspodcast⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Music: aKu - Love Shine | aKu - The Final Blow Chapters 0:00 Intro 1:20 The inception of Saigon Brew, Covid times 6:09 Finding a warehouse, inspiration 8:20 Why coffee? Japan moment with cans 10:46 Introducing Viet coffee 11:47 Do cafes make more money in summer vs winter? 12:59 New trend for coffee in Vietnam 14:34 Australia has the best coffee in the world? 15:49 Top 10 coffee shops in the world 16:52 I am a fruit enjoyer 20:23 How do you intro new coffee to people, pairing with durries 22:25 The three flavours of Saigon Brew 25:18 Where are people buying from? Northern Territory?! 28:20 Challenges of starting the business, finding partners 32:52 Tips if you wanna start a F&B business 35:03 Alcohol and durries being taxed high 38:23 The corporate life journey 42:50 Call centre environments suck, empathy fatigue 44:37 Defined benefits, the worst working environment 50:39 Process analyst 52:44 Process improvement at Virgin Money 55:05 The last corporate role 57:05 Investing more into Saigon Brew but staying in corporate 59:02 The first grocery store 59:54 G7/Trung Nguyen coffee goss 1:03:07 Contacting grocers, aggressive ads 1:11:36 Woolies metro type stores would do well? 1:15:53 Costco's rule for buying products 1:20:23 Balancing 2 jobs 1:24:23 Achievements/Milestones 1:25:13 How long did it take from idea to product? 1:26:34 New flavours? The rise of Asian flavours 1:31:04 How important is community? 1:33:56 Inspiration? Role models? 1:38:33 Future plans? How do you get nutritional info? 1:41:00 The development lifecycle 1:43:38 Social plugs

    1h 46m
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
9 Ratings

About

Exploring the every day Asian Australian culture, experience and what makes us unique. The podcast brings on a variety of guests to get different perspectives and stories. Trying to aim for at least an episode a month.

Information

  • Creator
    Tung Nguyen
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2025
  • Episodes
    70
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Tung Nguyen
  • Show Website
    Rice n Mics