By Alex Reeves – @afreeves23

Rewinding to the summer of 2021, the COVID lockdown of Việt Nam was in full swing and with it came thousands of new, fully YouTube trained chefs: home-styled Gordon Ramsey's and Nigella Lawson's using their internet connections and whatever ingredients they could get their hands on to replicate the dishes they missed from pre-pandemic freedom. I know, I was one of them.

That said, there are only so many variations of homemade failures anyone can handle before you call in the professionals. Out comes the phone, up comes the delivery app and the absolute litany of options that come with it. Yet, another month passes and the five favourites you’ve narrowed down to start to feel dull and all too familiar. The time capsule of lockdown squeezing every last piece of joy that one can gain from food, seemingly at warp speed.

Diner aesthetic: The home of Goodtime burger combines a modern bar with a twist on a classic diner. Photo courtesy of Alex Reeves

Lying in bed, entranced by the doom-scroll, waiting for the days, craving to snap me out of it, an ad appears. The branding is as tight as the burger being shown off, compact and light looking, a real smash burger, different to the ingredient-laden towers that are more commonly found in the few good burger joints in town. Who are these guys? Goodtime? Never heard of them. A delve into their Instagram account reveals they’re a new startup running directly from their Instagram page.

Good customer testimonies, and I’m intrigued. A flurry of messages and a short wait later, I’m tucking in, and I’m hooked. Notably less greasy than our friends under the golden arches and I can actually fit it into my mouth without detaching my jaw, my craving is satisfied, and I don’t have the usual sense of self-loathing that comes with resorting to a burger. My expectations for such a small-scale operation during a tough time for businesses are, without a doubt, exceeded.

Fast-forward to 2024 and what was intended to be a quick chat with Tommy Le, one of the first to get involved with the Goodtime project, has turned into a real conversation. Rather than just a few tidbits about why people should come to Goodtime or what they have planned next, it’s an exchange of ideas and opinions rooted firmly in the present. From customer culture to the careful balance between being proud of your product, not having to be everyone’s favourite and still catering to both foreign and Vietnamese palates.

Goodtimes all round: Smart lighting and balanced decor gives the diner an edge. Photo courtesy of Alex Reeves

Our only foray into the past is to reflect on the risks and challenges of starting a business during the pandemic, during a lockdown and the countless hours spent running pop-ups around the city and finding the right people to collaborate with in order to showcase their food in the best spaces. A friendly relationship with Trúc Bạch cocktail wizards Lang Thang turned into a neighbourly one as their first diner opened just a short stagger away down one of the island’s many side-streets, and it’s a beauty.

The diner has two distinct ends to the space. One feels like something straight out of a scene from Stranger Things, with that nostalgic 80’s American Diner feel, all the way from the bright blue/yellow colour scheme to the claw machine where tokens can be entered, bears can be won and vouchers can be redeemed. The other has an impressive bar with an intriguing cocktail selection and more local collaboration as Vietnamese gins take pride of place on the drink menu.

Combo time: Doubling up on burgers with a side of rockstar fries for the full experience. Photo courtesy of Alex Reeves

Now, despite the aforementioned post-burger guilt, I am a firm believer that guilty pleasures should be fully indulged. Burgers, of which Goodtime now carries many varieties, are a real treat and my observations about the size and lack of grease were actually very deliberate. The aim of the Goodtime burger was to create a burger that was appropriately portion-sized and had a flavour profile more appealing to Vietnamese customers, and it makes for a refreshing change.

When I put it to Tommy that Goodtime is often mentioned online as Hà Nội’s best burger option, he brushes it off, insistent that he fully respects and understands the variety of tastes and preferences people have with something as seemingly simple as a burger.

Some people like them stacked high, egg, pineapple, bacon, blue cheese and with a thicker more classic patty. Whereas these burgers are more balanced and considered, there’s already enough flavour going on without the need to customise. Far from wanting to take anything away from Hà Nội’s current offerings, they want to add a quality product to the market.

While this article may have started as a sad reminder of isolated times, it ends as one celebrating inventiveness, intuition and entrepreneurial success, even so far as to now have a second presence at the new Lotte Mall food hall.

The ethos at Goodtime really is all in the name, and the main takeaway from both the conversation and my most recent visit was to enjoy each moment as it comes and appreciate the good times while they’re here. Preferably with a burger in one hand and a G&T in the other. VNS