Vietnamese Coffee: Where to go for the best flavor

You can describe Vietnam as the gorgeous coffee paradise, where at almost anytime of the day you will catch people sitting at the cafe, perhaps to meet each other, have lunch, read books and take pictures. Or maybe just to simply find the best place to feel the deposition of space, observe the hustle and bustle of the city and deep in the classic flavor of Vietnamese coffee.

History of Vietnamese Coffee

You cannot find any place in the world where the coffee production has strongly increased with explosive rates like in Vietnam. In 1990, this country just produced approximately 1% of the coffee production in the world. In 2014, this beautiful S-shaped nation overtook Brazil to become the largest coffee exporter in the whole world. Nowadays, Vietnamese coffee becomes the largest agricultural export of Vietnam just after rice. Vietnam is considered as the King of Robusta on the worldwide market as well.

Robusta coffee makes up for up to approximately 95% of the production of the country. Vietnam also grows Arabica, mainly in the Northern provinces. The most important areas to grow coffee are Dak Lak, Kon Tum and Lam Dong.

Types of Vietnamese Coffee

Coffee beans are an amazing gift from Mother Nature. The main type of Vietnam coffee is Robusta, which is mostly used for instant coffee or blends. Dong Nai province, located between Ho Chi Minh City and the highland areas, is famous for the main producer of Robusta coffee.

Different tastes of coffee make people immerse in from the first notes of sipping coffee to the end of the tongue. There is a multitude of emotions, from excitement to the heart, back to the excitement and even to sublimation when the substance permeates the time.

Ca phe phin (Vietnamese Black Coffee)

Coffee brewing is the particular messenger of the soul and the unique culture in Vietnam. You can make a cup of “ca phe phin” on your own, start with pouring a little boiling water into Vietnamese special coffee filter made of aluminum (not so much that the coffee drops can drip down), and for a while letting the coffee beans “bloom” out. The “phin” is the Vietnamese name for the decanter, a quirky and yet simple Vietnamese coffee filtering contraption, functioning as a single-serve filter, which instills a slow-drip process of on-the-spot, right-in-your-face coffee brewing. In that way, the delicious ingredients in it are also easy to dissolve in boiling water.

On your trip to Vietnam, do not miss your opportunity to explore this delicious drink. You should spend time watching every drop of coffee fall slowly, feeling the air, weather, sightseeing the scenery and rewinding your memories, etc…

Ca phe sua da (Vietnamese Iced Milk Coffee)

Vietnamese iced milk coffee is rated 2nd on the list of the best coffee cups in the world by Cntraveler. This classic traditional Vietnamese coffee cup is popular all over the world but it tastes delicious especially when drinking in Vietnam. It comprises strong coffee, dripped from a small metal filter into a cup containing a quarter as much sweetened condensed milk, then stirred and poured over ice in a glass.

All of them create a strong, completely new flavor for the Vietnam coffee trademark that you must try during your trip to Vietnam.

Bac siu (Vietnamese Super Sweet Coffee)

This type of coffee belongs to the sidewalk shops, which is popular and completely “made in Saigon”. Until today, no one can equate that drink with latte coffee with fresh Italian formula milk, also recognized at the world level.

The initial “bac siu” is a drink from hot milk, adding some coffee. The old Saigon people often used this super pleasant sweet coffee with biscuits for breakfast.

Ca phe trung (Egg Coffee)

This special mixture was first discovered in the 1950s in Hanoi. Stemming from the scarcity of fresh milk products at that time, people used chicken egg yolks as a fine replacement and egg coffee was born. It becomes one of the best drinking specialty of Hanoi and Vietnam.

Egg coffee is made from eggs that are whipped in a very clever way, then comes hot coffee poured into the beaten egg, will create a very nice and fragrant foam on top.

You should not miss the chance to enjoy an egg coffee cup floating in a fragrant brown color during your trip to Vietnam.

Sua chua ca phe (Yogurt Coffee)

Similar to coffee, yogurt was initially brought to Vietnam by the French and has been adopted in Vietnamese culinary tradition. Therefore, creamy yogurt pairing well with bitter black coffee to become the best combination that awake people’s taste, including the most fastidious ones.

Sinh to ca phe (Coffee Smoothie)

For a few recent years, Vietnamese coffee has been creatively blended into smoothies. This type of coffee is different in Hanoi and Saigon.

When you take a trip to Hanoi, you should try coffee blended with avocado and banana, also called in Vietnamese as “sinh to ca phe chuoi bo”. During your visiting Ho Chi Minh City, you can go for coffee blended with sapodilla, tropical fruit with a custard-like taste, also called in Vietnamese as “sinh to ca phe sapoche”.

They are both tasty and could give you a new fix for traditional Vietnamese coffee while still provide you with great vitamins at the same time.

Where to go for the best flavor

In Hanoi

Reng Reng Cafe (No 17, Lane 12B, Ly Nam De Street, Hoan Kiem Dist., Hanoi)

Reng Reng Cafe is located at the end of a small alley in Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi. The shop is small and has only one small sign of the opening and closing time.

By not serving wifi, toilet, or filtered water, nor serving other drinks but coffee; Reng Reng Cafe in other words “temporarily puts aside” the higher needs of customers and “just basically serves the nature of the product: a coffee cup.”

Giang Cafe (No 39, Nguyen Huu Huan Street, Hoan Kiem Dist., Hanoi)

Today, this becomes a familiar place for those who are passionate in the aromatic egg coffee. Giang Coffee also served about 3,000 egg coffee cups for the US and North Korea Summit in March 2019 in Hanoi. This drink is well-known and loved by a lot of international tourists. CNN has recently brought egg coffee into the list of must- try items during a trip to Hanoi.

Lam Cafe (No 60, Nguyen Huu Huan Street, Hoan Kiem Dist., Hanoi)

People love Lam Cafe because of its charming taste that only this small shop has; it is a bold, “sharp” and “scent” but full of sweet and very drunk. Over the past 60 years, the 100% wood roaster recipe has been passed down for generations, making the taste of Lam non-old that will be hard to forget.

Besides, this coffee shop is also famous for its hanging paintings. There are lots of vivid pictures about Hanoi people and streets, self-portraits with autographs, handwritten literary manuscripts, etc … by a lot of excellent and talented authors.

Nhan Cafe (No 39D, Hang Hanh- Hang Trong Street, Hoan Kiem Dist., Hanoi)

This cafe belongs to the once famous “quartet” “Nhan- Nhi- Di- Quang”. Despite no signs, the shop is always full of guests. The coffee here is served in porcelain teapots, measuring with cups of baby jackfruit seeds, adding sugar or milk and whipping up the foam with a whisk before dropping the ice cubes. The way of roasting elaborately brings you a pleasant aroma and the feeling of passion when drinking.

Nang Cafe (No 45, Nguyen Huu Huan Street, Hoan Kiem Dist., Hanoi)

This 50- year-old cafe reminds people of the so strong coffee that often makes drinkers feel stunned. However, thanks to that shock, people get addicted to coffee here without notice.

All Day Cafe (No 37, Quang Trung Street, Hoan Kiem Dist., Hanoi)

The specific point of this coffee shop is that fresh coffee beans are roasted day by day. The elegant and cozy atmosphere of this space inside will help enhance your creativity as well as tighten relationships with your friends.

In Saigon

Tron Coffee and Beer (No 115, D1 Street, District 7, HCM City)

This place scored thanks to its excellent quality of coffee, whereas the price is so suitable and the decoration is airy. It has a pretty decoration with low seating tables made from barrel, windy ceiling, and primitive gravel background.

Coffee beans here are roasted with a professional machine, giving off a perfect flavor that doesn’t lose to any “big man” in the coffee industry.

Hue Cafe Roastery (No 131, Huynh Thuc Khang Street, Thua Thien Hue)

This coffee shop makes people admire by the design of Indochina style, in both nostalgic and modern way. The destination brings comfort and relaxation for anyone as soon as they enter the shop. The egg coffee at this cafe is so delicious in comparison to the famous egg coffee in Hanoi. Therefore, you will not want to miss the chance to try this delightful coffee on your trip to Ho Chi Minh City.

Red Door Cafe (No 15B, 17/27 Le Thanh Ton Street, District 1, HCM City)

The attraction of Red Door is the professionalism in concoction performance. Visitors here are most knowledgeable about coffee, gourmet and have such a clear taste.

Cheo Leo Cafe (109/36 Nguyen Thien Thuat Street, District 3, HCM City)

This coffee shop appeared in Saigon since the 70s, preserving the style of mixed coffee that is served in pottery pots. Cheo Leo is the destination for connoisseurs to drink coffee because of its so delicious and comfortable flavor. Even the cocoa beans here are from the well-loved Hershey.

Hopefully, our information will help not only provide you useful information about Vietnamese Coffee but also help create an unforgettable experience on your trip to the stunning S-shaped country. Customize your Vietnam tour to explore more about Vietnamese Coffee and places for the best coffee flavor!

Read more:

• Hanoi- City of rustic coffee shops
• Some culture and customs you should know when traveling to Vietnam