A visit to Vietnam really wouldn't be complete without trying Vietnamese coffee. I am not a barista nor an expert, I simply love a good cup of the bitter dark brew. Having tried many an espresso shot or three, flat whites, macchiatos, (you get the picture), including iced Vietnamese coffee locally where I live, I couldn’t wait to try Vietnamese Coffee - in Vietnam!
Let’s talk about the coffee culture in Vietnam. Firstly, it’s huge! Coffee is an essential part of daily life in Vietnam. Secondly, it’s strong! The reason for this is they mainly use robusta beans. Robusta beans are small beans which have nearly twice the amount of caffeine content than arabica beans. Since the potency of these beans’ packs such a punch and the coffee denotes a bold flavour, it is often sweetened with condensed milk, creating a beautiful conjunction of sweetness and bitterness. The use of condensed milk in a hot tropical climate like Vietnam is not only for its sweetness which counteracts the strong flavour of the robusta beans but also because of its long shelf life.
Vietnamese hot milk coffee - Ca Phe Sua Nong and Vietnamese iced milk coffee - Ca Phe Sua Da are made with condensed milk or sometimes a combination of condensed milk and milk. We fell in love with Ca Phe Sua Da, with lots of ice, on our trip to Vietnam. This will be a blessing if you prefer hot coffee, which I normally do, but on an afternoon in Ho Chi Minh City in the middle of September the weather is hot and the humidity very high, not to mention the rain and storms! You will undoubtedly appreciate the tons of ice when the sweat is literally dripping off you. Our local guide in Saigon or Ho Chi Minh City told us Vietnamese people generally slowly sip the coffee to savour the taste instead of taking large inhales of coffee through the straw like I did. Our guide took us to Ca Phe Muoi Chu Long, a café opposite the popular tourist attraction Turtle Lake, district 3 Ho Chi Minh City, which he described as popular among locals and which he frequented daily. The Vietnamese iced coffee was cheap, tasted great and just what we needed on a scorching hot day.
One of our favourite haunts was a cafe on Pasteur Street, cafe Anh Coffee Roastery located across the road from our accommodation Sherwood Residences. The apartment style accommodation is great for a family, with a restaurant, pool, gym, games room with table tennis and pool table, is reasonably priced and we would certainly stay there again. The cafe and accommodation are also located in district 3, which is home to many expats and Embassies. The coffee was delicious, and I particularly enjoyed Ca Phe Sua Nong - Vietnamese hot milk coffee using a traditional Vietnamese coffee Phin filter. This is a metal cup and press which sits on top of your mug while the coffee slowly drips into your cup below. On these mornings I found myself stumbling across the road eager to satisfy my craving with a cup of the steaming hot brew. As a side note and worth a special mention their Coconut Yuzu Tea which I had served cold, was absolutely amazing! We purchased their own blend of whole roasted coffee beans to take back home but if you prefer, they will grind the fresh beans for you, finer or coarser depending on the type of mechanism you are using to brew your coffee.
There are hundreds of cafes in Ho Chi Minh City all with different vibes, finding one or two that you wish to frequent shouldn't be a problem. Ho Chi Minh City was exciting, we loved our time here and can't wait to return soon. Leaving the busy, vibrant and chaotic (good chaotic) city for a quieter more relaxing pace we took a short plane ride to Phu Quoc, a serene Vietnamese island off the coast of Cambodia and stayed at the stunning Sheraton Phu Quoc Long Beach Resort. The property is located at the Northern end of Phu Quoc footsteps from the picturesque Long beach. We loved our stay here in a 3 Bedroom Garden Villa and would highly recommend to travellers, especially families.
The coffee here was just as good as Ho Chi Minh City and every morning at breakfast I enjoyed a combination of a hot Vietnamese coffee using the Phin filter method, followed by a Vietnamese iced coffee in the Prime Bar and Grill restaurant. The food was varied, plentiful and the donuts and pastries were scrumptious! Vietnam is renowned for its French style pastries due to the influence of French Colonisation in the mid 19th century.
The afternoons were usually a can, (a coffee lover in need of a pick me up will do what they have to do) of Highlands Coffee Ca Phe Sua or a similar brand from a convenience store nearby. Highlands Coffee is a large coffee-house chain in Vietnam. Having tried many brands of canned coffee before in Japan from one of the ever-present vending machines and relishing the convenience, quick pick me up and taste, I had an idea of what to expect. The canned coffee in Vietnam although different, was refreshing, tasty and I enjoyed it.
Another place where we enjoyed a refreshing Vietnamese iced coffee was at VinWonders Phu Quoc. It was an amazing theme park with a water park, amusement rides, an aquarium and themed worlds to explore. We would definitely recommend this to anyone visiting Phu Quoc and best of all it was not very busy which meant no queues and a feeling of having the whole park to yourself. A far cry from the 3 hours we queued for one ride at Tokyo Disneyland.
Just along from the entrance lies a quaint café on the right-hand side called The Coffee House, which is another large chain of coffee-houses in Vietnam. We grabbed a delicious Vietnamese iced coffee to-go on a squelching hot day to enjoy whilst exploring the park. Interestingly there is another The Coffee House store on the left-hand side as you enter the park, but we tried the one on the right.
One of the things I regretted not trying was the famous Egg Coffee - Ca Phe Trung, which originated in Hanoi, in Northern Vietnam. Years ago, Nguyen Van Giang substituted milk which was at the time in short supply with whisked egg. A combination of whipped yolk, sugar and black coffee creates this famous blend, with many variations including using condensed milk.
Another coffee I wished I'd tried was Coconut Coffee - Ca Phe Cot Dua or Ca Phe Dua which can use coconut milk, condensed milk, sometimes milk or ice-cream and can be served hot or cold. This was a popular item on the island of Phu Quoc according to the Sheraton Phu Quoc where we stayed.
Having to leave the island and return to Ho Chi Minh City for our return flight home, we sat in Tan Son Nhat International Airport and reflected on our time spent in Vietnam. We all agreed Vietnam was an amazing holiday destination with some of the friendliest people we have ever met. The warm impression they made would stay with us long after we returned home.
Vietnamese coffee a lot like its people, is bold, refreshing and sweet. The perfect combination to delight the senses for:
Newbies - the ones who haven't tried it and looking for something different.
Casuals - the ones who have tried it and smile while remembering the taste.
Regulars - the ones who need a daily or weekly hit.
You really must try Vietnamese coffee while travelling in Vietnam and if you can't make it to Vietnam, why not seek out your nearest Vietnamese coffee locale or try making your own at home.
Melanie Saint-James is a writer for IDARES CENTRAL.
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