Every Kind of Coffee You Must Try in Vietnam

/ Yale Wanders

A GUIDE TO COFFEE IN VIETNAM

Coffee is life in Vietnam. Everywhere you go, it’s coffee mania.

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Saying that Vietnam is a country that runs on coffee would be an understatement.

Vietnam is the second largest coffee producing country in the world, so you know they mean business when it comes to brew.

While in Vietnam, I learned they use the same ratio of robusta (read: the strong stuff) that Westerners use of arabica (the mild kind), meaning Vietnamese coffee is much stronger.

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With a month to traverse Vietnam, I vowed to get my fair share of coffee.

Back in the day, French colonists introduced coffee to the country. But, Vietnamese made it their own by creating drinks with condensed milk, eggs, yogurt and coconut.

You’d be remiss if you didn’t try the different types of coffee in Vietnam, and just went for your standard ‘long black’ or modern flat white / latte order.

Coffee has a strong cultural connection in Vietnam. Trying the different types is just as much of an experience as doing a street food tour, or sightseeing any city’s major attractions.

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Four Kinds of Coffee You Must Order in Vietnam

EGG COFFEE (Cà phê trứng)

I know what you may be thinking- egg?!

Hear me out, the egg coffee I had in Vietnam was one of my favourite coffee drinks of all time. Recently, a friend let me know a Vietnamese cafe has opened in New York City that serves the drink, and now, I can’t wait to visit and compare.

You must try egg coffee in Hanoi, it’s the best place in Vietnam to do so. Sure, you can find it in the south, but it’s just not as good (save one place I found in Sai Gon where the owners were from the north).

If you’re still not sold on egg coffee, think coffee with sugar, sweetened condensed milk and egg yolks whisked in. Oddly enough, the egg yolks lend a sweet, creamy taste. The closest thing I can compare it to in taste would be tiramisu.

How did egg coffee come to be?

In the 1940s, when milk was scarce, the Vietnamese whipped egg yolks and added it to their espresso as a replacement.

Hot egg coffee is the classic way to enjoy it. After trying iced egg coffee, I realised I much preferred it to the hot variety.

Where to try it: Don’t miss it while in Hanoi, it’s especially great in the north.

  • Hanoi: Dinh Cafe, Giang Cafe, Hanoi Social Club, Loading T Cafe
  • Hoi An: Avos & Mango
  • Sai Gon: Shin, Goc Ha Noi (Little Hanoi Egg Coffee – the BEST)

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COCONUT COFFEE (Cà Phê Dừa)

Coconut coffee is one of the best drinks I’ve ever had.
Full stop.

It’s sweet, but strong from the espresso. The ultimate way to cool down on a hot, humid day in Vietnam.

I’ve had it served frozen, where the coconut cream and condensed milk blended together, and then topped with a shot of espresso, and iced, where coconut milk/cream is added to a shot of espresso poured over ice.

Where to try it: You must have it at Cong Caphe- there are locations all over Vietnam, so there’s no excuse not to try it.

  • Hanoi: Cong Caphe, Railway Cafe, The Note Cafe
  • Hoi An: The Espresso Station, Rosie’s Cafe
  • Da Nang: The Hideout Cafe, Ka Cong Coffee, Wanderlust
  • Sai Gon: The Loft, Saigon Coffee Roastery

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CA PHE SUA DA

Coffee with sweet condensed milk and ice, hello heaven on hot, humid mornings.

Where to try it: Just about any place will do this simple coffee drink well, my favourites below.

  • Hanoi: Cong Caphe, Hanoi Social Club
  • Hoi An: Hoi An Roastery, Faifo Coffee, Espresso Station
  • Da Nang: Why Roastery, Gold Star Coffee
  • Sai Gon: M2C Cafe, L’usine Cafe, The Loft, The Workshop

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CA PHE SUA NONG

Coffee with sweet condensed milk, served piping hot. Typical Vietnamese drip coffee is prepared and served in a single cup-filter, called a phin.

Why condensed milk?
Because keeping milk fresh in Vietnam is a problem- the country is so hot. So, Vietnamese resorted to canned, condensed milk. Fortunately, the sweetness of condensed milk perfectly balances the bitterness of Robusta beans.

Great in the evening if you need a pick-me-up for more wandering. Be forewarned though, Vietnamese coffee is strong, it will keep you up at night (speaking from experience).

Where to try it: Just about any place will do this simple coffee drink well, my favourites below.

  • Hanoi: Cong Caphe, Dinh Cafe
  • Hoi An: Hoi An Roastery, The Hill Station, Mun Coffee
  • Da Nang: Why Roastery, Golem Coffee
  • Sai Gon: Saigon Coffee Roastery, Shin, The Workshop

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Other types of Vietnamese coffee to try, pending how you like your brew-

  • Ca Phe Den Da Khong Duong: Black coffee with ice, no sugar
  • Ca Phe Den Nong Khong Duong: Black coffee hot, no sugar
  • Ca Phe Den Da: Black coffee with ice and sugar
  • Ca Phe Den Nong: Black coffee hot, with sugar

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Have you ever tried Vietnamese coffee? If you like coffee, would you try these different kinds in Vietnam? Would you add anything to this guide to coffee in Vietnam?

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