The coffee of Vietnam – Iced coffee, egg coffee and the cafes!

Giang Cafe, Hanoi 

Vietnam is famous for its various types of coffee, and the country has successfully cultivated the industry and imagery for a connoisseur of coffee. This is in spite of the fact that Vietnamese coffee we found tended to be more bitter and dense than the usual, and quite often was a cultivated taste. However, there’s a lot of variety in it, and its become quite well accepted. Accordingly, we also decided to take a “coffee run” in Hanoi to see what it was all about.

The most prominent brand that we saw everywhere was actually Highlands coffee, similar to Café Coffee Day in India, or like Starbucks. It has its own coffee farms and brands, and runs cafés, which we found practically where in Vietnamese cities, like Hanoi, Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC).

Iced Coffee, Hanoi 

Egg Coffee, Giang Cafe

There were a few things right off the bat. First was the egg coffee, which we tried at Giang Coffee (see picture). This is an old place, on the first floor and not very attractive at first look- full of stools and low tables and nooks and crannies, but it was well frequented and did not give any negative vibes. Its also in the old quarter and is famous for the thick coffee with egg yolk, Robusta Beans, condensed milk and sugar. A thick concoction (see photo). It’s a cultivated taste, for sure. And unique- a good experience.

The other thing was the Vietnamese iced coffee which we had at a place called Kafa (see photo). This is made by letting coffee drip thru a filter into a glass of condensed milk and ice ,and the flavours of condensed milk and bitter coffee make for a unique brew! This is widely available as well.

Our coffee run went from The Giang, to Highlands ( near the Tha Long Water Puppet theatre) , to Kafa and Trung, typical Hanoi places around the old quarter. Not many tourists when we were there but a lot of young people. Good cool vibes around the place.

When in Vietnam, don’t forget to try the coffee. It is a different taste and style than what we see perhaps in India or western countries, and which has now become a USP for Vietnam itself.