Enjoying Life Through Vietnamese Coffee

I love coffee. I also enjoy living in Vietnam.

So I really enjoy a nice cup of Vietnamese coffee.

Living in Saigon for the past seven years has provided an opportunity to enjoy some of the best coffee anywhere. Having coffee is a favorite past-time of the Vietnamese and Vietnam has some of the best coffee shops on the planet, and a lot of them.

There is never any difficulty in finding a great tasting cup of coffee, the closest cup often being no more than a block or two away from where you are currently standing. Vietnam is the second largest coffee producer in the world. Only Brazil surpasses Vietnam in coffee production. Having a coffee for the locals is not just a quick break, taken lightly.

Rather, it is an integral part of the culture, and you will see locals come into a coffee shop and spend the next hour (or more) there, socializing with friends and family, catching up on the news and gossip of the day, or just relaxing after a long day at work.

Traditional Vietnamese Coffee

Some of the best coffee in the world can be found in quiet alleyways in Ho Chi Minh City.

Traditional Vietnamese coffee is served four ways: hot black, iced black, hot with milk, and iced with milk. The milk used is condensed milk, which is very sweet. Ground coffee is placed into a metal filter, then boiling water is poured over the top.

The hot water passes through the coffee, then drips into your cup, in which a generous helping of condensed milk is poured beforehand. When the water quits dripping, you remove the filter from your cup, stir, and mmmmm, mmmmm, enjoy! If ice is to be added, the coffee is made using a larger glass, and then ice is poured into the glass.

Types of Traditional Vietnamese Cafés

Cafés in Saigon are an institution. There are many “mom and pop” (or often just mom) coffee shops to be found all over Vietnam. You can get an excellent cup of coffee in these places for 5,000 – 10,000 dong (the Vietnamese currency, equivalent to about 25 – 50 US cents).

There are, however, more upscale Vietnamese coffee shops, which serve excellent coffee, but also offer more in the way of other drinks, including alcoholic beverages, and even food. Some will offer live entertainment, including four-string quartets accompanied by an accomplished vocalist singing traditional Vietnamese favorites.

Tony Hung Tran, who was born in Saigon but emigrated to the US, came back to live and work in Saigon in 2008. He instantly found Saigon’s many café’s charming places to spend time relaxing after work and on weekends. He often sings in Saigon’s cafes.

“Cafés are one of the most popular meeting locations in the city,” Hung said. “They’re a common outlet for entertainment. People come to Cafés to gather with friends, have fun, relax, enjoy a drink, and to listen to music.” Cafes appeal to patrons of all ages, but they have become especially popular with the younger generations.

“Many patrons are young people, but really people of all ages enjoy coming to cafés,” Hung explained. “A lot of business people will actually make a cafe a meeting spot to discuss business and even sign contracts, etc.”

Cafés also provide the younger crowd with a safe and fun place to meet friends, and you’ll often see groups of young people chatting and focusing on their mobile devices while listening to the music at the same time.

Almost all cafes provide free wi-fi service.

Preserving Vietnamese Traditions

In a way, cafés have become a way to preserve a part of Vietnam’s heritage and culture. When asked what he loved most about singing in Saigon’s cafés, Hung said, “Firstly, I love the music; I like to sing for people. I like to revive the old, classic songs for the young people around the city. I think it’s great because a lot of the old songs may have been forgotten if they weren’t sung in the coffee shops so often.”

Cafés in Saigon generally serve not only coffee but also tea of every variety, fresh fruit juices, sodas, and even ice-cream-based treats. With all the things to do in Saigon, sometimes it’s hard choose what to do. If you want to get down with the locals and experience a true Saigon tradition, chill out for a while at one of the many cafés that have become a fixture in the city.

Modern Vietnamese Cafés

In addition to the traditional coffee shops, many cities and larger towns in Vietnam have more trendy venues, offering hipper drinks such as blended coffees, fruit smoothies, hot chocolate, etc.

Coffee is taken very seriously by traditional baristas.

One thing that I love about living in Vietnam is that there is so often a pleasant surprise right around the next corner. Recently, I was invited by a friend to come to a newer coffee shop in Saigon known as Passio Coffee.

They serve a full menu of more modern offerings, including cappuccino, lattes, and a wide variety of teas and fruit drinks. But they also have a show room, where all sorts of coffee making items can be bought. I was amazed at the wide variety of equipment that can be used to make coffee.

There was one apparatus that looked like it belonged more in a chemistry lab than in a coffee shop. The water is boiled using halogen lights, then the boiling water is drawn up into a large beaker, where ground coffee is placed. We got a private demonstration from Mr. Huan, a barista at Passio Coffee, and it was interesting to see coffee made in this way.

The coffee is of a high quality and had an excellent flavor. If you are, or have friends who are, true coffee lovers, be sure to come by their showroom at 15F Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street in Saigon. They have some unique gifts that would be a hit at any coffee serving.

Vietnamese Coffee with a…uh…Twist?

If you want to try something really unique, you can’t pass up the opportunity to sample weasel coffee (also known as civet coffee). No, the coffee is not made from weasels, and no animals are harmed in the process. Weasels (civets) naturally love to eat coffee beans that fall to the ground from the plants. As it passes through their digestive system, part of the bean is digested.

However, part of it passes completely through, and this part is collected, then roasted and ground just like any other coffee bean.

Harvested coffee beans ready to be roasted

But having passed through the digestive system of the weasel gives it an exceptionally smooth and unique chocolaty flavor. I know it sounds quite strange, and I thought it was at first, too. But I have tried it a few times and it’s actually quite delicious.

It’s called ca phe chon in Vietnamese and coffee shops offering the genuine weasel coffee fetch about US$30 for one cup or US$500 per kilogram for the roasted beans. You do have to be careful, though, as a lot of what claims to be weasel coffee is fake. Apparently, producers have a way of using chemical enzyme substitutes to create a similar flavor, but the beans were never eaten by a weasel.

If weasel coffee doesn’t appeal to you, certainly a traditional cup of Vietnamese coffee will. Do your palate a favor and be sure to treat yourself to a cup of coffee, or rather several cups, during your stay in Vietnam.