Xin chào!
Cho tôi một cà phê sữa đá
cho TOY moht ka-FEH sue-ah DAH
Vietnamese iced coffee with condensed milk, please
Cà phê đen
ka-FEH den
Black coffee
Cà phê trứng
ka-FEH troong
Egg coffee
Tính tiền
TEEN tee-EN
The bill, please
Vietnam's signature drink: strong robusta coffee dripped through a metal phin filter over sweetened condensed milk and ice. Rich, sweet, and intensely caffeinated.
Black coffee — brewed through a phin filter, served hot or iced. Bold robusta flavour.
Egg coffee — espresso topped with a fluffy whipped mixture of egg yolk, condensed milk, and sugar. Invented in 1940s Hanoi. Like a coffee tiramisu.
Southern Vietnamese coffee: mostly milk with a splash of coffee. Sweeter and milder than cà phê sữa.
Coconut coffee — iced coffee blended with coconut cream. A refreshing modern variation.
Vietnam is the world's second-largest coffee producer. Robusta — not arabica — is the traditional bean, giving Vietnamese coffee its signature bold, chocolatey intensity.
The phin filter (a small metal drip device) is how traditional Vietnamese coffee is brewed. It sits on top of your cup and drips slowly — patience is part of the experience.
Sit on tiny plastic stools on the pavement — this is authentic Vietnamese cafe culture. Many of the best coffees are served at street stalls.
Condensed milk is used instead of fresh milk — a legacy of French colonial influence and tropical climate.
Egg coffee (cà phê trứng) was invented at Café Giang in Hanoi in 1946 when fresh milk was scarce.
Weasel coffee (cà phê chồn) is available but controversial — it traditionally involves civet cats eating and excreting coffee cherries.
Not expected. Small change is appreciated at upscale cafes.
25,000-50,000 VND ($1-2) at street stalls, 50,000-100,000 VND ($2-4) at specialty cafes
Did you know? Egg coffee was invented out of necessity: in 1946 Hanoi, fresh milk was scarce, so Café Giang's owner Nguyen Van Giang whipped egg yolk with condensed milk as a substitute — creating an enduring Hanoian icon.