Asia travel – Before I Kick it Travel

Coffee in Vietnam! I know it may be strange to have coffee in Vietnam listed on my bucket list. Let me first start by saying that I love a nice, hot cup of coffee almost every morning. Black! No sugar, no milk. I will admit that from time to time I enjoy coffee iced, frozen, or with milk as a treat. There is something so fulfilling and relaxing about opening a bag of coffee beans and breathing in the aroma. To then grind those beans and make a perfect cup of coffee can be even more satisfying. No matter what I am doing, a cup of coffee makes me feel relaxed and I love it.

After doing a couple of food tours in Vietnam, I was so happy to discover that coffee in Vietnam is huge. The coffee culture is so strong that it is hard to walk down any busy street without coming across several cafes. I guess I should not have been so surprised since the French left their mark and its cafe culture in Vietnam after 100 years of occupation. As part of my bucket list food adventures, I had planned to do a coffee tour in Vietnam. However, due to the coronavirus, my tour was canceled. I was grateful that the tour company provided me a list of cafe shops we would have visited, told me what to order, and gave me insights on the coffee.

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Coffee in Vietnam is definitely a treat. The cafes all over the country serve so many different types of coffee. The most traditional coffee in Vietnam is strong, made with Robusta beans, and served with condensed milk. However, even with condensed milk, the coffee still has a very strong flavor.

The coffee is unique because of the technique the Vietnamese use to make it. A small stainless steel filter makes all the difference. They are relatively cheap and if you purchase coffee beans in Vietnam, I highly recommend that you grab a filter at the same time. If cheap kitchenware is not your style, you can also buy colorful ceramic filters too. With so many cafes sprinkled throughout the country, here are a few of my favorites where I think you can find some of the best coffee in the country.

Coffee with condensed milk

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Cafe Dinh is in Hanoi’s Old Quarter and has some of the best egg coffee in the city. The cafe is in a hole in the wall and it is impossible for tourists to find unless they already know what they are looking for. You have to enter a dark alley and climb a flight of stairs before you reach the cafe. You may at first be frightened, but push past that fear because you will be rewarded with one of the best cups of coffee in the city.

Some will say that this cafe is a tourist trap and no local would ever visit. But, I found that to not be true. I went to this cafe a few times and I did not see a single tourist in sight. The cafe itself is dark and the atmosphere feels old world. I just imagine that it was once a place packed with artistic or hip people of the day. I will warn you that smoking is allowed, which is the only downside to this place.

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Egg Coffee

As for the most important part, the egg coffee, it is simply delicious. This specialty coffee originates in Hanoi and is the best city to try it. You may be wondering what in the world is egg coffee? The Vietnamese prepare it with robusta coffee beans, egg yolk, condensed milk and sugar. They beat the egg yolk with sugar and coffee until it makes a sort of fluffy custard. Many people serve it in a bowl of warm water to maintain the temperature of the coffee, but Cafe Dinh does not use that method. I was nervous to try it, but it is the most unique and yummy type of coffee I have ever tasted.

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My second favorite cafe for egg coffee in Vietnam was at Hanoi Egg Coffee. While the name of the cafe may not be original, they serve one of the best egg coffees in the city. This tiny cafe also serves several types of rice wine and snacks like bahn mi. The reason why this cup of egg coffee was beat out by Cafe Dinh, is because I think it’s a tad too sweet for my liking. The Vietnamese use A LOT of sugar in their cuisine and there is no exception for coffee.

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Egg Coffee

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Loading T Cafe in Hanoi is a cute French inspired cafe in the middle of the Old Quarter. While I enjoyed drinking egg coffee a several cafes in the city, I definitely loved the coffee at Loading T the most. They roast their coffee beans with cinnamon sticks, which makes for a very unique and delicious flavor. I tried their regular iced coffee with condensed milk and a frozen coconut coffee. I have never said yum so many times while sipping coffee. If I had spent any significant amount of time in Hanoi, I would have visited this cafe time and time again. Definitely some of the best coffee in Vietnam.

The ambiance of the cafe adds to the entire experience of having a delicious cup of coffee in Vietnam. Loading T is on a small side street in Hanoi. The yellow building looks like something out of an old century story. The cafe is on the top floor and is cute and quaint. French music is softly playing in the background. There are a few cozy tables spread throughout the space. It is inviting and relaxing.

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Frozen Coconut Coffee

Iced Coffee with Condensed Milk

Coffee in Vietnam comes a variety of styles. If what I have mentioned does not sound appealing, then you can also try Vietnamese drip coffee without condensed milk, black iced coffee, fruity coffee, and yogurt coffee. Of these choices, I tried yogurt coffee. It was not horrible, but not my favorite type of coffee in Vietnam. The creamy constancy of yogurt in iced coffee was not that appealing. But, it is worth trying. If you are up for being adventurous, then you should also try weasel coffee. What is weasel coffee? Essentially, it is when weasels have digested and pooped out coffee beans. They sell it throughout Vietnam.

Coffee with yogurt

Food tours are a must when I travel to any country for the first time and Vietnam was no exception. Food is one of the main reasons I get excited about traveling. I must admit that I love to eat. When I am at home, I spend hours in the kitchen trying to recreate dishes I have tasted around the world. I particularly enjoy Asian food. So, I did a lot of research on Vietnamese cuisine before my first trip to Vietnam. Even if you have a lot of time to explore Vietnam, it will be hard to taste all of the must eat Vietnamese cuisine during your trip. I found the best way to eat my way through the country and to taste all of the traditional and unexpected foods was to by taking a couple of food tours during my trip.

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As with most food tours, the tour in Vietnam is not just about stuffing yourself silly. Food Tours in Vietnam give you the chance to learn a lot about the people, culture, a little bit of the language and something about the various regions in the country. Vietnamese consider their food to be a reflection of their values. To find the balance that is good for the body. No matter the region, you will certainly hear the Vietnamese talk about a balance of flavors and temperatures to make up the best dish. They really focus on the six senses as well as food texture. It is very fresh and meats are not cooked for a long time. Lots of vegetables and herbs accompany each dish.

Food, even the same dish, varies by region. So, doing multiple food tours throughout Vietnam is worth it. I found that all Vietnamese food had more sugar in it than I normally eat. But, the flavor and spices in food changes as you travel from the north to the south. With the north making more “bland” dishes, the central part of the country makes more spicy food, and very sweet dishes are served in the South.

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If you get to spend a lot of time in Vietnam and plan to travel to multiple destinations, then I recommend that you do a food tour in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi. There are only a few dishes that you are likely to taste on both food tours. Even then, those dishes will be different enough that you will appreciate having tasted them in both cities. If I had had time, I would have also done food tours in Central Vietnam. I loved everything I ate in Hoi An. Sadly, I did not really get the chance to enjoy the food in Hue, which is supposed to be some of the best food in the country.

I recommend that you do some research on food tours in Vietnam before you book anything. There are several types to cater to different needs. Possible experiences include night tours, dinner with the locals, street food tours, or off the beaten path tours. You can also choose between private and group tours or if you want to include sightseeing with your food tasting. I booked a private tour with Get your Guide in Ho Chi Minh City and a group tour with Hanoi Street Food Tour in Hanoi. Both tours were absolutely fantastic.

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If you choose similar tours to the two food tour companies I used, then you will generally have between 8-10 tastings at multiple restaurants around the city. Most food tours will accommodate food allergies. But, if you are a picky eater or have a very restrictive diet, then food tours might not be such a great option. All of the food will be small portions, but you will certainly be stuffed by the end of the tour. Several of the tastings may have a communal diner feel. You may participate in a lot of hands on eating. The Vietnamese serve a lot of fresh food that sometimes consist of wrapping savory bites in lettuce.

Most food tours include all of Vietnam’s must eat foods. I had my fill of noodle soups, Vietnamese pancake, and depending on the region, egg coffee. There may even be a few surprises. One surprise for me was coconut ice cream. I had never seen ice cream like this before; served with old and new sticky rice, coconut chips, sweet potato, and coconut jello. It looked weird, but it tasted fantastic.

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Generally, food tours in Vietnam are 3-4 hours long and are walking tours.

That was my experience in Hanoi, where we did the entire tour in a few blocks in the Ancient City. Things were different in Ho chi Minh City, where food tours cover a lot of ground in a busy city. Many food tours make their way around town by motorbike, which are completely part of the culture. Your tour guide will drive you through the city’s busy and congested streets. It seems like rush hour traffic is all day in Vietnam’s big cities. So, if you are uncomfortable riding a on the back of a motorbike, then I recommend that you look for tours that specifically note they are walking tours

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No matter what you decide, you will absolutely love eating all of Vietnam’s tasty treats. I hope you enjoy Vietnam’s cuisine as much as I did!

Tag: Asia travel

Coffee in Vietnam: My Favorite Cafes

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