Coffee is one of the specialties of Hanoi. I have never tried drinking coffee anywhere in the world except Vietnam. But I heard that Vietnamese coffee is rated as one of the best coffee in the world. So today I am going to write about coffee in Vietnam and the best cafes in Hanoi where I think the coffee is the best.
The favorite types of coffee in Hanoi
Coffee in Vietnam is mainly made from Robusta coffee. Robusta coffee beans are more bitter, less sour, more caffeine than Arabica. Traditional Vietnamese coffee is the coffee with a strong flavor. What makes Vietnamese coffee one of the most popular coffees in the world is the way it is prepared and consumed.
Vietnamese people often drink coffee slowly to enjoy. We often chat in popular Vietnamese cafes with small plastic chairs on the sidewalk and watch people and motorbikes pass by.
The following are the favorite types of coffee in Hanoi:
Black coffee
Black coffee is one of the familiar drinks of Vietnamese people. You can find it anywhere from luxury restaurants, offices or sidewalk cafes.
A true cup of black coffee will be a cup of pure coffee without adding milk or cream, from which the enjoyer can enjoy full flavor that coffee brings. Coffee ingredients must be selected to be completely pure, not mixed with corn, soybeans, starch… so that people can enjoy the charming but delicate taste of coffee. raw material can be obtained. Black coffee is usually made from a coffee filter.
Brown coffee (or Milk coffee)
Milk coffee is specially prepared coffee and has two main ingredients: coffee and condensed milk (without other flavorings like cocoa powder and/or cinnamon like when people make Cappuccino). This helped to create the perfect balance between bitter and strong Robusta beans.
Baristas often put sweetened condensed milk into the cup and ground coffee into the filter cap on the top of the cup. Fill the coffee with hot water and the coffee will slowly fall from the top through the filter into the cup. As it drips down, the coffee will slowly mix with the condensed milk in the cup.
There is hot milk coffee and iced milk coffee. Hot milk coffee is also known as hot brown, which is popular in the North in winter due to the cold weather.
Egg coffee
Egg coffee is a beverage originating from Vietnam that is made from Robusta with chicken eggs (with a small amount of honey) and sweetened condensed milk.
Egg yolks are hand-beaten with milk, granulated sugar, then pour boiling coffee over. Coffee cups float in a fragrant brown color. Egg coffee is made from whisked eggs mixed with coffee, made very well, to just pour hot coffee into the beaten egg, it will form a beautiful and fragrant foam. Egg coffee has a slightly yellow color in a small cup. To keep the drink hot, the waiter places the coffee in a bowl of warm water. After being poured through the whipped cream foam from the egg, the strong coffee flavor that remains at the bottom of the cup is somewhat stronger.
Coconut coffee
Coconut coffee is a familiar drink of young people in recent years. This is an easy drink with the bitter taste of coffee that is perfectly blended by the moderate sweetness with the greasy taste of coconut milk and the coolness of crushed ice for hot days.
Coffee yogurt
Coffee yogurt is a combination of yogurt and coffee. Yogurt is often trusted and used a lot by many women, because it has good health effects such as beauty, digestive support, etc. And coffee helps to keep the spirit awake. If you are infatuated with the taste of coffee but hesitate because you are afraid of being drunk with coffee or afraid that coffee will make your skin less sharp, coffee yogurt with a unique flavor will be a reasonable solution. It helps to stay awake, focus on working effectively and affect health or skin.
Yogurt has a characteristic sweet and sour taste and a fatty taste that is mixed with the bitter taste of coffee to create a new and unique taste. Not only is it a delicious drink with a gentle, delicate aroma, it also scores in a beautiful and extremely attractive form.
The best cafes in Hanoi
Turning through the streets in the heart of Hanoi, we all see the silhouettes of cafes. This is really the ideal space for everyone because they not only bring us the taste of cups of coffee but also the view, the architecture and the warm and calm atmosphere.
Giang cafe
Giang Cafe is one of the traditional cafes with a breath of history. It is believed that the inventor of Vietnamese Egg Coffee is Mr. Nguyen Giang. He is the founder of Giang Cafe at 39 Nguyen Huu Huan street. Hanoians who are addicted to coffee are no stranger to Giang cafe, especially with egg coffee.
Giang cafe is located humbly deep in a small alley on Nguyen Huu Huan Street, in the Old Quarter. The cafe can be hard to find, but the experiences you get are well worth the effort.
Address: 39 Nguyen Huu Huan, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
Open 07:00 AM – 10:30 PM Mon – Sun
Cong Cafe
Cong cafe is probably one of the most famous cafes in Hanoi. The cafe is present in almost every district of Hanoi.
Cong cafe has the Hanoi style of the last century, reminiscent of the memories of the subsidy period of the capital’s children rushing back to each set of lumpy tables and chairs and decorative objects in the cafe.
The most famous dish of Cong Cafe is probably the coconut coffee.
Price: about VND 49,000 to VND 59,000 (about 2 dollars)
Yen Cafe
Personally, I like drinking coffee at Yen Cafe the most.
Coming to Yen Cafe, you cannot ignore the famous “Sapa” dish. Thanks to the sweet, aromatic taste from the blend of fat cream and Arabica, all have helped this coffee to conquer many coffee lovers.
Address: 11A Tran Quoc Toan, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi.
Price: about VND 45,000 for a cup of Sapa (nearly $2)
Tranquil Books & Coffee
Tranquil Books & Coffee is famous for its quiet, cool and pleasant space with delicious special drinks and distinct flavors. Sitting on the mezzanine of the cafe watching the scenery or reading books, listening to a little melodious music is really great. This is an ideal place to relax after hard working and studying days.
The cafe is a bit small, but the design is quite lovely and impressive with many beautiful corners such as a large ceiling-high bookcase, a dusty red brick wall or a very romantic sunny yellow courtyard.
Address: 5 Nguyen Quang Bich, Cua Dong, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
Besides, there are also many other famous cafes serving great coffee in the Old Quarters of Hanoi (such as Cafe Dinh at 13 Dinh Tien Hoang street, Cafe Lam at 60 Nguyen Huu Huan street…).
I hope that you will one day come to Hanoi and enjoy the taste of coffee here.