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CORNER THE MARKET: Trung Nguyen is Vietnam's leading purveyor of coffee. Photos: Kate Whitehead

5 places to get a caffeine fix in Ho Chi Minh city

Asia travel

Vietnam's largest city has a real buzz. Spend any amount of time in the metropolis and before long you'll begin to suspect that the frenetic pace is driven by caffeine. You can't walk down a street in Ho Chi Minh without tripping over a coffee shop. It was the French who introduced the beans to Vietnam in the late 19th century and it wasn't long before the country began growing its own coffee in the highlands and exporting it. Some cafes offer Western-style cappuccinos and lattes, but they all do the national classic known as literally "coffee, milk, ice" — a rich dark roast made in a special version of a press pot, and served with lashings of sweet condensed milk and ice. It has a real kick to it so don't drink it before bedtime. Here are five of the best places to get your coffee fix.

 


This is Vietnam's most successful coffee company — its very own Starbucks, but better, of course. Opened in the late 1990s, there are now more than 1,000 outlets across the country. The coffee menu is extensive (it's a book) and the prices are on the high side, but you can't beat it for quality. If you feel like splashing out on a classic Vietnamese-style brew, try the "Number 8: Break Through" for 94,000 dong (HK$34). Made with arabica, robusta and excelsa coffee beans it smells divine, tastes strong and will give you a buzz that lasts all day. This is a chain, so the interiors are similar — simple pale wood furniture, splashes of red — and if you enjoyed your brew you can buy a bag of beans to take home with you. Regulars say they come back because it's consistently good.

www.trungnguyen.com.vn/en/

 


SWEET TALK: Sozo offers great cakes, a friendly atmosphere and hosts an English-speaking club twice a week.

This small, laid-back joint in the heart of Ho Chi Minh's backpacker land, Pham Ngu Lao, employs disadvantaged youth, teaching them work skills and English. All the profits from the cafe go back to training the staff and giving them a start in life and all that positivity makes for a great atmosphere and friendly serving staff. Vietnamese and Western-style coffee are available, from 25,000 dong for a black local brew to 60,000 dong for a cappuccino. If you've got a sweet tooth, this is the place to indulge. The house-made cookies are great and there are muffins, brownies and apple tart cheesecake on the menu. This is not a place to count the calories. Sozo also hosts an English-speaking club twice a week, where foreigners speak to Vietnamese students, so if you're in town on a Tuesday or Friday evening (7pm to 9pm) and fancy chatting to some locals, here's the place.

 


VIVE LA FRANCE: L'Usine serves up a taste of colonial elegance.
For contemporary Vietnamese cool, you can't beat L'Usine. A fashion boutique, art gallery and cafe all rolled into one, come here to meet Ho Chi Minh's creative set. This French-inspired hangout overlooking the Opera House is smack in the heart of the city, near the Caravelle and Continental hotels. Check out the work of local fashion designers, sculptors, painters and graphic artists, and then head to the cafe — it's an open-plan space, so you can see through to the store. There's a relaxed chalkboard menu of sandwiches, paninis and salads — expect to pay about 150,000 dong for a Caesar salad. There is a tempting line-up of cupcakes and cakes to go with coffee and the dinner menu — served after 5pm — is more substantial with pasta dishes (190,000 dong) and steak (290,000 dong). Opened in 2010, it has proved so popular that a second outlet has opened on Le Loi Street, just around the corner. This first one is still the place to go, it's much bigger, although the Le Loi Street outlet does have an outdoor terrace.

 


WORLDLY VIEW: the charming La Fenetre is managed by an Indonesian and has a Cuban-born pianist.

This renovated old warehouse is the place when you want to beat a retreat from the chaos of the city. It's like hanging out in the apartment of a very cool friend: the walls are rough brick and concrete, the furniture is a mix of deep sofas and velvet bar stools and a zany mirror collection dominates one wall. In the afternoon, you can sit with a coffee for hours and no one will try and hurry you along. The resident Cuban pianist — yes, he's the real deal — tinkles away and the switch from coffee to cocktails is seamless as evening approaches. After dark, this place morphs into a lounge bar-cum-nightclub with a live band, but before then there's food to be had. La Fenetre Soleil used to be known as the best place in Ho Chi Minh for Vietnamese-Japanese fusion food, but the Indonesian manager recently decided to switch the menu to what she knows best and the menu now boasts classic home-style Indonesian fare (180,000 dong for the set menu).

 


STREET WISE: Nguyan Hoang is a favourite with locals for its relaxed outdoor area.
This is where you come if you want coffee, and perhaps a smoke and a chat. There is no snack menu; it's all about the coffee that is displayed in huge glass urns. There are no pretensions, the scene is very local — you only get the occasional foreigner here — and the low chairs and tables spill out onto the street, making it a great spot for people watching. A bright yellow canopy extends across the pavement, expanding the scope of the corner cafe and giving it a real street vibe. A television in the corner shows random shows and wildlife documentaries. The prices are reasonable — from 30,000 to 70,000 dong depending on the beans you choose. Iced coffee is the order of the day, served alongside a glass of water. They've never heard of lattes and skinny cappuccinos here, this is local all the way, and the vibe is great.

 

 

This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as: 5 places to get a caffeine fix in Ho Chi Minh city
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