The Ultimate Guide To Vietnamese Coffee

If you’re a coffee lover, then you better put Vietnam on your bucket list! As Australians, it can be challenging to find exceptional coffee, even in Melbourne.

So one of the reasons we love coming to Vietnam, is for their coffee. And within minutes of wherever we stay, we can always find good coffee.

So in this blog post, I’ll run through different types of coffee styles you can try in Vietnam.

By the way, there may be slight variances in the name and style of coffee between the north and south Vietnam. Plus, with most of the coffees they come in a hot or cold version.

So please use the information in this blog as a guide.

See below for some basic definitions:

Ca phe = coffee
Den = black
Nong = hot
Sua = milk (South Vietnam), and Nua (North Vietnam); this can also be for condensed milk! So check before you order.
Da = iced

So let’s get into it!

Vietnamese Black Coffee, Ca Phe Den

My Ca Phe Den Da at Avatar Hotel DaNang. **Find out about our buffet breakfast HERE.**

This is the regular black coffee… which when you think of all the different coffee variations, it sounds boring! But there are different coffee types such as Arabica, Robusta, Weasel and blends.

So as we have a Vietnamese phin coffee filter that we take with us everywhere… if we make our own coffee it’s a ca phe den nong (hot black coffee).

So that’s why when Paul and I go out for coffee, we treat ourselves to a different Vietnamese coffee. Or the other reason we have ca phe den when we go out… is because they don’t have the condensed milk version or other type of coffee.

Most of the time this style of coffee is done using a phin filter. Check out our blog post about making Vietnamese coffee with filter HERE.

Vietnamese Coffee With Condensed Milk, Ca Phe Sua

As mentioned earlier, having sua/nua in your coffee could mean that it’s milk or condensed milk.

If we have this version, we prefer it with condensed milk, as we think it has a better flavor. And, we prefer it iced (da).

In some places they’ll mix the condensed milk in with the coffee, then serve it to you…

Ca Phe Sua Da at Lemongrass Restaurant. **Find our more about the buffet breakfast we had at Lemongrass HERE.**

In other places they put the condensed milk in the bottom, then pour the coffee on top. And then you can mix it together yourself…

Ca Phe Nua Da at Mercure Hanoi La Gare Hotel. **Read our review HERE.**

The result is a sweet coffee treat, and most times we’ve found that the sweetness is not overpowering. So this allows the coffee flavor to still be enjoyed.

TIP:

When we were in Da Nang, a coastal town in Central Vietnam… I’d noticed on a menu that there was a Ca Phe Sua Da and a Ca Phe Sua Da Saigon. When I asked what the difference was, I was told that the Saigon version was bigger…

I got this Ca Phe Sua Da Saigon in DaNang. **Read more about the cafe HERE.**

Vietnamese Coconut Coffee, Cot Dua Ca Phe

Out of all the coffees we’ve tasted, this would have to be our favorite version! If you’ve been to West Lake Hanoi, there is an awesome little coffee shop called Tapies.

Tapies is a must try if you’re in the area. Not only is the service great, but the coffees are magnificent. See our blog about Tapies HERE.

So we tried a coconut coffee at the Epice Restaurant in the Pullman Danang Resort. This was the first time we’d tried it and it was tasty. And here’s what this one looked like…

Yet, when we went to Tapies it was completely different…

Oh so delicious, Vietnamese Coconut Coffee at Tapies in West Lake Hanoi. **Find out more HERE.**

And we definitely went to flavortown when we had this coffee! The big dollops of coconut ice cream was not too sweet to overpower the coffee. And there was a hint of condensed milk and ice added as well.

It really was a winning coffee for us.

Writing this blog post is making me crave a Tapies Vietnamese Coconut Coffee now! So I better keep writing…

Vietnamese Avocado Coffee, Ca Phe Bo

When Paul and I were staying at An Phu Apartment, in the Ben Nghe ward of District 1 Ho Chi Minh City… about 1km away was a café we’d heard who did avocado coffees!

So one day we went for a wander to a place called Shelter Coffee & Tea. They have 2 cafes, and the one we went to was on 13 Le Thann Ton Street.

We make our own smoothies with avocado, which gives it a creamy texture. So we were expecting the avocado coffee to be similar.

And when we got there, we weren’t disappointed. Like the Vietnamese coconut coffee, there was condensed milk in it to give it a slightly sweet flavor.

Thanks to Shelter Coffee & Tea for the photo of the Avocado Coffee

Vietnamese Egg Coffee, Ca Phe Trung

Yep, you read that right… egg coffee. While you’re thinking about it, the images in your mind will be making your stomach churn with disgust. Yet, have an open mind as this was an excellent coffee.

While the key ingredient is a whipped egg yolk, other ingredients are added to the coffee. The ingredients varies depending on the café. We tried the hot version, and it came out with a creamy layer, which was oh so delicious!

Then, when we mixed all the ingredients together it was a match made in heaven.

We had the opportunity to try the original and best in the Hanoi Old Quarter…

To find out more about the Vietnamese egg coffee, check out our blog post HERE.

There are many other varieties we found including yogurt coffee, beer coffee, chocolate coffee, and more.

From a side street café expect to pay from about 10,000 VND (about USD $0.50) for a basic Vietnamese coffee. For better quality coffees at a café the prices will vary… but expect to pay from about 25,000 VND and upwards for a basic coffee.

We’ve been fortunate on our travels in Vietnam, to be able to try the huge range of coffees. And if you’re a coffee lover you’ll absolutely love it here. So feed your coffee wanderlust and ENJOY!

Plus, if you’re wanting some delectable pastries, breads or other sweet treats to go with your Vietnamese coffee… see our blog post HERE.

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Note: All of our reviews and comments are our opinions and no-one else’s. Even if we receive complimentary goods or services we share our opinions honestly.