Vietnamese Coffee 🤯
Had the chance to visit one of the world's main coffee suppliers, so I really made sure to make the most out of my stay and drink every coffee I could. All of the items featured are found in either The Cafe Apartments or around Ho Chi Minh.
And with that, I present to you all of the coffees I tried and my thoughts on each:
Po Cafe - Iced Egg Coffee (65k VND): Starting strong with the best one of all in my honest opinion. It's the only coffee I've tried so far with crème brûlée-like custard. Sweet, thick, and flavorful din yung custard, so I really enjoyed dipping the flaky croissant that came with it. Halos walang lansa, too! (Which I really loved). Thank you talaga sa nag-recommend. (8/10)
Po Cafe - Pandan Coffee: Parang pumunta ka sa handaan tapos nag-mix yung sabaw ng coffee jelly saka buko pandan... masarap naman sya for my taste, surprisingly! (7/10)
The Letter - Iced Egg Coffee (45k VND): Small serving yet strong coffee, foamy, and not as sweet. Not bad at all, you might just want to wait for the ice to melt a bit so you get to "drink" more. (6/10)
Casa le Cuy Don - Tiramisu Coffee: I was supposed to order a Vietnamese coffee with avocado and coconut cream, but unfortunately it was unavailable that day, so I played it safe by getting a typical iced tiramisu coffee. The foam was nice, rich, and generally a little less sweet (which is alright with me). Nothing special in my opinion. (6/10)
Hoang's Kitchen - Coconut Coffee: DAMN. Isa pa ito, pantapat sa egg coffee ng Po Cafe! Hahahaha. The name may sound simple, but this is not your average coffee + coconut milk combo. Very delicious, ice-blended din so it's even more refreshing, and I also like the sweetness coming from the coconut. Not the biggest coconut fan, but it was bussin! (8/10)
Meraki Cafe - Iced Vietnamese Milk Coffee: Not too sweet, not too milky, not too strong -- just right. Quite plain for my liking. What makes this drink unique are the sliced coffee jellies in it, but the taste is still forgettable. Nice twist though. (6/10)
Iced Coffee ni Manong sa gilid ng hotel namin - Cà Phê Sữa Đá (20k VND): ITO NA YON. The real deal. Nothing beats the OG. It's very simple -- condensed milk + concentrated coffee + ice. Period.
At first I thought medyo marami yung condensed, pero hindi naman pala sya jabetis-sweet. Not sure if Viet condensed milk is generally less sweet compared to ours, pero whenever I try to make this at home, it's either too strong or too sweet. But with this one, sumakto lang yung blend nung 2 ingredients.
I think what makes it special is the coffee itself. I need to learn how they make it in batches. Sobrang sarap nito pag nag-water down huhu. Out of all the coffees I tried, this is the one I bought most often. Until now, hinahanap-hanap ko pa rin :< . Winner ang presyo, winner ang lasa. (10/10)
Iced coffee ulit ni Manong (with fresh milk): Our hotel came with free breakfast and I thought of adding some fresh milk just to see how it tastes. My personal favorite. Medyo hawig din sa McDonald's original iced coffee pag nag-water down, so it's still flavorful even after an hour. (10/10)
Ben Thanh Market - Luwak Coffee Sampler (libre lang): Smoooooooth. Though this could be counterfeit luwak (since authentic ones are quite hard to produce), the blend is still nice. NOT ACIDIC AT ALL and has some chocolatey hints. Best mixed with milk according to the seller (probably for lattes). Such a budol find! (8.5/10)
(Bought a 250 g worth of ground beans for 500k vnd huhu)
Coffee 105 - Iced Cappuccino: Average iced cappuccino served with tea on the side. (Yes -- some lightly flavored iced tea. Apparently this is a thing in Vietnam hahaha). (6/10)
Coffee 105 - Hot Egg Coffee: Rich and bold. Medyo may lansa lang yung egg (or maybe that's just me). Would appreciate it more if it were a little sweeter. Also served with light iced tea btw. (7.5/10)
Củ Chi Tunnels - Cà Phê Sữa Đá (40k vnd): Crawling through the hot and cramped tunnels was tiring, so I needed something to drink afterwards. Sakto, may store outside, so I tried their coffee. It's a bit darker than Manong's near the hotel, but the taste is almost just as bold, if not a little stronger by 1% lol. Amazed by the cheap OG coffee's consistency. Craving satisfied. (9/10)
Good Day - Mint Coffee: Hmmm... just some Viet latte with a drop of artificial mint extract at the bottom. Didn't finish it. (5/10)
McDonald's - Iced White Vietnamese Coffee: Lasang jabetis. Matamis na medyo mapait na ewan, pero tolerable naman yung lasa. Almost didn't taste the coffee huhu sorry. (5/10)
The Box - Iced Vietnamese White Coffee: Another gem right at the corner. I actually had this first before trying the one from McDonald's. Was surprised that it's not really "white" and creamy as expected. It's like a lighter version of cà phê sữa đá without losing the flavor and quality. (9/10)
Marou - Salted Coffee (85k VND): This one's more on the upscale side. Sweet, creamy... and salty hahaha. Coffee is not as strong, especially since I had it in the morning. Maybe it's better taken in the afternoon. Medyo hawig sa SB yung quality. (8/10)
Farmi Point - Hot Egg Coffee: The first ever egg coffee I've tried. Generous serving, foamy, tasty coffee, almost like a cappuccino, so I got confused whether the barista got my order right. Kaso nalasahan ko yung lansa on my last few sips hahaha. (7.5/10)
Almost all convenience stores around - Milo Coffee: Isipin mo Nescafe with Milo, but done right. (6/10)