There is nothing more than I look forward to in the morning, afternoon or anytime, really, is a cup of coffee. I love the smack of bitterness that hits your tongue. The fresh smell before and after brewing. The feeling of the extreme productive rush you get and then the subsequent cups to prevent a crash. Some people do “drugs” I do coffee.
N’don’t even think about putting sugar in my shit. The blacker the better, thank you very much.
So, welcome to Hanoi where the coffee tastes like battery acid. Ok, I may get some backlash on that one. Let me take off my Western lenses for this one. Cafe Den Da (cold iced coffee) is how I have to drink mine here because it is sweltering. Khong Duong (no sugar), please. So with that particular order, my coffee comes out in the drinkable version of battery acid. I’ve tried drinking it like the locals with condensed milk and I was high for weeks. If you can do it, all the more power to ya.
The unique thing about Hanoi is that there are cafes every where. I really don’t know how they all survive, but they’re everywhere. One for any mood that you may be in. So, Les go to some cafes!
This little eccentric gem is located at the end of an easily missed alley (like all good things). Ca Phe Nha Kho is for the hoarders at heart. It smells musty. It looks cluttered. It feels claustrophobic. It’s so Hanoi. I love it. And you can get these lil green bean paste which pair with your acidic coffee, it’s a pleasant combo!
Or, if you’re lookin for something a little more open, there’s Tiny Cafe which ain’t so tiny. This is found at the end of an even more narrow alley. I could spend hours amongst the books.
My GF came across this underground cafe which is centered around books. The seclusion of the basement makes me wanna curl up and read all day. Funnily enough, I tried going there by myself and the ole Vietnamese lady owner shooed me away. She wanted nothin to do with my Western ass. Try Pink Book Cafe!
There are too many niche cafes to even highlight them. We tried this one out this morning and I could see myself hidden within my own lil nature utopia within the city (Tapies Cafe).
I’ve come to tolerate and maybe even depend on the kick in the teeth that is Vietnamese coffee. Lucky for me, there are plenty more cafes to explore!
Les Go... 