The Over 30 Girly's Edit

Oh, you know, coffee in Vietnam is top-tier; what a surprise! According to TradeImeX, Vietnam is the second-largest coffee exporter and producer in the world in 2023, after Brazil. Pretty impressive, huh? Being born there, this isn’t new to me. We love coffee in Vietnam, most commonly the Cà Phê Đá (iced coffee) or Cà Phê Sữa Đá (iced coffee with condensed milk), both brewed in a phin with Vietnamese coffee beans, of course. It’s strong, y’all, and after 18 years living in the states drinking lattes, I cannot handle Cà Phê Sữa Đá anymore. It would legit send me to bed because of the headache and heart-racing situation. All that to say – my coffee quest for my return to Vietnam in recent years is really for my current coffee consumption – a latte with non-dairy milk for me, and a cappuccino for Toby.

Besides the amazing coffee products in Vietnam, there is a very strong coffee culture as well. It’s a lifestyle, to be honest. It has been part of our culture for as long as I can remember. Twenty to twenty-five years ago, teenagers would hang out more at bubble tea shops. Sadly, those shops have been closing down in recent years, leaving room for coffee shops with a “vibe” to be everywhere on the streets of the country. People in Vietnam love going to coffee shops on weekends, or weekdays for a quick break with friends, or after work, or to work if their jobs allow. And so, almost certainly, there isn’t a coffee shop that serves bad coffee. A mediocre one, perhaps? But that’s because there is so much competition, so they will have to offer a niche thing about their shop compared to the other three down the street.

The one that Toby and I love is, in fact, not that well-known among my friends. It’s called Lacàph Coffee Bar. First of all, Lacàph is a cool name. The first 4 letters (“La Cà”) are actually a slang for hanging out or chilling; the last 4 letters (cà phê) means coffee. Based on this, I’m thinking they’re playing on the words for a meaning of chilling out at a coffee shop, staying true to the proudly Vietnamese coffee culture.

Lacàph has a few locations in Saigon, and the one that we’ve been to is very hidden away. Much like a lot of small alleyway coffee shops in Hanoi, it is tucked inside an old apartment building on Dong Khoi street. The alleyway also hides it pretty well, masked by the banh mi lady who sells breakfast food in the morning only, with her dog always napping right next to her, and vendors selling paintings on the side of the alley. Going a few steps deeper inside, it’s the scooter parking situation for some businesses around as well as the residents who live in the apartment complex. There are some other shops hidden away here too: notably the rather popular Okkio coffee shop. But if you take a left turn when approaching the scooter-parking area, and follow the old crooked stairs (be careful!) to the first level, you’ll find yourself in a little coffee haven: Lacàph Coffee Bar.

The coffee bar itself is small, pretty much just the counter where you’d order your drinks, surrounded outside by shelves of merchandise: books, pins, honey, coffee beans, and so on. There are seats right next to the bar, and through another door, there are more seats that this place shares with Kohei’s cocktail bar, which opens at 2pm. We would usually find ourselves sitting on one of the leather couches in the back, simply enjoying our cups and the quietness of the place.

This time, on our first morning in Saigon, we got to Lacàph sometime after 9 am after our morning workouts. After placing the order, we went straight to our “spot” and relaxed into the lush, comfy leather couch. Oh, it brought back the memories of 2022 when we first sat there. After a few minutes of waiting, the barista brought our coffee out. Before placing them down, he paused and asked, “You guys came here… 2 years ago, right?” We burst out laughing excitedly. “Yes.” He remembered us, how awesome! And without any hesitation, he put the latte in front of me, and the cappuccino in front of Toby. “He truly remembered us,” we said to each other afterward. We told him we had missed his coffee ever since we left and were very excited to be here again. It was so fun and emotional; I thought my eyes were starting to tear up for a second or two. Thank you, Khoa, for not forgetting us!

This latte, though, has velvety milk all the way through. The coffee is nutty, so it goes rather well with the oat milk. I haven’t drunk oat milk at home for some time now, after I recognized that my sugar crashes came so much faster and more intense in the morning. So I’ve switched to cashew milk. But here in Saigon at Lacàph, I really enjoyed this cup and was afraid it would not have been the same if I asked for a different non-dairy milk. Next time, though, I’m going to ask because I know they will make any cup great. At the same time, Toby loved his cappuccino, as usual, and he knows a good cappuccino when he drinks one.

For the rest of our Saigon trip, we came back here every morning. The place wasn’t busy this time, or in 2022, which I liked because time seemed to stop when we were there. But at the same time, considering how many coffee shops there were in Saigon, and a lot of them were always packed, we were worried if they would survive. A quick Google search has told us that they had quite a fan base, too. People seemed to have the same pleasant experience as we did, so I don’t think we need to worry at all :).

If you are in Saigon, or visiting soon and don’t want to deal with an overcrowded or trendy coffee shop while having arguably the best tasting cup of coffee (Vietnamese style or not), check out Lacàph. This location is the only one we have visited, no surprise, but I am confident in their consistent quality. However, if you are also seeking for this quiet and vibey atmosphere while being right next to an upscale barbershop (maybe get a haircut too, just like Toby did both times), Lacàph Coffee Bar on Dong Khoi street is where it’s at.

We can’t wait to see Khoa and have this amazing coffee again in a couple of years. As long as we still go back to Saigon and they’re still open, we’ll be there. Forever a fan.

Now, if you are looking for other coffee spots to explore:

• Okkio Caffe: a smaller chain brand that a lot of young people frequent. Their matcha latte is a very popular item to try!
• Linh : a balcony-overlooking street coffee shop in district 1 of Saigon. We randomly found them while walking around and the interior was very cool – a nod to the older French influenced Vietnam architecture. It was packed on a Friday morning.
• Other chains: Trung Nguyen Legends, Cộng Cà Phê or Katinat. Trung Nguyen is a very well-known coffee brand, and their storefront coffee shops are all over the city (and the country!). Meanwhile, Cộng Cà Phê originated from Hanoi, bringing the old-timer Vietnam vibe (the green color, the decor, the name itself!) – their coconut coffee drink is a killer. And Katinat is a more recent brand but is growing really fast as well. We haven’t tried either of these, but before you decide to go to a Starbucks there, try these first, I beg of you.
• Not a Vietnamese brand, but great coffee: % Arabica (just opened a brand new store in a prime location – next to the famous Saigon post office). We had their coffee in Kyoto, where it originated, and it was very good!

There are so many more places to try, honestly. If you have been to any of these, or have other recommendations, please comment below!