Ca phe sua da
Photo: Clarin · CC BY 2.5

History

When the French brought coffee to Vietnam in the 19th century they also created a supply problem: fresh milk was scarce and did not keep in the tropics, so sweetened condensed milk stood in for it. The result, dripped through the individual metal phin filter the French also introduced, became ca phe sua. Add ice, essential in Saigon's climate, and it becomes ca phe sua da. Vietnam grows mostly robusta, which is harsher and more caffeinated than arabica, and the slow phin drip and heavy sweetening are what tame it. It is sold on every corner, from plastic-stool stalls to old cafes like Cheo Leo.

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Common allergens: Milk

Make it at home

Yield Serves 1Hands-on 5 minTotal 10 minDifficulty Easy

Ingredients

  • 3 tbsp coarsely ground dark-roast robusta coffee
  • 2 to 3 tbsp sweetened condensed milk
  • Hot water just off the boil
  • A glass of ice

Method

  1. Spoon the condensed milk into a glass or cup.
  2. Add the ground coffee to a Vietnamese phin filter set over the glass and settle it with the press insert.
  3. Pour a splash of hot water to bloom the grounds for 30 seconds, then fill the phin and let it drip slowly, 4 to 5 minutes.
  4. Stir the coffee into the condensed milk until combined.
  5. Pour over a tall glass of ice and stir again before drinking.

Tip from the editors. Use a proper phin and a coarse dark robusta; the slow drip is what gives the coffee its syrupy body.

Where to eat ca phe sua da

Ca phe sua da in Ho Chi Minh City

Cheo Leo Cafe ★ 4.3

$ CafeDistrict 3

Why locals goOne of Saigon's oldest cafes, open since the late 1930s and still brewing robusta over charcoal in cloth filters, tucked down an alley off Nguyen Thien Thuat that tourists miss.

TipOrder the charcoal-brewed ca phe sua da and sit on a low stool; this is a coffee ritual, not a laptop cafe.

Directions

The Workshop Coffee ★ 4.4

$$ CafeDistrict 1Work-friendlyWifi

The Workshop was among the first cafes to take specialty coffee seriously in Saigon, a light-filled heritage loft up a staircase off Dong Khoi.

OrderA single-origin pour-over from the brew bar.

DrinkFilter coffee

TipIt is up a rickety staircase off Dong Khoi; the big windows make it a fine spot to work.

Directions

Runam Bistro ★ 4.1

$$ CafeDistrict 1Work-friendlyWifi

Runam is a lavish multi-storey cafe in a French-style mansion facing the cathedral, pouring Vietnamese egg coffee and hot drip alongside a full breakfast.

OrderEgg coffee, Saigon style, with a banh mi to follow.

DrinkEgg coffee

TipIt faces Notre Dame Cathedral; the upstairs rooms are quieter for a slow breakfast.

Directions

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