Ranked by TableJourney editorial score.
Iced milk coffee, the drink Saigon runs on: dark, bitter robusta dripped slowly through a metal phin filter over a layer of sweetened condensed milk, then stirred and poured over a glass of ice. Thick, sweet, intensely caffeinated and built for the heat.
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.
3 editor picks for Ca phe sua da in Ho Chi Minh City, ranked by editorial score. All Ho Chi Minh City signature dishes · Ca phe sua da across every city.
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.
TipIt is up a rickety staircase off Dong Khoi; the big windows make it a fine spot to work.
Cheo Leo is one of Saigon's oldest cafes, open since the late 1930s, still brewing robusta over a charcoal fire and keeping it warm the old way.
OrderThe old-style ca phe sua da, brewed over charcoal.
TipIt hides down an alley off Nguyen Thien Thuat; this is a coffee ritual, not a laptop cafe.
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.
TipIt faces Notre Dame Cathedral; the upstairs rooms are quieter for a slow breakfast.
Ca phe sua da makes more sense with someone from Ho Chi Minh City explaining it. These are the classes and tours we have checked, with booking links.
3 hours
Spend three hours with a talented local chef to cook a three-course meal by yourself, following the steps of the instructions given and using only natural ingredients....
Guided tour · 8 hours
Explore Ho Chi Minh City on a guided tour with a Polish-speaking guide. Ride a traditional rickshaw, visit the Jade Emperor's Pagoda, and enjoy a local lunch.
Private tour · 4 hours
Discover the historic heart of Ho Chi Minh City on a guided tour with a cultural show and meal. Choose between a morning tour with lunch show or an afternoon tour with...
