It always amazes me when I think about how much Vietnamese people like their coffee. I can't even begin to fathom the number of cafes in Saigon alone. The size of some of them is also staggering. A large outdoor cafe recently opened close to where I live and it has four floors, multiple A/C rooms, multiple waterfalls, a tree house, and even a playground for the little ones.
Vietnam likes its cafes on steroids.
And yet, for every unnecessarily large cafe, there's small one that's stupidly cute. Those are the kind that are tucked away in the back alleys and side streets, and they truly challenge the adventuresome to even find the damn place. Those who succeed find something more than just a nice place to drink coffee. The ambiance of these little oases offer respite from the hectic pace of the city life, and every one of them is the perfect place to spend the day away with a few friends and a heartwarming drink.
Secret "cove" on the left, little pond on the right in between floor seats; the definition of cozy.
On a side note, I was at one of those small cafes the other day and it started to rain outside. I love how when this happens the street spontaneously becomes a dressing room. Everyone pulls over and frantically searches for their raincoat. Of course, these sheets of plastic typically do very little, and the rain usually stops after 30-45 minutes. The mercurial weather here has led me to believe that Mother Nature should be diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
Resistance is futile.
I also want to comment on the actual coffee: cà phê sữa đá. The staple of all coffee shops here in Vietnam, the coffee with milk and ice is the most wonderful, comforting cup of diabetes you'll ever drink. Seriously, all the baristas here dump in an inch or two of condensed milk with maybe an espresso shots worth of coffee to go with it, then pour it over a cup full of ice so it doesn't look like you you've just been ripped off.
Ice is all part of the illusion here.
Still, there's something undeniably amazing about this simple drink. Maybe its the single drip brewer that creates the feeling of anticipation as your drink drips into existence. Or maybe it's the fact that the condensed milk tastes like it was taken from cows made out of vanilla. Personally I think it's the fact that the drink is only a dollar or two and still pretty damn decent. Whatever the reason, many a good times were had over this drink, and I look forward to more sharing of jokes and stories, these liquefied treats in hand.
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