Hanoi isn’t new to espresso. In truth, you might even name it Vietnam’s unofficial espresso hub.

The French launched espresso to Vietnam within the mid-1800s. Vietnam took it and made it their very own, shaping their very own espresso tradition. Sure, we’re speaking about these daring, earthy, sturdy robusta brewed with a phin. Throughout struggle and uncertainties, when locals discovered it tough to supply contemporary milk for espresso, they turned to sweetened condensed milk and created the legendary Vietnamese iced espresso. Within the capital, Hanoians changed milk with overwhelmed egg yolk and sugar, which resulted within the metropolis’s well-known egg espresso, now served virtually all over the place you look.

In the present day, Vietnam is the world’s second largest espresso producer, and life within the capital seemingly revolves round this caffeinated beverage. Locals of their workplace fits retreat to tiny pink and blue plastic stools that spill onto pavements, sipping their espresso, sitting subsequent to strangers who slurp a bowl of steaming pho early within the morning. These sturdy, sweetened phin filter brews are nonetheless a core a part of espresso tradition in Vietnam.

Just lately, nevertheless, a brand new sleeve of bold third wave espresso retailers is cropping up throughout this vibrant metropolis house to over eight million individuals (bigger than New York Metropolis). Homegrown baristas at the moment are providing pour-overs, roasting single-origin beans from the nation’s highlands, and sourcing specialty blends from internationally. A few of them are merging custom with modernity, and developing with new, progressive methods to serve the favored native robusta.

That is our second espresso information to Hanoi, a metropolis that continues to evolve in its espresso division.

Ta Cà Phê 3

Throughout my seek for Hanoi’s new era of baristas and specialty espresso spots, I stumbled upon Ta Cà Phê 3 by chance. Situated on Hold Thiec, one of many 36 alleys of the capital’s Previous Quarter, this little espresso store–a part of a farm-to-cup espresso initiative with two different shops throughout Hanoi–isn’t essentially “fancy”. You’ll simply stroll previous it pondering that it’s a kind of a whole lot of streetside espresso retailers, but it surely delivers among the greatest espresso within the Vietnamese capital with pleasant service. Pull up a tiny stool and sit outdoors on the sidewalk—sure, that’s how everybody does it in Hanoi—as silversmiths round you hammer, reduce, form and polish their craft.

You get to select from six sorts of Vietnamese-grown espresso beans, together with 100% honey-processed Arabica, full-bodied Robusta, and the signature Sonata mix. There are two menus: Italian type and Vietnamese. They provide V60, AeroPress, syphon, and phin filter drip espresso. My espresso-based ginger espresso pulled on an all-white La Nuova Period Altea was contemporary and fully rounded, a welcoming respite from Vietnam’s ubiquitous sweetened espresso drinks. However in case you are nonetheless in search of one thing native, their yogurt espresso, which I later tried, is outstanding. Just a few small cabinets retailer beans from Vietnam’s totally different areas, and the chatty baristas might help you choose something that fits your palate.

Dream Beans

For almost seven years, Dream Beans have been brewing espresso within the metropolis’s Previous Quarter, and now with a second outlet: a smaller “little nook” cafe. This unbiased, family-run espresso store is so cozy that it’s a spot the place strangers meet, discuss, and develop into mates. At their major department with three flooring, houseplants, and heat, earthy tones, you’ll additionally see their in-house roastery.

 

Dream Beans sources their espresso from throughout the nation. Their Candy Goals challenge consists of gentle roasted blends with fruity and acidity notes, glorious for chilly brews or pour-overs. The honey-processed Son La Specialty from Vietnam’s northern mountains is especially fashionable, with candy, light notes of stone fruit, lime, and natural tea. Others on provide are medium roasted, single-origin beans, Arabica blends with vivid acidity, and Robusta espresso with notes of darkish chocolate, sometimes brewed utilizing a phin or moka pot.

At their second cafe, I tasted a Dalat/Son La Arabica espresso mix, cappuccino with oat milk: subtly bitter, nutty, and caramelized. Regardless of their dedication for prime quality espresso and worldwide requirements, Dream Beans may be very a lot rooted in Vietnamese custom, too, with Hanoi’s well-known coconut espresso made with candy condensed milk on provide. Additionally they do an incredible matcha latte, mango and pineapple smoothies, and yogurt drinks with cacao. For meals, search for their peanut butter and banana sandwiches.

Nonetheless Shade Cafe

Nonetheless Shade Cafe derives the title from the concept that regardless of the hardships an individual goes by means of, they nonetheless carry a function, a price. And that is precisely how they need their espresso to be. Situated on a bustling slim road solely a few blocks away from the long-lasting St. Joseph Cathedral, this tiny brew bar with a retro vibe serves a few of Hanoi’s well-crafted espresso. It’s cozy and laid again with chill music. You’ll typically see teams of mates or individuals having fun with their solo dates outdoors, engaged on laptops and sipping their espresso.

Since opening their doorways in 2022, Nonetheless Shade Cafe has turned to the Vietnamese Bean Hop Espresso Roastery, together with Malaysian-grown coffees.

The menu is easy. The La Marzocco Linea Mini on the counter churns out a stable espresso, easy, and flavorful. They’ve additionally acquired matcha lattes and takeaway chilly brews good for these Instagram photos. A few native drinks on the menu embody bac xiu, a quintessentially Vietnamese phin-filtered espresso made with chilled contemporary milk that attracts inspiration from the French colonial days and originated in Saigon (HCMC) within the south of the nation.

I additionally love their specialties: pineapple and lime soda; chocolate espresso with marshmallow cream; whiskey and lemon-infused chilly brew.

Third Wave Roasters

Previous few years noticed most of Hanoi’s unbiased specialty espresso retailers develop and progress. Third Wave Roastery is a kind of. Founder Trần Tuấn Linh, whose love for espresso led him to buy inexperienced beans from eBay, started Third Wave as a small roastery. Now, it sits on the facet of a row of communist-era buildings outdoors the capital’s historic Previous Quarter. Take a 30-minute stroll south of the Hoan Kiem Lake to the cafe’s new location, the place you’ll spot the Sanremo Verona 3 on the facet of the counter.

Third Wave’s beans come from Vietnam and all around the world: there’s full-bodied Robusta from Vietnam’s central mountains; Central American Gesha that works effectively for handbook brews; a Brazilian/Colombian/Ethiopian mix supreme for chilly brews; and Laotian espresso with stone fruit, floral, and caramel notes.

My Gori Gesha espresso sourced from the farms of Ethiopia tasted like a mixture of passionfruit and raspberry. Each espresso comes with a butter cookie crafted by baker Đặng Nguyên Nhung, who spent a number of years dwelling in Italy earlier than returning house. It’s also possible to choose from Nhung’s different baked items, like croissants and ache au chocolat. The cafe’s handbook brews embody a formidable checklist of V60, Melitta, Kalita, and Chemex amongst others.

No matter you choose, you’ll be rewarded. It’s only a actually, actually great place with good individuals serving nice espresso.

VULAB Specialty Espresso

Clear, modern, and comfortable. That’s how I’d describe this inviting espresso store positioned in a hidden alley in certainly one of Hanoi’s quieter streets. The small courtyard is especially charming with houseplants. Inside, the inside is vivid with tiled flooring, white and grey tones, and glossy furnishings.

On the bar, proprietor and low connoisseur Vu—and his baristas—are all the time keen to present you a crash course on espresso, and even present you easy methods to brew espresso utilizing a siphon. Vu opened his espresso store simply over a yr in the past and treats it as a laboratory, so that you’ll discover him all the time making an attempt to introduce new issues to the menu.

On my first go to, I beloved their apricot chilly drip. They’ve additionally acquired a brief however glorious seasonal menu that provides pumpkin spice lattes and mulberry chilly drips. Conventional phin espresso apart, Vu brings prime quality beans from Ethiopia, Colombia, Costa Rica, and Guatemala. On the espresso menu, brewed utilizing a Sanremo YOU, is Americano “Beer,” a steamed, frothy drink. For one thing else, go for their matcha or cocoa lattes, hibiscus and fervour fruit refreshers, or lemon oolong.

Zinara Rathnayake is a contract journalist primarily based in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Learn extra Zinara Rathnayake on Sprudge.

Images by Nathan Mahendra.