Coffee!

The coffee in Hanoi is some of the best I’ve ever had. They seem to pride themselves on a slow, flavorful cup of coffee that forces you to sit and relax while you dink it. I’ve had several cups of great coffee since I’ve been here and not one of them is exactly like the other. My favorite so far was at a small café called Café 129 a few blocks from my apartment. It was served in a regular size coffee cup but was only a small shot of coffee. An espresso in a big cup. Then the milk was served on the side. Usually they give you condensed milk already mixed in but this one was on the side. I was able to mix in exactly what I wanted and the flavor was incredible. I like my coffee hot so that’s primarily what I’ve been experimenting with. There are classic cappuccinos and lattes, but the hot espresso with condensed milk is my favorite so far.


Bina, on the other hand likes her coffee chilled. So here’s a small photomontage of a cup she had at this café earlier this week.

The coffee comes in a small drip container and placed over a glass of condensed milk. This picture shows the coffee already in the glass. It had been dripping for several minutes. Notice how the coffee and milk remain totally separated.


Then you mix it up.


Pour it into a glass of ice.


And voila! Ice Coffee.