The Times said: "Apart from Brazil, no country produces more coffee than Vietnam. The S-shaped country's coffee industry is now a $3 billion business and accounts for nearly 15 percent of the global market, making Vietnam a giant of Southeast Asia."
In recent years, Vietnamese farmers have shifted from growing Robusta coffee to the more popular Arabica.
HCMC HCM has benefited greatly from this. Thanks to direct supplies from crops to stores, the coffee retail business in this city is booming as more and more specialty cafes spring up around every corner of the city.
1. Rowing
To get started, experience one of the oldest racket cafes in the city. Located deep in the alley of 109 Nguyen Thien Thuat (Ward 2, District 3), Cheo Leo café is being maintained by the children of Mr. Vinh Ngo – the founder of the café in the late 30s of the last century. In the beginning, Cheo Leo was one of the famous music cafes in the center of District 3, a frequent place for "art brothers", students of Petrus Ky or Chu Van An schools.
Today, lyrical Vietnamese music still echoes throughout the shop. Cloth net rackets consisting of a mixture of Robusta coffee, Arabica and loris are passed back and forth. Visitors to the shop should not ignore the famous silver dish with very affordable prices.
Phone: 0369 626 363
Photo: Cheo Leo
2. Lacaph
One of the new luxury cafes in District 1, right near Ben Nghe Rach, a small urban canal zigzags through the city. Its biggest attraction is an impressive exhibition space, decorated with posters, maps, machines or even an antique motorbike.
Guests can join Lacaph's "Vietnamese Coffee & Culture" class, one of the coffee-themed experiences for beginners.
Address: 220 Nguyen Cong Tru, District 1
Telephone: 866721202
https://www.facebook.com/lacaph.coffee/
Photo: Lacaph
3. 96B
The café serves five types of handmade Vietnamese coffee. In addition, coffee enthusiasts who come to the café can take the "Sensory Training" sequence, two courses that impart the art of tasting coffee like a pro, from understanding acidity to judging sweetness.
Address: 96B Phan Ngu Street, Da Kao, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City 700000
Phone: 0969 758 896
https://www.facebook.com/96Bexperiment/?locale=vi_VN
Photo by: 96B
4. The Workshop
There's probably no better place to test your tasting skills than at this sprawling café just off Dong Khoi. The workshop could also win awards for the city's most extensive café food menu, from American breakfasts to North African-style dishes to French desserts.
Address: 27 Ngo Duc Ke, Ben Nghe, District 1 (2nd floor), Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Phone: 028 3824 6801
https://www.facebook.com/the.workshop.coffee/
Photo: The Workshop
5. Little Hanoi Egg Coffee
Sweet, bubbly egg coffee - a classic Hanoi coffee made from whipped egg yolk, condensed milk, sugar and vanilla flavor, is the signature of the shop.
Address: 119/5 Yersin - Pham Ngu Lao Ward - District 1 - Ho Chi Minh, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Phone: 090 452 23 39
https://www.facebook.com/littlehanoieggcoffee/
Photo: Little Hanoi
6. Racket Coffee
From a small coffee cart roaming the streets of Saigon since the 1950s, this Saigon racket café moved to a small alley on Phan Dinh Phung Street and exists there to this day.
A very special thing about Phan Dinh Phung Coffee Racket is that it rarely closes and sells day and night for more than 70 years. And according to the middle-aged customers of the shop, the taste of coffee here has not once changed in that time.
The humble space and everything is old will definitely make you feel full of nostalgia when coming here. Today, the shop is not only a familiar destination for older guests, but young people or office workers also love to "coffee" coffee here.
Address: 330/2 Phan Dinh Phung Street, Ward 1, Phu Nhuan, Ho Chi Minh City
Photo: Coffee Racket
According to NYTimes