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    Chapter 02 · Food & Coffee · Specialty Coffee Culture

    The Classic, Done Right

    "Ca phe sua da at a 1968 institution — the way it should taste before you compare anything to it."

    A 75-minute sit-down at the cafe that defined Vietnamese iced coffee for an entire generation.

    The Classic, Done Right
    Duration
    75 minutes
    Location
    Saigon · District 1
    Rating
    5 (389 Reviews)
    Price
    €— per person
    About This Tour

    Before you taste the new coffee, you taste the old.

    We start at a 1968 cafe — wooden chairs, marble tables, ceiling fans, a barista in a white shirt who has worked here for 35 years.

    Your phin arrives, drips for nine minutes, and is poured over condensed milk and ice. This is the cup the rest of Vietnam compares itself to.

    Once you've had it the right way, every other Vietnamese coffee you taste makes more sense.

    Ready to explore Hanoi through its food?

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    Highlights

    What you'll
    experience.

    • ·Ca phe sua da at a 1968 Saigon institution
    • ·Meet the 35-year barista
    • ·Learn the proper phin technique
    • ·Side-by-side with ca phe den (black) for comparison
    Itinerary

    Example
    schedule.

    Flexible depending on the day and the season.

    1. 9:00 AM

      Meet at the cafe entrance. Choose a corner table.

    2. 9:15 AM

      Order placed. Phin set on the table.

    3. 9:30 AM

      Watch the drip. Listen to your guide explain the bean, roast, and brew.

    4. 10:00 AM

      Pour, stir, taste. Then a second cup — black this time, for contrast.

    Why This Experience is Different

    Most travelers drink Vietnamese coffee in a tourist cafe.

    We start at the source — the cafe locals still call 'the original'.

    One cup, properly. Not five rushed.

    Reserve

    Join this experience.

    Tell us your dates and group size — we'll confirm availability within hours.

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    Saigon Travel Mate

    A Vietnamese collective of guides, hosts and storytellers.

    Saigon Travel Mate is a travel brand operated by Hanoi Travel Mate Co., Ltd.
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