Specialty cafe boom in Ho Chi Minh city

Vietnam – a country known to many for its second largest coffee export volume in the world (mainly robusta beans), but not all tourists before coming to this country know about the diversity of coffee shops spread across the S-shaped country, especially cafes in Ho Chi Minh city.

Quick recap for coffee story

Going back to history when the “waves” of coffee began to take shape and reach saturation, so that the next waves were born, developed and grew, penetrating every corner of the world’s life. First of all, the first wave must be mentioned, somewhere in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, coffee was known and became a popular and accessible drink to bring alertness to drinkers for a long time. Roasted coffee packages with different weights and roasts were packaged for sale to consumers for home use. With the main approach being expansion and low cost, many big international and Vietnamese brands have become known and are still easily found in supermarkets today.

The second wave of coffee appeared in the second half of the 20th century, when drinking coffee could become a reason for people to meet and chat, living spaces in coffee shops were born, large coffee chains sprung up on every corner of the United States, Canada, Australia. Drinking coffee at a shop, where there is a spacious space, melodious music, a variety of coffee-based drinks developed along with a variety of choices of accompanying cakes, has been elevated to an experience in a busy industrial life. Following the explosive growth of the second wave, coffee enthusiasts gradually introduced the concept of small coffee roasters, focusing on sourcing, growing methods, soil, geography, climate, and coffee growing habits, to produce exceptionally meticulous harvests, rare coffee packages, and of course, high prices. The third wave of coffee from the West Coast of the United States has spread to the ancient streets of Europe and the booming cities of Asia.

Not standing outside that trend, let’s explore with us some addresses of the famous specialty cafe in Ho Chi Minh recently.

Top 5 famous specialty cafes in Ho Chi Minh city

Bosgaurus Opera  – Address: 12 Nguyen Sieu, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City

Located not far from the City Theater and nestled among the many famous coffee chains in Saigon today, Bosgaurus – The Opera House does not lose its own uniqueness. The value of Bosgaurus is based on the concept of “truly specialty coffee”.

Since its establishment, Bosgaurus has focused on the criteria of using Arabica beans for the brand’s drinks. The founders of Bosgaurus have even succeeded in launching the Arabica iced milk product line. While the popular iced milk coffee in Vietnam uses Robusta beans, Bosgaurus has made a bold move by using Arabica grown entirely in Vietnam for this drink. The result will help those of you who are not familiar with the strength of Vietnamese coffee beans to get acquainted with the unique Vietnamese way of brewing coffee with a filter, and make this purely Vietnamese beverage more accessible and easier to drink.

Shin Heritage – Address: 27 Le Van Lang, Ben Thanh Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City

Founded in 2015, Shin Coffee is one of the pioneers of specialty coffee in many regions of Vietnam, from the northern mountainous provinces such as Son La, Dien Bien, to the Central mountainous areas such as A Luoi, Khe Sanh… to familiar coffee growing areas such as Da Lat, Pleiku…

Shin Coffee is also known as a leading domestic brand in the closed coffee production model “from farm to cup”, with close links with raw material areas, farmers and strict control of the process to create complete finished products. Ethnic minority households in 7 specialty coffee regions: Son La, Khe Sanh, Da Lat, A Luoi, Pleiku, Kontum, Dien Bien are guided by SHIN coffee experts to build farms, select tree varieties, and instruct on coffee cultivation techniques according to organic food standards, close to nature.

The only Shin Heritage store is located right opposite Cua Dong – Ben Thanh Market, on a super small street and seems to be lost among shoe stores.

Hummingbird – Alley 103BIS Vo Thi Sau, Ward 6, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City

The founder of Hummingbird Coffee & Roastery is not a strange name in the specialty coffee enthusiasts of both Vietnam and the world, having studied coffee roasting techniques in Korea and Australia, and being a prestigious judge of the Vietnam National Barista Competition for many years… that information is enough to prove that a coffee shop, although hidden behind the crowded streets of Saigon, still always has a stable number of domestic and foreign customers.

Hummingbird coffee & roastery is located in an old French villa built in the middle of the last century, the garden behind the high wall invites guests to stop and enjoy excellent specialty coffees originating from Ethiopia, Kenya and Vietnam. To fully enjoy an absolute time here, besides coffee, diners can order more baked goods on the spot of the shop, which are neatly arranged and suitable for their taste.

96B Cafe & Roastery – 96B Phan Ngu, Da Kao Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City

No longer a stroll for specialty coffee experiments, 96B has transformed itself to become a famous coffee roasting name in the city by 2 female founders, along with a shop with an industrial architectural style where coffee is the focus.

The beverage menu at 96B follows a consistent pattern, from purely coffee-based drinks such as espresso, long black, cold brew, 96B’s bartenders will create drinks mixed with salted cream, coconut milk, soda, fruit juice… to create new options in the spirit of improving the original coffee, bringing more diverse specialty coffee experiences to the drinkers’ taste.

Sipply – Address: 73 Dinh Cong Trang, Tan Dinh Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City

Sipply’s first location is located in an old house on a quiet street not far from the famous banh xeo restaurant that has been listed in the Michelin Guide for the past few years, and also just a few steps from Tan Dinh Church, which stands out with its pink color, symbolizing love and kindness. Based on the house frame with retro-style interior and exterior architecture, the cafe’s decorations are also quiet and minimalist. The contrast lies in the interior details of the tables and chairs, the recycled plastic materials that are subtly decorated, the water counter and of course the cafe’s brewing equipment, so that the overall look brings an intentional contrast.

Sipply’s second location has also recently opened not far from the West Gate of Ben Thanh Market. No matter where you are, coffee lovers can easily find a quiet space in the hustle and bustle of Saigon, holding a cup of coffee from beans that the founder of Sipply, who is also a famous name in the specialty coffee industry in Saigon, has carefully selected and entrusted with passports to travel through unique coffee growing regions around the world.

Vietnam cafe landscape has been changing dramatically, from roadside coffee shops, with low plastic chairs in green or red shades, serving strong black coffee cups and a few roughly crushed ice cubes, to the spacious cafes with melodious music, suitable for meeting friends or simply a place to study or work for urban youth, and even specialty cafes that focus on the quality of beans and farming methods, also known as specialty cafes, only concentrated in large cities like Hanoi or Saigon. All of them originate from the needs of drinkers, to the passion of coffee lovers, and the vision of a growing community.