Cà phê sữa đá, 96B style

Welcome to Saigon, the city that wakes up a bit too soon and goes to sleep a bit too late.

If I had to use 3 words, and 3 words only, to describe a city full of curiosities like Saigon, perhaps they would be vibrant, modern and fun.

To reflect the energy the city gives off,  like an unspoken agreement, Cà Phê Sữa Đá is seen by many to be a signature drink that carries all of the qualities that Saigon has to offer. And it indeed does.

Fun

If you want a quick coffee fix and an authentic experience of drinking coffee like a true Saigonese simultaneously, Cà Phê Sữa Đá, or any type of Vietnamese coffee for that matter, will not be the one you're looking for.

In Saigon, coffee is a waiting game in which every one gets to be a winner. On top of your cup sits the filter (phin in Vietnamese) that slowly extracts your coffee, drop by drop. It feels rewarding, to see the filter drained of water and a glass full of that aromatic caffeinated liquid slowly seeping into the thick layer of sweetened condensed milk at the bottom of the glass.

The waiting, the mixing, the ice pouring. It sounds like a chore, yet it is never a bore for that cup you're about to drink is going to be different than the last cup that you had. You're in charge of making your own coffee, and there's always some fun found in the art of handcrafting.