This was the number one reason why we had to include a visit to Ho Chi Minh City in our Vietnam adventures: The Cafe Apartments.
This 1960s nine-story residential block has been completely transformed into a trendy vertical high street of independent coffee shops and exquisite boutiques. Initially built for military and government personnel, the Cafe Apartments has kept most of its original features while giving the space a modern glow-up, making it an iconic and must-visit tourist destination in the heart of the city.
As you meander through the hallways, make sure not to miss our favourite: PO Café.
This was our very first taste of two of Vietnam’s most famous coffees: egg coffee and salt coffee. Little did we know that these were also going to be the absolute best versions of those coffees we would have in the whole of Vietnam. It sounds like an exaggeration, but it really isn’t.
Egg coffee originated in the city of Hanoi in 1946 during a milk shortage that prompted its founder, Nguyen Van Giang, to whip up egg yolks instead of dairy. Often described as a liquid tiramisu, this divinely luxurious drink is made by filtering a strong and bold blend of Robusta beans through a traditional Vietnamese phin, topped with a smooth mixture of egg yolks and condensed milk.
But PO Café goes a step further by blow-torching the top of the already delicious egg mixture, creating a crème brûlée crust effect that elevates this already innovative drink to another level of sumptuousness.
Salt coffee has more recent origins. Founded in 2010 in the city of Hue, this delicate drink combines a layer of condensed milk at the bottom, followed by traditionally filtered coffee, topped with a velvety foam of salted whipped cream. All the layers work together so magically, giving this coffee a salted caramel taste profile that you cannot get enough of.
The coffee culture in Ho Chi Minh makes the Vietnamese city well worth your time, with PO Café at The Cafe Apartments earning first place for taste, quality and general coolness!
For more Vietnam travel tips click here. But before you go why not check out some tour options below…
