Come to Hanoi, drink coffee, look at the shops, look at the streets...

Peaceful moment with a cup of coffee

Coffee was introduced to Vietnam with the French invasion. The first coffee plantation was established in the North in 1888. In Vietnam, coffee is a popular drink, especially in the morning, when people drink it as a source of energy for the new day. It is so popular that all beverage shops are called “coffee shops”, although in reality they also serve other drinks. Likewise, when friends gather to “chat”, they just need to summarize it with the invitation: “let’s go drink coffee”, and what to drink there can be discussed later. Coffee is so familiar that it is shortened to “nau” (iced milk coffee) and “den” (black coffee).

However, no matter how popular it is, coffee connoisseurs still consider drinking coffee as a hobby. Nowhere is this more evident than the capital. No matter how busy they are, many Hanoians still keep a peaceful moment every morning to enjoy coffee. It is not only a personal experience but also a habit, bringing refreshment, stimulating the spirit and creating motivation for a new day. Hanoians always enjoy strong cups of coffee. Good coffee must be brewed in a filter, screwed tightly. While waiting for each drop of coffee to slowly drip down, people leisurely scroll through the news on their smartphones. That scene makes time seem to suddenly stop, allowing people to live more slowly and appreciate this present moment more. Many people also attach special importance to the coffee being soaked evenly, so they ask the shop to meticulously scoop each spoonful of boiling water to pour into the filter. This traditional brewing method still exists, considered the best way to enjoy the authentic flavor of coffee.

Hanoi coffee is like the lifestyle of an older generation of Hanoians: slow, persistent, with a depth of experience in both time and taste. Although there are countless coffee shops today, the traditional ones are still the "red addresses" for connoisseurs. Nhi coffee is located on Hang Ca street, right in the heart of Hanoi's Old Quarter. The shop is small and pretty, with cramped seating, no need for a sign, but is never empty of customers. In the past, Nhi coffee was not brewed with a filter but was kept in porcelain teapots, then poured into small cups. With a family secret, Nhi coffee always has a pleasant aroma and creates a feeling of ecstasy when drinking.

Giang Coffee (Nguyen Huu Huan Street) is famous for its egg coffee. The name has stimulated the curiosity of the connoisseurs. The main ingredients to make a cup of Giang Coffee include egg yolks, coffee powder, sweetened condensed milk, butter and cheese. In the past, because condensed milk was rare, egg yolks were the perfect choice for a delicious cup of coffee. The rich flavor of eggs, the aroma of milk and the richness of coffee still make Hanoians fascinated to this day.

Or Dinh Coffee on Dinh Tien Hoang Street, a place associated with the youth of students in the 1990s. To enter the shop, you have to go through a small alley where the front door is full of bags and briefcases. Go up to the second floor, go to the balcony overlooking Hoan Kiem Lake, enjoy a cup of coffee in the mist drifting over the lake. Back then, the shop owner recruited students to work part-time, a group of waiters like that was called "lien quan". Whoever was part of that "lien quan" would always be respected by students.

Lam Coffee (Nguyen Huu Huan Street) brings coffee lovers interesting experiences. In addition to enjoying the charming taste of coffee, this is also a place to admire works of art, bringing a sense of peace and nostalgia. Here, there are many vivid paintings of people and streets of Hanoi by famous painters such as Bui Xuan Phai, Duong Bich Lien, Vo Tu Nghiem... These paintings are all original, one of a kind, because the painters used them to pay the shop owner instead of coffee.

The interior of a coffee shop designed during the subsidy period. (Photo: Instagram Warehouse 247)

Sidewalk coffee has long become a symbol of Hanoi coffee. With a spacious sidewalk design that can park motorbikes, just put a few chairs out and you can enjoy coffee and relax. Sidewalk coffee brings an open space. The friendly atmosphere of the street creates conditions for people to interact. Sidewalk coffee has reasonable prices, suitable for many people, from students to workers. Here, the shops will provide many unique drinks. Hanoians can enjoy filter coffee, egg coffee or iced milk coffee. These typical flavors attract customers. Sitting on the sidewalk, people can easily feel the rhythm of the city. They can watch the traffic and enjoy the sounds of life.

Drinking coffee is also an opportunity for young people to enjoy the beauty of a dynamic capital with The Coffee House, Highlands Coffee, Starbucks, E-Coffee shops... Along with that dynamism, recent years have seen the rise of take-away coffee. Many young people are in a hurry with their work, under the pressure of a "deadline", and do not have time to sit down and wait for a cup of drip coffee. They rush to a cart shop, where the coffee is already brewed, packaged in boxes, put in bags, and lined up on the counter. The buyer does not have to say much, just choose the type of coffee, pay and continue on their way. Just sitting at a certain intersection, it is not difficult to see the image of a young woman from Hanoi, the driver holding a "silver cow" cup, hurriedly blending into the bustling crowd.

"Lost" in Hanoi with old memories

In contrast to the hustle and bustle of modern life, there are still small coffee shops that take visitors "back in time" to memories of the 70s and 80s of the last century.

Grasping the need to return to the memories of middle-aged and elderly people and the curiosity and desire to explore of young people, in Hanoi, some coffee shops have nostalgic interior designs such as trading and beverage stores like the subsidy period.

Drinking coffee on the sidewalk in Hanoi is a pleasure for many people. (Photo: Trong Van)

Diners seem to enter a different world, with rough brick walls, rotary dial telephones, antique clocks, old cassette players, conical hats, copper trays, rubber sandals, old bicycles, old televisions, subsidy-era signs lining up to get water, old cupboards with enamel bowls and plates... all bearing the mark of objects from the subsidy era.

There are also many pictures of Hanoi and old memories hanging here. To order a drink, if it is during busy hours, you have to wait in line, then the staff will write down the food on a coupon. The drink is designed like a food purchase book during the subsidy period, the cover says "Food Purchase Registration Book".

There are also coffee shops designed with the main decorative motif of army green, peacock blankets tied to old two-strap chairs as cushions, and windows with wooden bars. There are also coffee shops with the main color of yellow combined with dark green, reminiscent of the ancient houses of the old Hanoi streets. There are no elaborate decorations, no sparkling lights with luxurious tables and chairs, but simply and gently with old wooden tables and chairs, small bookshelves, guitars, books and newspapers worn by time... bringing diners to a corner of Hanoi during the subsidy period. Customers sip a cup of coffee while enjoying the cool green space as if "lost" in Hanoi a few decades ago.

Not only young people, foreign tourists also enjoy learning, experiencing, "checking-in" - taking photos in the space imbued with Hanoi during the subsidy period, sitting next to worn wooden tables and chairs with a cup of black coffee typical of old Hanoi.

Reminiscing about the subsidy period, young people understand and love their grandparents and parents more. Young people love their present life more and cherish the past - a historical period that had a profound influence on the cultural and social life of Vietnam, a difficult but memorable period of Hanoi.

Thuy Duong - Viet Quynh

Source: https://baophapluat.vn/den-ha-noi-uong-ca-phe-ngam-quan-ngam-duong-post543804.html