Coffee Adventure *SPECIAL EDITION*
Saigon Coffee Roastery
151 Dong Khoi (First Floor), D.1, HCMC
80%
Coffee [9]
Atmosphere [7]
Service [8]
REUNITED AT LAST! The original crew, me and Popps! Is it a crew if there's only two? Well we were accompanied by his lovely wife and sister-in-law, so that definitely qualifies us for crew status.
Only as we were bromantically slurping through a bowl of Bun Thit Nuong across each other in another dirty old open restaurant did it really hit me that we were both in Vietnam, on the other side of the world from the buzzing coffee capital of Melbourne where our humble coffee adventures began.
It was definitely exciting and refreshing to join my white Australian brother from another mother (... and father... actually there's no blood relation whatsoever... but if coffee was blood, Man! We would be Siamese twins!) on a special Coffee Adventure - Vietnam Edition! [Kung Fu Fighting - Carl Douglas]
Keen and raring to go, Michael had done his homework and eagerly planned our mission, our target was set, Saigon Coffee Roastery here we come!... after we wave down this green Vinasun Taxi.
'Taka ut too da Cafay! And be on our way!' Not really, Michael's excellent Vietnamese was more than impressive enough for the driver to know exactly where to take us. He still managed to take the longest route however, and looked worryingly thinner than the photo on the ID card fixed to his dash, so as our excitement starting descending from the confusion; his mileage counter was happily ascending. No not really, nothing could of killed our excitement unless ALAS! A large freak bush fire wiped out the world's coffee plantations and along with it all the hard working orphans and child slaves but no red notification circle was popping up on my news app so the euphoria continues and unfortunately so does slavery. (*Coffee Adventures does endorse or condone slavery **Coffee Adventures is not an official trade mark name)
Enough from me, I've invited the coffee connoisseur, the man who inspired the bean hunter (not formerly recognized), the bean bear, the espresso king, the extraction guru (context required).
Some say he defecates coffee beans and makes his fortune selling them for 1000AUD per kilo to the filthy rich drug lords of Mexico, others say he can never be caught for DUI because when he blows into a breathalyzer it reads caffeine, all we know is that his name is Michael Popps! Take it away Popsicles:
Well what an honor to be guest blogger on Eric's highly regarded and prestigious blog! After a bit of organizing and negotiation Eric and I were able to meet up towards the end of my 3 week trip to Vietnam, along with Hong and Chi Uyen. The day started with an obligatory man hug and decent sized bowl of Bun Thit Nuong. But really, Eric and I both had a much for meaningful and fulfilling purpose in mind for our day out. COFFEE ADVENTURES!!!!! (Queue music to Captain Planet).
Obviously I had done my research the days leading up to our inevitable adventure and Saigon Roastery sounded like an apt option. It ticked all the boxes, hard to find, wooden benches, single origin coffee, a variety of brew methods, a La Marzocco paddle espresso machine and good reviews on Google and TripAdvisor to boot.
With Hong and Chi Uyen dawdling behind us, Eric and I had a spring of curiosity in our step. We ventured up 2 flights of stairs, the suspense of the journey helping us to forget our lack of fitness. At last we had arrived, the comforting smell of properly roasted coffee smacked us in the face, unlike the ones I received from my parents after dead legging my sister, this smack made me feel at home; Melbourne.
Arguably the coffee capital of the world. But I was in Vietnam! A place known for its coffee, but done quite differently. Beans roasted very dark, in butter and sugar giving the coffee an almost chocolatey taste. Enjoyable with condensed milk and ice but also hiding any nuances the beans may of had. We were warmly greeted and presented with a menu. It was a little overwhelming, but was I excited to see the house espresso was locally grown arabica coffee from Da Lat. I was intrigued to see how it would stand up against the better known single origin varieties from South America and Africa.
Eric and I decided to sit at the bar so we could watch the brewing process. Naturally we got talking to the Barista, he was very knowledgeable about the Australian coffee scene and very much into his Latte art. We also noted his commitment to the profession, donning a tattoo on his left arm of a coffee portafilter and 'latte art' written in italics.
Eric's latte arrived, with a nicely crafted tulip/rosetta on top. The barista pushed the espresso towards me, the crema looked good; light gold with some tiger striping. Now for the taste; I'll preface this by saying that I didn't have massive expectations as Vietnam's arabica is not quite on the new wave coffee world stage yet, but I had read hipster roasters were starting to invest. It was rather light bodied, not having the rich caramel sweetness of South American beans, and missing the fruitiness of the African varieties. But all the same it had a nice nutty aftertaste, a touch of spice, some sweetness and no bitterness.
I was just stoked to try Da Lat single origin coffee roasted to a high standard. With all the Hario brew gear staring me in the face I couldn't resist a pour over so I got the Da Lat bourbon lightly roasted for filter. It was comforting to see the barista's concentration and preciseness while concocting the elixir. The pour over was also rather light bodied but slightly sweet, akin to tea, easy to drink with no bitterness.
We continued to make small talk, actually geeking it up about coffee, while Eric darted around the room taking pictures - as you will see. I think what was most enjoyable about the experience though was just being able to share a coffee with Eric in Vietnam, almost surreal. I hope it won't be too long between drinks.
Popps.
P.S.
Michael found what was apparently rated the best Banh Mi place in Saigon, if you want to check them out you might be able to read their address on the banner in the photos. They're so good they don't open until 3PM, get there early to jump the queue ;)
