Tien NguyenWhile we absolutely delight in the fact that L.A. is in the midst of discovering its coffee culture, we also like to remember that in this city of melting coffee pots, there is more to coffee than just the shots expertly pulled out of a La Marzocco. Take, for example, Vietnamese coffee, that extra-strong jolt of robust, dark, French-roasted beans swirled with sweet, goopy condensed milk. This will give you bigger wings than that staid can of Red Bull in your desk drawer.
As the story goes, the French established coffee plantations in Vietnam soon after it colonized the country. It cultivated the cash crop — today, Vietnam is the world's second-largest producer of coffee, after Brazil — but, with dairy hard to find in Vietnam, the full import French's cafe culture did not affect Vietnam much until the introduction of shelf-stable condensed milk. The result: a caffeine- and sugar-laced coffee drink that has a creamy, rich consistency. In a good cup, you'll taste undertones of caramel and chicory. This week, when summer finally sets in, the drink over ice — cà phê sữa đá — might be more satisfying than anything raucously throttled in a blender.
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A diminishing number of very traditional Vietnamese restaurants will make you a cup of coffee the very traditional way: leisurely, at the table. A cup with a few tablespoons of condensed milk is set down. A metal drip filter that is a cross between a French press and a three-dimensional Tetris piece sits on top of the cup. This phin holds the coffee grounds, often from Cafe du Monde or Trung Nguyen, which are compacted by a damper that is screwed in tight. Hot water is poured into the filter, and your coffee slowly drips-drips-drips into the cup. When it's done, or when you can not wait any longer, the milk and the coffee are swirled together and, if requested, poured over a tall glass of ice.
Inexactly, this process can take anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes. In our drive-through culture where 3G is not fast enough, though, 5 to 10 minutes is a lifetime. This is why, we suspect, many shops make the drink sans phin. Instead, it is made with espresso, or, especially at bánh mì shops, pre-made in batches.
Most Vietnamese eateries, particularly those in the San Gabriel Valley, San Fernando Valley, and South Bay, will brew a very good cup of hot or iced coffee. We picked a few of our favorites in those areas, plus several more in L.A. proper, where you can get a damn good cup of Vietnamese coffee.
10. Infuzion Cafe. If Infuzion Cafe were located far east of Santa Monica, it probably wouldn't have a “What's Boba?” section on its website. But, it's located off of Third Street Promenade amongst a sea of Coffee Beans and Starbucks, so the explanation appears to be necessary. In addition to several different flavors of boba, the café has a decent “cafe sua da,” offered on the menu in all its untranslated glory. 1149 3rd Street, Santa Monica; (310) 393-9985; Monday to Friday 6:30 a.m. – 7:00 p.m., Saturday 7:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m., Sunday 8:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
9. A-Grocery Warehouse. In the middle of this Asian grocery located on the stretch of Sunset between Celaya Bakery and Dodger Stadium is a little area with prepared foods, boba, and, yup, cà phê sữa đá. It's made with crushed, not cubed, ice, so this possibly is the closest thing to a Vietnamese coffee-flavored Slurpee that you will ever get. While you're here, you might as well grab all the ingredients to make the coffee at home: tins of Cafe du Monde and pallets of condensed milk can be found in the market section of the store. 1487 W. Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles; (213) 482-4803; Daily 9 a.m. – 9 p.m.
8. Chimney Brick Toast Coffee House. Chimney Brick Toast uses beans from Pasadena-based Jones Coffee Roasters in all its drinks, including its Vietnamese iced coffee. The drink is made with espresso and just enough condensed milk so that the drink is strong at first, then mellows out as the ice melts. To gild the sugar lily, complement your drink with an order of the beignets. 1100 N. Main Street, Los Angeles; (323) 343-0030; Monday to Saturday 7 a.m. – 5 p.m., Sunday 9:00 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Chimney Brick Toast Coffee House's Vietnamese iced coffee and beignets.; Credit: T. Nguyen
7. Fresh Roast. You smell coffee the second you walk in, and no wonder: Fresh Roast's roaster sits right there, in-house. All the drinks are made from these beans, including the Vietnamese coffee, which is available iced or hot and made with espresso. The cup we ordered hit a good balance, but if you need it any sweeter, the owner will kindly add more condensed milk. 308 S San Gabriel Blvd., San Gabriel; (626) 451-5918; Daily 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Via Cafe's Vietnamese espresso consists of a shot of espresso with a touch of condensed milk.; Credit: T. Nguyen
6. Via Cafe. Via Cafe offers Vietnamese coffee in almost every possible form: iced with condensed milk, iced without milk, hot with condensed milk, or a simple shot of espresso with a smidge of condensed milk. Depending on how long you have before you must get on to your next appointment, you are free to order accordingly. 451 Gin Ling Way in Central Plaza, Los Angeles; (213) 617-1481; Wednesday to Saturday 11 a.m. – 10 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.
5. Huong Vi. There are a good number of boba cafes and Vietnamese restaurants in the South Bay that can sate your coffee craving, but we like Huong Vi because you can order the coffee along with one of the best bowls of phở in the area. 15180 Prairie Ave., Lawndale; (310) 978-8999; Daily 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
It seems as though where there is a Phở 999 restaurant, there also is a Phở So 1 within sight. Frankly, either will do: they both are traditional Vietnamese phở restaurants (waiters who want your order a nanosecond after you sit down, check; a tin tea can at the register that doubles as tip jar, check). They both serve, in general, equally delicious, steaming bowls of phở and other Vietnamese dishes. And they both offer Vietnamese coffee, hot or iced, made tableside, with the slow-drip metal filter and hot water. Check and check.
Phở 999, 6411 Sepulveda Blvd., Van Nuys, (818) 782-1999 and 7255 Reseda Blvd., Reseda, (818) 705-1899; Daily 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Phở So 1, 7231 Reseda Blvd., Reseda, (818) 996-6515 and 6450 Sepulveda Blvd., Van Nuys, (818) 989-6377; Daily 9 a.m. to 9:45 p.m.
2. Cafe Dulce. Cafe de Dulce, which just opened in Little Tokyo, proudly serves drinks made with LA Mill beans. While we take nothing away from Cafe du Monde, these LAMILL beans adds a wonderful nuance when mixed with the concentrated, sweet flavor of condensed milk. Because the cafe just opened, it's still settling on some things, like its hours of operation; regardless, this probably is the best cup of cà phê sữa đá inside the city of Los Angeles. 134 Japanese Village Plaza, Bldg E, Los Angeles; (213) 346-9910; Monday – Friday 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., Saturday – Sunday 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Among other coffees, Cafe Dulce offers up one of the best Vietnamese iced coffees in the city, made with LA Mill beans.; Credit: T. Nguyen
1. Nem Nuong Ninh Hoa. Nem Nuong Ninh Hoa is known generally for its excellent nem nuong, a DIY dish that requires you to take any one of the porks skewered, pattied, and meatballed on the plate and wrap it, along with your pick from the garden of herbs served alongside the meat, in a round of rice paper ever so gently soaked in a bowl of water. While you're busy wrapping and rolling, order the cà phê sữa đá. It's the best we tasted: strong, creamy and delicious, with just the right balance of flavors. 9016 Mission Drive, Rosemead; (626) 286-3370; Daily except Wednesdays, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
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