Cà Phê Sữa đá, or Vietnamese Iced Coffee
at Cà Phê Đỗ Phủ
During the Vietnam War, this unassuming house on a quiet street in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) doubled as a secret hideout for the Viet Cong operating in the heart of South Vietnam's capital. Today, it's been turned into a coffee shop, but you can still see the vestiges of its secret past.
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| Cà Phê Đỗ Phủ in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam |
What looks like a typical southern Vietnamese house full of antiques and relics from the war era was actually one of the spots where Communist sympathizers and Viet Cong forces would meet and make their plans to undermine the South Vietnamese government right under their noses in the middle of the capital city of Saigon (today Ho Chi Minh City).
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| Cà Phê Đỗ Phủ in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam |
Now, Cà Phê Đỗ Phủ is a coffee shop and house museum, and it's really fascinating to visit.
We ordered some fresh iced coffee, and climbed the creaking wooden staircase to the second floor where we took a seat by the window and enjoyed the relatively cool breeze. It's fun to take a look around the eclectic decorations in the house; a varied mix of 1960s and 70s war-era artifacts, appliences, art, decorations, and more. It's like stepping back in time.
Read more: Why is Vietnamese coffee so good? (theworldofstreetfood.com)
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| upstairs at the cafe |
There's a wardrobe in the corner of the second floor that looks absolutely normal. Even when you open it up, it just looks like a regular wardrobe... but it has a secret!
You can pull open a hidden trap door at the bottom to reveal a secret passageway leading down into the basement. If police ever came around, the Viet Cong would run here to hide! Customers are welcome to explore the old house, and you can even ask the staff for an informal tour to learn more about the cafe's secrets.
It's an interesting piece of history. The war in Vietnam is long over, and for the most part, you can almost forget that it ever even happened when you're visiting. The country has rebuilt and moved on, but places like this cafe are fascinating reminders of the turbulent days of Vietnam's 60s and 70s.
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| iced coffee and tea at a cafe in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam |
The coffee itself was good, just like every glass of ca phe sua da (sweet iced Vietnamese coffee with milk) that I've had in Vietnam. Vietnamese coffee is typically made with Robusta beans, which gives it a strong, roasted sort of flavor. Served over ice, it's perfect on a sweltering tropical afternoon.
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| iced coffee in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam |
More great Vietnamese coffee to try
Location
The cafe is located at: 113A Đặng Dung, Phường Tân Định, Quận 1, Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh, Vietnam. Probably the easiest way to get there is by taking a Grab taxi directly.
See the map below for the exact location:
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