Egg coffee, one of the oldest coffee brands in Hanoi, has an intriguing history.
How Did Hanoi’s Egg Coffee Come About?
When talking about Hanoi’s egg coffee, one cannot forget its inventor, Mr. Nguyen Van Giang. He used to work as a bartender at the famous Sofitel Legend Metropole Hotel in Hanoi. During the French colonial period and the struggle for independence, milk was a rare and luxurious commodity. To answer the question, “Is there a creative way to enjoy black coffee without milk?” Mr. Giang, with his concerns and years of experience, diligently researched and created the first egg coffee in 1946. After introducing it to regular customers, the beverage was warmly received, prompting Mr. Giang to leave his job at the hotel and open his own coffee shop, the longest-standing egg coffee shop in Vietnam, known as Cafe Giang. For all those years, Mr. Giang has been considered the king of egg coffee.
Currently, Mr. Giang’s cafe is managed by the later generations of his family. However, with the traditional recipe and high-quality ingredients, egg coffee continues to maintain its original and rich flavor.
The Unique Flavor of Egg Coffee
The primary ingredients that make Hanoi’s unique egg coffee include fresh chicken eggs, sugar, milk, and coffee. In the past, the chicken eggs were manually whisked together with sugar and milk. Later, to meet the growing demand, cafes began using machines to beat the egg yolks, sugar, and milk, adding a touch of butter for a creamy texture.
The coffee is brewed separately, following a specific recipe to create distinct flavors. Once the egg yolk has been sufficiently whipped, the barista pours it directly into hot coffee to form a smooth, fragrant foam on top. This results in a high-quality cup of egg coffee. Each cafe may have its own little “secret” to create a unique touch while preserving the drink’s traditional essence. Cafes typically serve egg coffee in a small cup placed in a bowl or glass of warm water to keep the drink hot and ensure the best flavor. You can choose to enjoy it hot or cold according to your preference, but personally, I prefer it hot to retain the rich, creamy, and special taste of the egg.
It’s no coincidence that egg coffee frequently ranks among the most intriguing coffee types globally, as voted by Buzzfeed. It offers a genuine Vietnamese taste, rich with the essence of Hanoi. Just as “Hanoi takes its time,” enjoying egg coffee is the same – it’s not about drinking it quickly but savoring it slowly, layer by layer, to fully appreciate its flavors. You may worry that the egg yolk will taste unpleasant, but it blends with the sugar and milk following the traditional recipe, resulting in a soft, creamy, mildly sweet sensation. The pure black coffee might seem too bitter, but when combined with the egg and milk, it creates an elegant and slightly sweet bitterness, far from being harsh. It’s a simple, genuine coffee taste with unique, exceptional qualities not found anywhere else in the world. Regarding color, egg coffee also leaves a unique impression. The black coffee blends with the warm yellow of the egg yolks to create a gentle, enticing brownish-red color. Many cafes also add a layer of milk as decoration, creating a delicate and refined appearance.
Visit the Three Most Famous Egg Coffee Shops in Hanoi
1/ Giang Café
Address: 39 Nguyen Huu Huan Street, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
Giang Café is the oldest egg coffee shop. If you want to taste the authentic traditional egg coffee, this is the place to go. The cafe is located in a small alley, a bit hard to find, but once you arrive on Nguyen Huu Huan Street and ask for directions, everyone will know it because it is extremely famous. The café is in the Old Quarter, with a slightly outdated architectural style, full of nostalgia, providing an interesting experience for tourists. Looking at the cups of egg coffee with the light brown of coffee and the yellow of chicken eggs, topped with frothy bubbles on the surface, they present a captivating appearance to diners that is just too beautiful to resist. The mild bitterness of coffee, the unique aroma of chicken eggs combined with the creamy egg layer, all make you fall in love instantly. In addition to the traditional egg coffee, customers can also enjoy other special flavors such as egg cocoa or matcha. The cafe has updated its menu with many delicious drinks, offering a diverse selection to customers. With a price of around 30,000 VND, it’s very reasonable for a cup of coffee and is definitely worth trying; you might even get addicted to it.
2/ Dinh Coffee
Address: 2nd floor, 13 Dinh Tien Hoang Street, Hang Bac Ward, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi
Operating since 1990 and still going strong after over 30 years, Dinh Coffee is also one of the oldest coffee shops in Hanoi. The owner of the cafe is Ms. Bich, the daughter of Mr. Giang. You might think that Dinh Coffee and Giang Café are the same or that Dinh Coffee is just another branch of Giang Café, but that’s not the case. Dinh Coffee offers the traditional egg coffee flavor but with a unique style that is entirely different from Giang Café. While Giang Café’s coffee is reasonably priced at about 30,000 VND, suitable for most customers, Dinh Coffee charges 50,000-70,000 VND.
First, let’s talk about the prime location of the café. Café Dinh is situated on the 2nd floor of an old, vintage house on Dinh Tien Hoang Street. Notably, the café is next to Hoan Kiem Lake and offers a direct view of the lake. In a relatively small space, the café maintains the old-fashioned interior structure, creating a simple and rustic Hanoi atmosphere. Visitors to Café Dinh often immerse themselves in the music of Trinh Cong Son, creating a nostalgic and profound ambiance. In this small room, it feels like you can sense a miniature version of Hanoi, full of hidden charm. The drink menu here is not very diverse, featuring only a few beverages, but the most special is the egg coffee and egg cocoa. The combination of coffee, chicken eggs, and milk creates the richest and most meticulously prepared flavors, sure to satisfy even the most discerning taste buds. One thing to note is that the coffee at Dinh Coffee is served in a small glass, not in a bowl with warm water to keep it hot, so it’s best to enjoy it promptly to avoid it cooling down.
3/ Café Vườn Phố Cổ (Old Town Garden Café)
Address: 11 Hang Gai Street, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi
When it comes to the taste of egg coffee here, there’s nothing to debate; it still has the rich aroma, the coffee’s bitterness, the creamy egg yolk, and the mild sweetness of milk foam. Each cup of coffee is artistically shaped, meticulously and delicately designed, leaving visitors in awe and irresistible. The café is consistently sought after by many tourists, especially foreign visitors, partly because of its beautiful location in the heart of Hanoi’s Old Quarter. The café is located on the top floor of an old house, offering a picturesque view of Hoan Kiem Lake that is both poetic and sentimental. In addition to the stunning location, the café’s interior design contributes to its charm. The Old Town Garden Café is designed with a deep classic touch, reflecting the nostalgia of yesteryears. It provides a gentle and tranquil atmosphere for patrons. With prices ranging from 30,000-60,000 VND, you can enjoy the signature Hanoi egg coffee in a very chill space.
