Vietnam Drinks, coffee and Beer

++ Coffee of Vietnam

It would be a crime to visit the heart of Vietnam’s coffee industry without tasting the product itself, and there are plenty of opportunities in Buon Ma Thuot’s cafés. They’re scattered all over town, so you need never suffer from caffeine withdrawal, but there’s a particular concentration along the south end of Le Thanh Tong, facing a small park. These are packed in the evenings and surrounded by a sea of motorbikes, whose owners sip their drinks in the dim-lit interiors.
The most atmospheric places, however, are situated north of town, but are well worth the effort of hunting down. One of the town’s most popular spots is the Uyen Phuong, at H8-12 Ngo Quyen, among a clutch of newly opened bars. Perhaps even more intriguing is the Thung Lung Hong Café, Hem 153 Phan Chu Trinh, which is snuggled at the base of a steep valley at the end of a sidestreet off Phan Chu Trinh. It’s also hugely popular among locals and, given the dearth of nightlife in Buon Ma Thuot, a godsend for visitors too.
Over at G26 Tran Khanh Du, the Polang Café has a striking facade, which resembles a longhouse entrance, and inside the decor utilizes minority patterns and motifs, while the bases of some tables and chairs are made of the gnarled stumps of coffee bushes – an inspired use of the plant. The menu includes coffee, tea, cocktails, rice wine and fast food at very reasonable prices; there’s often live music here at the weekend.

++ Beer Vietnam, Draught Beer

There are countless bia hoi (draught beer) outlets in most major cities in Vietnam, ranging from a few ankle-high stools gathered round a barrel on the pavement to beer gardens. Quality tends to be more consistent at the larger outlets supplied by major breweries such as Hanoi Beer and Halida (under the name Viet Ha), rather than the smaller places which usually buy their beer from microbreweries. On the whole, the more expensive – and colder – the beer, the better it is.

Bia hoi culture is about enjoying a few beers with a group of friends – usually all male, though in the cities you see a few women these days. People almost never drink alone and rarely drink without eating, so many places serve a range of snacks and more extensive dishes.

To help you order food in a bia hoi outlet, we’ve listed a few classic dishes below. Menus, if they exist, will be in Vietnamese. They normally give a price range for each dish (meat dishes typically range between 30,000VND and 50,000VND), so you order a small, medium or large amount, for example, depending on the size of your group. To maximize the variety, it makes sense to order small quantities of several dishes and share. If no prices are indicated on the menu, be sure to ask when ordering. Usually a note with the running total is left on the table, so you can keep track of how much you’re spending.

bo luc lac cubed spicy beef and green pepper stir-fry

ca bo lo oven-cooked fish

dau chien ron fried tofu

dau tu xuyen tofu in a Chinese pork and tomato sauce

de tai chanh lightly-cooked goat with green banana, pineapple and lemon

dua chuot che sliced cucumber

ech chien bo deep-fried battered frogs’ legs

ech xao mang frogs’ legs with bamboo shoots

ga xe phay shredded chicken salad with bean sprouts, carrot, peanuts and basil

khoai tay ran chips/French fries

lac peanuts

muc chien bo squid fried in butter

muc kho dried squid

muc tam bot battered squid

nem chua minced spicy cured pork wrapped in banana leaf

nom du du papaya salad

nom hoa chuoi banana-flower salad

nom ngo sen lotus-stem salad

oc xao xa ot stir-fried snail, lemongrass and chilli

rau bi xaoi bo/toi beef/pumpkin-leaf fried with garlic

tho quay roast rabbit

tom hap bia shrimps steamed in beer

tom nuong grilled shrimps