Hey coffee lovers (and soon-to-be coffee lovers),
Ted here, back with a post so full of caffeine it practically writes itself.
Today was not your average sightseeing day. Nope. Today was about coffee. And not just drinking it (though we did a lot of that), but actually making it ourselves — Vietnamese style, like pros.
🤒 The Morning Drama: One Bug, One Brave Barista Crew
Poor little Lucia had a stomach bug and a rough night, so Mum stayed back with her at the hotel. That meant it was me, Francesca, and Dad heading out on a mission of beans and buzz. Mum was very jealous — coffee is kind of her thing.
☕ Welcome to the Caffeine Olympics
We joined a 2-hour Vietnamese coffee-making class with some fellow Brits & Aussies, where we got to brew, mix, shake, sip and taste our way through five different types of coffee, all made from locally grown robusta beans (which are super strong and make your brain feel like it’s running on a treadmill). The inappropriate aprons were optional, but encouraged 🙈.
Here’s the breakdown:
1. Phin Drip Black Coffee
The OG. The Strong One.
Made using a Phin filter, it drips slooooowly into your cup and smells like cocoa and burnt toffee.
- Verdict: Super strong. We only had a few sips. Dad loved it. I felt like I could see through time.
2. Condensed Milk Coffee (Cà Phê Sữa Đá)
Ahhh yes. The sweet one.
- Sweet, cold, and much more our style.
- Francesca called it “dessert in a cup,” and we both drank nearly all of it.
- Dad said it was too sweet. Dad is wrong.
3. Egg Coffee (Cà Phê Trứng)
This one was basically coffee custard magic.
We had to:
- Separate eggs
- Whip the yolks with condensed milk
- Steam it all in a bain-marie
It was like science class + dessert. - Verdict: Creamy, thick, amazing, and worth the wait. Even Francesca stopped talking to enjoy it. That’s saying something.
4. Salted Coffee (Cà Phê Muối)
Already a fave of ours from previous cafés, so we were pumped to learn the recipe.
- Think salted caramel latte but with more zing
- Dad says it’s the best coffee ever made, and honestly? He might be right.
5. Coconut Coffee (Cà Phê Cốt Dừa)
The Grand Finale — and my personal favourite.
- We got to shake it like bartenders in a cocktail shaker, which was awesome
- Cold, creamy, super coconutty, and went down like silk
We devoured it, caffeine or no caffeine. Even Francesca licked the cup (don’t tell Mum).
🌀 Post-Coffee Chaos
By the end, we were buzzing. Like, super buzzing. I may or may not have tried to karate kick a tree on the way home (it was fine). Francesca talked for 40 minutes straight about opening a coffee cart in our backyard. Dad looked quietly overwhelmed.
Luckily, they gave us a recipe sheet at the end because let’s be honest — my brain was moving too fast to remember anything except “shake the coconut one.”
💬 Final Thoughts from Ted
Vietnamese coffee = next level.
The class was fun, delicious, and made me feel like a tiny jittery barista-in-training. I now rate my top 3 as:
- Coconut Coffee 🥥
- Salted Coffee 🧂
- Egg Coffee 🍳
We missed Mum and Lucia (thankfully she was much better by the time we got home), but we’ll definitely be making these back home — if we can find robusta beans and don’t explode from excitement.
Buzzing off for now,
Ted (plus Francesca the Foam Queen, and Dad the Salted Coffee Addict) ⚡☕🛵
P.S. I now understand why adults drink coffee. It’s basically rocket fuel in a cup.
Ted Tastes Francesca Feasts 
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