Wandering for coffee in former Bien Hoa City

Bien Hoa City (former name) is known as the birthplace of Vietnam's first industrial park (IP) in 1963, laying the foundation for the establishment of a series of IPs and transforming the gateway land to Saigon - Ho Chi Minh City into one of Vietnam's most bustling industrial urban areas. Along with that, a coffee-drinking culture has formed as a daily beverage for the local people...

Inside a nostalgic coffee shop in the center of Bien Hoa.

From cloth-filtered coffee to antique coffee shops

It's unknown when coffee shops or cafes first appeared in Bien Hoa, but one thing is certain: it's linked to the French colonial exploitation in Indochina with the introduction of this plant to Vietnam in the late 1920s, marked by the establishment of Cau Dat Tea and Coffee Farm (in Lam Dong province now). Along with Lam Dong and Dak Lak, coffee trees were planted in Dong Nai, helping people in the South quickly become familiar with this drink.

At first, like in many large cities across the country, in addition to home-brewed coffee, cloth-filtered coffee shops appeared, which have now become a thing of the past. Fortunately, in Bien Hoa today, there is still a cloth-filtered coffee shop on Nguyen Van Tri Street, located on the bank of the Dong Nai River. The owner is Mr. Duc. At this shop, customers can witness firsthand how coffee is brewed in large fabric cloth filters, then poured into large pitchers, and from there into small cups. The scene of dark coffee dripping slowly through the filter, wetting the brewing counter, creates a very rustic scene. Most customers here are laborers, who start arriving at the shop from 5 a.m. They are regular customers, including vendors from Bien Hoa market, early morning exercisers, and motorbike taxi drivers... The price is also very affordable, only 15,000 VND/cup of iced black coffee.

A corner of the rural space in Nha Cua Ba coffee shop.

Coffee brewed in such a rustic way retains its rich, dark, and glossy color of pure coffee. Therefore, this type of coffee is suitable for middle-aged to elderly people - those whose memories are associated with this dusty, rustic coffee. Visiting this coffee shop reminds me of Ba Nam coffee on Phan Boi Chau Street, Da Lat city in the past, which was also the only remaining shop in the tourist city many years ago.

Also belonging to the nostalgic coffee trend many years ago was Tem Phieu coffee shop on Hung Dao Vuong Street, displaying many artifacts from the subsidy period, from ration stamps, old newspapers, desk clocks, to bicycles with license plates... But for nearly a year now, the shop is no longer there, perhaps due to competitive pressure related to rent for a large space while the number of nostalgic customers gradually decreased.

Besides cloth-filtered coffee, Bien Hoa also has several antique coffee shops. The most typical is Nha Cua Ba coffee shop located at the end of Phan Dinh Phung Street (opposite Buu Hung Pagoda, near Gate 2 of Bien Hoa Airport). The owner of the shop is Mr. Dung. The shop is skillfully arranged with old household items, from black and white TVs, radios, to cameras, charcoal irons, typewriters... imbued with a rural scene. Because it is a home-based shop, there is no need to worry about rent and the staff is also family members, so the opening hours are quite administrative: not opening too early and closing at 6:00 p.m, closing for lunch break. The shop dedicates its entire space to displaying antiques, arranged harmoniously and beautifully with a fish pond, old tables and chairs, water jars..., creating a slow-paced world from decades ago. This place can serve as a setting for films that require a scene of life during the subsidy period or even earlier.

Various types of coffee

Besides the traditional coffee mentioned above, in the wards of the former Bien Hoa city, many other types of coffee shops have appeared, such as book cafes (Da Xanh cafe, on Nguyen Ai Quoc street), take-away coffee selling stalls on sidewalks, etc. Take-away coffee is machine-brewed, served in plastic or paper cups, convenient for office workers and laborers, and the price is very affordable, from 15,000-18,000 VND/cup. Young people today have been very clear-headed to launch compact mobile coffee carts with machine-brewed coffee appearing on many streets in the city center, selling not only coffee but also other drinks popular among young people such as soft drinks, milk tea, fresh orange juice, etc.

Familiar image at the only remaining cloth-filtered coffee coffee shop in Bien Hoa.

In terms of brands, all major coffee brands are present in Bien Hoa, such as Napoli, Trung Nguyen, Highland, Phuc Long, Starbucks. Among them, a noticeable highlight is that major coffee brands utilize prime locations at intersections of main roads to attract customers, and there is also an innovation in the purpose of young people visiting coffee shops. Many young people come to coffee shops not just to enjoy coffee, but to drink milk tea and other drinks as a way to show their sophistication, even if the price is sometimes 2-3 times that of a traditional cup of coffee. But most popular are pure coffee shops that have sprung up in many places to meet the habit of healthy eating, without mixing corn or butter as before.

Regarding coffee taste, besides the popular Robusta coffee (served iced, hot, or with milk), there are some shops specializing in selling mild Arabica coffee (a type popular in the European market). One of them is Moca coffee shop located at the end of a branch road of Vo Thi Sau street. At this place, they sell both coffee and breakfast, with a spacious area suitable for families on weekends as well as friends organizing group gatherings. Also with Arabica taste is Napoli cafe (next to the old Vinatex Supermarket) owned by Mr. Quang, which has been open for 10 years. Mr. Quang is originally from Dak Lak, married a Bien Hoa native, and is very knowledgeable about coffee, so he brings Arabica coffee types like Moca from Cau Dat to sell, serving "customers" who prefer Moca with its mild aroma, a hint of sourness, and less bitterness compared to the popular Robusta coffee. A cup of Moca Cau Dat (Da Lat) coffee for only 25,000VND is too cheap compared to famous branded coffee shops and only about 5 thousand more than a regular iced coffee.

Then there are native Dong Nai people like Mr. Quang Dung in Tran Bien ward, whose house always has a blend of Arabica and Robusta coffee. Original from Long Khanh, also a coffee growing region, he has been familiar with this drink since his youth, which is now more than half a century ago. Every week, he has two coffee appointments with his group of friends on Thursdays and Saturdays to chat and confide about life and family matters. As for him, for many years now, he has only been accustomed to drinking hot black coffee as a way to enjoy and savor the unique flavor of coffee.

It is impossible not to mention the instant coffee - roasted and ground Bien Hoa brand, with its factory in Bien Hoa 1 Industrial Park, which has become the choice of many domestic people, associated with the formation and development of the industrial city...

By Van Phong/Translated by V.N-H.T