VietNamNet Bridge – Recently, I took a field trip to Hanoi where I had an opportunity to explore many interesting things. In my experience, the most amazing way to discover Hanoi’s unique culture is not to visit its museums or move around its streets or drop by its famous pagodas, but take a cup of egg-coffee in an old house that proves to be a perfect introduction to the capital.

An old coffee house in Hanoi

Looking back to the old days at a café

Since that was the first time I had come to a café in Hanoi, my curiosity grew when I was led to an extremely small and low-roofed house. The 100-hundred-year-old-plus house looks like an old and cranky chair which had not been used for a long time and had been left alone in a corner of an antique store.

There is neither a signboard nor a visible sign showing that this is a coffee house. Surprisingly, it is one of the four most famous cafés in the capital.

We climbed the stairs to the second floor, which was filled with cigarette smoke and incense. There, you might feel time does not exist.

The stairs leading to the coffee house

The stained yellow walls, old milk cans, stainless steel funnels and black and white pictures brought us back to the old days when people did not have a coffee in the same way as modern consumers do. There, guests have to wait for every drop of liquid coffee to fall into a cup from an ill-shaped filter and they slowly enjoy each and every sip.

There was something peaceful and quiet in the atmosphere, which made us whisper. Guests seemed to do nothing. No chatting. No reading. No music.

Egg-coffee – a traditional drink of the city

The most special drink of most cafés in Hanoi is egg-coffee. The sweet fragrance of egg, in combination with the aroma of coffee, can leave an unforgettable experience. The unique taste, which combines sweetness and bitterness, lingers on your palate. The fragrance and taste, coupled with the atmosphere, make the experience something special.

Egg-coffee

This is why old coffee houses like this have remained one of the most popular features of Hanoi. Even though this coffee house is old, dark and plain, its charm keeps guests coming back.

SGT