Buddha statues create a space of meditation for Hide

The name “Hide” says it all. Customers can get away from the noise and rush of vibrant Saigon. Although Hide is located on Tran Hung Dao Street, one of the city’s busiest streets, it is not easy for first-time visitors to find the way to the cafe.

The coffee shop challenges customers by hiding the entrance and letting customers find it out. Painter Thanh Le, one of the two owners of Hide, said: “It takes customers some time to find a path that is very narrow to get to the cafe. When they enter that path, they can find different doors to get in the coffee shop.”

Some people can quickly look for the entrance but upon walking into it, they may be confused because of the two closed doors and an entrance leading from the ground floor to the first floor.

A cup of ginger tea served at Hide coffee shop – Photos: Huy Nguyen

When identifying the right way to Hide, customers will find it very interesting as they walk from a dark and mysterious area into a brightly-lit and luxurious space decorated mostly in white. The cafe is added with old stuff such as used books and CDs along with Buddha statues and paintings.

All paintings and statues are brought to the coffee shop from Bhutan, Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia.

The cozy shop has only ten tables in different designs. Seating at the balcony is highly recommended as from there, guests can look at the surrounding area which is beautiful in the early morning when sunlight beams through tall trees with large foliage.

When customers prefer a seat inside, staff will shut the door and windows, and turn the coffee shop into a place for zen. Hide is truly a place for escaping from urban noise and rush.

Beverages served at Hide have their own unique styles and tastes as they are created from special recipes of the cafe owners.

For hot ginger tea, the aroma of the tea mingles with the hot and pungent ginger to create a comfortable feeling on cold and windy days. Accompanying the cup of ginger tea are biscuits and a dish of ginger jam which has the sweet taste of honey.

The lemon ice blend is also an interesting creation of staff at Hide. Apart from the sour taste of fresh lemon, the beverage has the taste and fragrance of milk. All of those flavors are mixed together with the smooth ice blend.

Hide is located at 328 Tran Hung Dao Street, District 5. It is opened from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m.

SGT