Cafe 171 | 106 Phan Dinh Phung | Da Lat, Vietnam
Da Lat is also known for growing the best coffee beans in Vietnam. Upon the recommendation of my friend Lolita, I made sure that my first taste of coffee in Da Lat would be at Cafe 171.
The owner’s name is Tran Sum (top photo) and he has a joyful smile (especially considering he is up every day at 1am to start brewing his coffee) that immediately appears at any instance of eye contact. Though open all day, majority of patrons come during Tran Sum’s working hours of 4am to 10am to sample his freshly brewed coffee. His coffee shop embodies the prototypical Da Lat coffee atmosphere — leather bound stools + small wooden tables occupied by Vietnamese early risers wearing matching leather bomber jackets, front doors pushed to the side allowing the cool morning crisp to linger inside, and a coffee bar with accompanying portable stove tops in the front of the shop.
Vinh ordered the ca phe nong (black coffee, middle photo), I ordered the ca phe sua nong (black coffee with condense milk, bottom photo). Coffee is served in shot glasses. Strong, rich, and bold in flavor — such a serving size is all that is necessary. There is an obvious taste of extra sweetness in his coffee even if you order the ca phe nong because Tran Sum adds butter, sugar, salt, and mocha beans when roasting his coffee beans. Oh and most noteworthy, the coffee is served piping hot. Usually Vietnamese coffee is pre-dripped or cools down as you watch your coffee drip from the filter into a cup. Here the coffee is kept warm in a filter (metal canisters lined with socks!) until served. At 4000 vnd (approximately $0.20 usd) for the ca phe nong and 6000 vnd (approximately $0.30 usd) for the ca phe sua nong, these two shot glasses of joy contained the best coffee of my life.
-Noreylee
