How to order Vietnamese coffee

Why go

The local coffee style is often strong and sweet, with condensed milk and ice shaping what arrives at the table. Learning sữa, đá and nóng helps you read a café menu and ask for the cup you actually want. A small metal phin filter may also sit over the cup while the coffee drips through.

Useful to know

• Ask for cà phê sữa đá for iced coffee with condensed milk.
• Use nóng for a hot coffee; if a phin is served over the cup, let it finish dripping before lifting it away.
• If you want a less sweet cup, ask how the café sweetens its iced coffee before ordering.