I traveled to Vietnam on numerous occasions in one of my previous jobs, and one of my favorite things about Vietnam outside of those excellent beef noodles, was their coffee.
The coffee drinking culture in Vietnam is very much different from that of Malaysia. Instead of international chains like Starbucks and Coffeebeans, you can find many classy and some quaintly decorated independent coffee houses scattered everywhere in Ho Chi Minh City.
In fact, around Turtle Lake in HCMC, you can even find coffee houses that are easily mistaken as pubs or dance clubs. Coffee drinking is not just for the old folks, it is also a favorite past time for fashionable young adults.
Vietnamese Iced Coffee, known as “cafe da”, is usually plenty thick and fragrant. The coffee consists of about 1/4 condensed milk and best served with ice. I believe most coffee lover would find it enjoyable (albeit not the healthiest choice)
I would sometimes order drip coffee when I have my pho fix at Pho Hoa, but lately I’ve been doing it myself, and here is how you can too!
proper condensed milk is a must, not condensed creamer
The key to good food is in its ingredients, and there’s no difference when it comes to coffee. For cafe da, other than the ground coffee itself, you need proper condensed milk.
I purchased Milkmaid condensed milk from Cold Storage at a price of RM 9.99. You can get condensed creamer for RM 2.40 or so but that’ll be like drinking coffee with palm oil and sugar, it’s not the same. (if you’re interested in why condensed milk are imported, read this article on TheNutGraph by Tony Pua).
My ground coffee and the drip filter was given by a Vietnamese friend (Cheryl Mọi Rợ), but you can actually source them locally. The ground coffee that I got has a bit of a chocolaty aroma to it, and is rather rich and complex too. Trung Nguyen is a well known brand and they have a website at trungnguyen.com.my
use a French drip filter
So here’s how you make a cup of cafe da:
1/4 condensed milk, 3/4 coffee, 100% ice = win
While this is the most typical way to enjoy Vietnamese coffee, some prefer it with sugar or “kosong” too. Of course, ice is also optional.
Now excuse me while I make me another cup of cafe da. 
——————————————————
For those who are still in the dark about the Celcom iPhone 4s launch tonight (0:00 15/12/2011 at La Bodega, Bangsar Shopping Centre, KL), I have some insider info: the 12 & 24 month plans with device price as low as less than RM 600.
click on the above photos to view the iPhone 4s plans by Celcom.
Even while staring at the huge signboard that spelled out WONDERMILK in large and friendly white font, I didn’t have an idea what they offer inside.
In retrospect, however, I should have guessed that it must have something to do with cupcakes or coffee, since I was meeting Mellissa who’s obsessed with them.
WONDERMILK – proper coffee served here
I like the concept of WONDERMILK, with its mismatching chairs+tables, quirky interior, and not-so-serious art works displayed on the wall. This place reminds me of Melbourne than Malaysia, probably quite a cool place to bring your first date. Great ambiance.
lotsa cupcakes and cute little cookies & marshmallows
If I’m not mistaken, WONDERMILK is started from a blog at cuppacakes.blogspot.com. Now at Uptown, they serve freshly baked cupcakes (4 for RM5 mini, 4 for RM 17 maxi) that comes in all sorts of flavors and colors, coffee, tea, milk, cookies, mush mellows marshmallows, and more.
Ryan and Mellissa, KY & Haze, coffee & cupcakes
We ordered half a dozen cupcakes and I had a latte (RM7) while Haze got a butterscotch milk. The milk was good and I too was very happy with the latte that rivals what was served at Cafe Le Passione (Hartamas Shopping Centre.) Haze also bought some cookies & mush mellows back home, and they were very good too.
Give it a try if you love coffee, or cupcakes, or both!
Address:
41 Jalan SS 21/1A,
Damansara Uptown,
47400 Petaling Jaya
GPS: 3.135653, 101.621121
Tel: 03-7725 8930
In my previous job, I often had to travel. One of the most exotic places I’ve had the privilege of spending a few days was a little remote village at Myanmar by the name of Kanbauk.
the biggest hangout place at Kanbauk, no electricity during day time
Kanbauk is a very remote town at south western side of Myanmar, bordering Thailand. The place is accessible pretty much only by chartered flight, or you could drive there in about 12 hours.
at Kanbauk, no fear of getting knocked down by speeding cars
There are no tar roads, no electricity during the day, and the wooden shop coffee house in the picture above was the most happening hangout place in 2007.
I suspect things hasn’t changed since.
We stayed at a gas processing facility just minutes away from the village, so naturally the most happening coffee house became one of our must-tour spots.
the town of Kanbuak, where people and animals live harmoniously
Then again, it wasn’t like there was a lot to do in a place where some workers earn only US $1 for a hard day’s work.
One of the most things I always remember about Myanmar was their coffee drinking culture. The Burmese don’t brew their own coffee, everywhere I went, coffee meant 3 in 1 sachets. Tea, however, were prepared in the more traditional way.
Super 3 in 1 Coffee at Kanbauk, Myanmar!
As I dug back the photos from over 3 years back for the purpose of this advertorial, look at what I found – Coffeemix 3 in 1! That was exactly what we were served for US $0.25 or so back at the happening coffee shop in Kanbauk. Talk about coincidence.
Even though I didn’t I couldn’t recall the brand of the coffee then, I remembered it to be full of aroma and had a good blend of creamer, sugar, and coffee. The picture now told me it was the Super Regular 3 in 1 Coffeemix.
Writing this made me want to have a cup of coffee now. Other than the Super Regular, there’re also Super Rich, and Super Regular (Reduced Sugar) 3 in 1 coffee, all selling at RM 8.50 per 25 sachets right here in Malaysia.
Which conveniently brings us to the message of this advertorial – the JJ 100 day Live Super Tour 2010 promotion brought to you by Coffeemix, JJ Lin of Halo Music is now the brand ambassador for Super 3 in 1 Coffee.
The music showcase for JJ 100days live falls on
If you’re a fan, there’s only one way to get entrance to the showcase where some of the songs from this latest album will be performed – by entering the contest! (Contest form can be downloaded here)
Simply fill up the form, attach a barcode from either one of the three Coffeemix packages and mail it to PO box no 5 POS Malaysia Masai 81757 Masai Johor. Contestants with the most entries win, it’s that simple.
Super Rich, Super Regular (Reduced Sugar), Super Regular 3 in 1 Coffee
Oh, other than the music showcase tickets, what else could you win?
If you’re a fan, this is your only way! Go join already. As for me, I’m going to have some Super Coffeemix
Tropicana City Mall is fast becoming one of the favorite places for the gang to hangout during those lazy weekend afternoons. The smallish mall is conveniently located at a pretty central location at the junction of SS2 and Uptown, with ample parking, reasonable crowd volume, and most importantly, good coffee!
The good coffee of course, is the Hawaiian chain – Bad Ass Coffee
Bad Ass Coffee is located at the end of the Mall closest to the office tower
Bad Ass Coffee is probably one of the very few places that serves Kona coffee – a type of coffee beans cultivated all the way from Hawaii. It is one of the most sought after coffees in the world, but via some wonderful cosmic arrangement, the relatively unsophisticated coffee drinking crowd here in Malaysia gets a franchise.
100% Kona coffee, oxtail soup
The menu at Bad Ass Coffee is actually quite extensive, there are quite a variety of normal coffee, chocolate/vanilla drinks, and of course, the 100% Kona Coffee that is sold at a bit of a premium (RM 15.90 and up if I remember correctly). The 100% kona is very flavorful and rather kao, Terence once had it in the evening and couldn’t sleep till 5am. FHL
The best thing about iced coffee there is that ice cubes made of coffee is used, so your drinks will never ever gets diluted. That alone is a very good reason to choose Bad Ass over the more famous chain that spots the green and white logo of Medusa.
KY, Kerol, Suan, Kim, FA, Terence
While I haven’t had many meals at Bad Ass, I can vouch that the oxtail soup is in fact, super awesome. At RM 9.90, you get a bowl of really kick ass oxtail soup with quite a few chunks of, well, oxtail. There’re three slices of garlic bread too.
Seatings are available both indoor and al fresco. There’s even a smoking section with really comfortable sofa and power outlets for those who likes to bring their laptops too.
When you find yourself at TCM in search for a good cup of coffee, look no further than Bad Ass!
Address:
Bad Ass Coffee
G-37/38A, 1st Floor
Tropicana City Mall
3, Jalan SS20/27
47400 Petaling Jaya
GPS: 3.130757,101.626421
Tel:03-7728 2622
One of the things that Melbourne offers, and KL lacks, is a good cup of coffee. The coffee drinking culture here is very mature, literally a cafe in every street corner within the CBD.
Cafenatics also offers good sandwiches and muffins
Breakfast places like MART 130 and even chocolate drinks specialists at Max Brenner serve up good coffee, but for really awesome coffee, you have to go to a dedicated coffee place like Cafenatics.
Cafenatics is small cafe chain based in Melbourne CBD, with about half a dozen stores across the city. The one we went to is located conveniently at QV, just a few doors down from Max Brenner.
a glass of flat white after a meal, yums
I have taken a liking to enjoy a cup of flat white after a good lunch. Flat white is pretty much the same as latte, but served in a ceramic cup instead of glasses. Both drinks consist of steamed milk poured over a shot of espresso, but due to the smaller size of ceramic cups, flat whites usually end up slightly stronger.
The aroma of coffee here is really good, and with the very fresh and super creamy milk makes the drink very smooth. This of course, is done by very experienced and skillful barista who packed beans properly and made sure the milk is prepared perfectly. Not bad for $3.30 a cup right?
For those who are stuck in Malaysia, there’s always places like Cafe Le Passione at Hartamas Shopping Centre.
Address:
Cafenatics
Red Cape Lane, QV
Melbourne 3000 Victoria, Australia
GPS: -37.810657,144.965587
Tel: 03-9654 9096
