Tung Coffee

(NLĐO) - Going for coffee every time I visit Da Lat is an indispensable "ritual" for me.

Among the long list of cafes in this mountain town, I remain "loyal" to Tung – a name quite unfamiliar to young people but extremely familiar to those who love the peaceful, old-fashioned atmosphere.

The cafe has a vintage decor, from the worn leather chairs and old wooden bar to the outdated decorations and cups.

Those items aren't antique imitations, but rather objects that have "aged" alongside the cafe's history. The space seems like a gateway to time, allowing melodies steeped in memories—Trinh Cong Son, Ngo Thuy Mien, Vu Thanh An, French music—to open a path for visitors back to bygone days.

Tung Coffee

Whenever I visit Tung's, ordering a hot cup of coffee or a cheese yogurt, and humming along to songs like "One night, returning to my small attic, I suddenly remember the rose" or "devant son corp de femme, je suis le geant de papier," I feel time slow down, as leisurely as the drops of hot coffee falling steadily into the cup.

Through the windowpane, the light drizzle or the lingering mist outside makes all worries suddenly feel lighter and vanish into thin air like warm smoke.

Tung Cafe Window

I like Tung, not only because the flavors and music suit my taste, but also because it was once a stop for big names like composers Trinh Cong Son and Tu Cong Phung, poet Bui Giang, and singer Khanh Ly… Tung is a place where I can “meet” people I’ve always admired, even if only subconsciously.

On a couple of occasions, I and some customers at the next table would hum along to old French songs, and tell ourselves that we'd visit Tung again next time to brew ourselves a refreshing cup of coffee.

This window overlooks the Hoa Binh area.

(Entry for the "Impressions on Vietnamese Coffee and Tea" contest 2026, part of the 4th "Celebrating Vietnamese Coffee and Tea" program organized by Nguoi Lao Dong Newspaper).

Source: https://nld.com.vn/ca-phe-tung-196260320153002365.htm