Unique filter coffee

Mr. Le Phuoc Thanh, owner of the coffee shop, makes coffee for customers.

At 6am, regular customers come to the shop, lean back on folding chairs or small plastic chairs, sip a cup of filtered coffee, watch the street, and chat with friends.

Mr. Le Phuoc Thanh, the shop owner, quickly scooped the brewed coffee into a large cloth, which acted as a filter to retain the grounds and extract the essence. Boiling water was poured into the sieve, each sieve was five ladles of water. The aroma of hot coffee mixed with the billowing smoke, creating a special atmosphere for the shop.

Mr. Thanh said that to make delicious filter coffee, you need to use boiling water at exactly 100 degrees, each filter is equivalent to 200g of coffee, and brew for at least 5 minutes so that the coffee is evenly "cooked" and has a strong flavor. When the coffee is done, he gently lifts the filter, pours the coffee into the cup, shakes it well, then soaks the cup in a pitcher of ice water before adding sugar or milk, stirring well to thicken the coffee and spread the aroma. This method helps the coffee retain its aroma, sweet aftertaste, smoothness and a bit of fat.

While making the coffee, Mr. Thanh told that filter coffee, also known as warehouse coffee or stocking coffee, appeared in Vietnam in the 90s of the last century, originating from the Chinese community in Ho Chi Minh City . Mr. Thanh's shop is one of the few remaining in Vung Tau that retains the old flavor thanks to completely manual brewing.

He recalls that in 1996, it took two days to use up 1kg of coffee, each cup costing only 600 VND. Now, the shop uses up to 4kg of coffee every day, each cup costing only 15,000-20,000 VND because it doesn't have to rent a space.

The customers who come to the shop are mainly the elderly who come to reminisce and chat about old times. Young people also like to come to immerse themselves in the simple space and enjoy the traditional taste of filter coffee.

Mr. Nguyen Van Hai (72 years old, living on Truong Van Bang street), a regular customer of the shop, happily said: "The filter coffee has a slightly bitter taste, mixed with a characteristic smoky smell, the aftertaste left in the throat is very pleasant."

Article and photos: QUANG VU

Source: https://baobariavungtau.com.vn/kinh-te/202505/doc-dao-ca-phe-vot-1043392/