Weasel Coffee in Hanoi Vietnam
So, right before my trip to Hanoi in April 2010, I had Googled the coffee locations and discovered that originals and knockoffs were being sold.
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Weasel Coffee Beans in Hanoi, Vietnam. |
Eagerly walking in the hot afternoon, I accidentally passed the coffee outlet and wondered where it was as there were a few other cafes along this street.
I finally made one more stop and asked one of them where the Cafe Mai was; the gentleman pointed to a few shops in the opposite direction without saying a word.
So, what is Weasel Coffee? This exotic blend of coffee beans is eaten by the local civet cats, and the beans are then passed through their digestive systems. In other parts of the world, it is also known as Kopi Luwak or Civet Cat Coffee.
“A civet eats the berries for their fleshy pulp. In its stomach, proteolytic enzymes seep into the beans, making shorter peptides and more free amino acids. Passing through a civet’s intestines the beans are then defecated, keeping their shape.
After gathering, thorough washing, sun drying, light roasting and brewing, these beans yield an aromatic coffee with much less bitterness, widely noted as the most expensive coffee in the world.” – From Wikipedia
I was given a simple menu, and glancing through it, I saw several coffee choices. Strangely, there was no indication of Weasel Coffee on the menu, so I got a little worried and called the waitress over.
She did not speak much English, but when I asked about the Weasel Coffee, she looked confused and called the owner over, a Vietnamese lady in her mid-thirties who spoke basic English.
Finally, she understood what I described and told me it was called Paris Mai in Vietnam, and without hesitation, I ordered two of them. One hot and one with ice.
When the coffee was served, it came in one of those small metal Vietnamese drip filters known locally as cà phê phin. The freshly ground coffee is contained inside, and hot water is poured into the device and then covered.
The filtering process can take up to five minutes before it is consumed. Condensed milk is also served and added to the bottom of the glass before you start your process. Once done, stir it all in and have your expensive cup of Vietnamese Weasel Coffee.
Never before had I tried coffee that tasted so good. The closest comparison I had to this was some Lao Coffee in Luang Prabang, Laos.
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Coffee Price was in Hanoi, Vietnam, back then. |
Paris Mai costs 600,000 Vietnamese Dong per kilogram, which is about US$30.70, so this is really cheap, considering I was told that the Weasel Coffee can go up to hundreds of US dollars.
Apart from the exotic coffee being sold here, there were a variety of other blends. Some locals love to buy coffee fresh in 100-gram packets from these cafes.
They were seen arriving by cars and bikes to get freshly ground coffee from the special takeaway counter of Cafe Mai.
Address to Cafe Mai, Hanoi
52, Nguyên Hồng,
Du-Ha Noi,
Vietnam
Vietnamese Coffee Cafes in Hanoi
- Dak-Linh Café – This lovely café is located on the southwest shore of Hoan Kiem Lake, entirely hidden in the trees. It’s probably the best place to start your morning: enjoy your coffee while watching people exercise in the park or do Tai Chi.
- Trung Nguyen Café – This trendy café by the Hoan Kiem Lake offers many coffee varieties, including the famous weasel coffee and strong coffee in general.
- Café Nhan – The café is located in the heart of the nightlife area and is very popular among young locals. There are nice private nooks for those seeking intimacy and attractive balconies for those who like to do a bit of people-watching by night.
- Hanoi’s Coffee Street – Hang Hanh (Coffee Street) is in Hanoi’s Old Quarter. It’s a popular location filled with cafes and everyone looking for their caffeine fix: businessmen on their way to work, backpackers reading the travel guides searching for new ideas and motorbike drivers looking for clients.
Coffee culture is one of the local lifestyles here, as countless places sell it around the Old Quarter and Hanoi. I was staying at the Impressive Hotel in the Old Quarter area, so moving around on foot was very easy.
From modern-day cafes to roadside squat-down stalls, they all taste perfect. Honestly, the best are from some speciality stalls around the old quarter, where you get some excellent Weasel Coffee in Hanoi.
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