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Weasel Coffee in Hanoi Vietnam

Weasel Coffee in Hanoi Vietnam

weasel-coffee-hanoi-vietnam Weasel Coffee in Hanoi Vietnam
Trying the Weasel Coffee in Hanoi is one of the most anticipated things I was looking forward to while visiting this wonderful country.
Over the years, I have heard so much about this unique, strange, and famous exclusive coffee; therefore, I yearned to try it at all costs.
Weasel Coffee in Hanoi

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.

Arriving in Hanoi after a fabulous trip to Halong Bay, I set foot on the streets of the Old Quarter and made my way in search of the famous Cafe Mai, where the Weasel Coffee was sold.
weasel-coffee-luwak-hanoi-vietnam Weasel Coffee in Hanoi Vietnam
Weasel Coffee Beans in Hanoi, Vietnam.
I thought the cafe would be easy to find around the Old Quarter of Hanoi, but I was disappointed that no one seemed to know about this place.
Walking around aimlessly and asking locals every ten minutes, I replied with shakes of my head or simply ignored due to the language factor. Nevertheless, my journey continued with my Google printout and town map in hand.

cafe-mai-hanoi-coffee-grinder Weasel Coffee in Hanoi Vietnam
Weasel Coffee in a grinding machine in Hanoi.

Finally, after walking out of the Old Quarter and into an unknown area near a lake, a kind Vietnamese lady who spoke very little English showed me directions to the shop a couple of blocks down.

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.

cafe-mai-hanoi-coffee-shop-vietnam Weasel Coffee in Hanoi Vietnam
Cafe Mai is one of the famous coffee shops in Hanoi.

Finally, I reached my Mecca of Coffee, which was highly recommended by some local Vietnamese blog writers. This particular type of coffee is also known to the locals as Paris Mai and is noted to be the most expensive coffee in Vietnam.

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

weasel-coffee-hanoi Weasel Coffee in Hanoi Vietnam
Weasel coffee after the process.

Having secured a place at the Cafe Mai, I sit at one of the small round tables just by the walkway. It was humid that day, so I ordered an iced cold Coke.

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.

cafe-mai-hanoi-ice-coffee-vietnam Weasel Coffee in Hanoi Vietnam
Vietnamese Coffee 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. 

I had ordered an iced one, so it was served already, and the two flavours were almost identical. For the coffee lovers, you would enjoy this hot as for me, I love to have iced cold coffee, and this was heaven for me.

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.

cafe-mai-hanoi-coffee-price Weasel Coffee in Hanoi Vietnam
Coffee Price was in Hanoi, Vietnam, back then.

After about an hour of trying out three coffees, taking some of the Weasel Coffee home was time. A price board with the various coffee grades and prices in kilograms was seen.

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.

cafe-mai-hanoi-coffee-choice Weasel Coffee in Hanoi Vietnam
Local Vietnamese coffee in tin storage.

vietnamese-coffee-cafe-mai-hanoi Weasel Coffee in Hanoi Vietnam
Cafe Mai in Hanoi.

I bought 500 grams of Weasel Coffee from Hanoi in 100-gram packets each. These were souvenirs for close friends, and the end result was that they all asked me when I was returning to Hanoi, as they now wanted 1kg packets!

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.

The best experience is sitting on a low stool, enjoying coffee, and watching life pass. Again, check if you are getting the proper coffee from this area, as there have been reports of regular coffee being passed off as Weasel Coffee here.
You can also read my other articles on Hanoi and Vietnam, as I have written much about these places. They are written from 2012 to 2013, based on the time I explored this part of Indochina. 

As a serious coffee traveller, I tried the well-known and world-famous Kopi Luwak Coffee in Bali, Indonesia, in June 2011, which is quite similar.
Conclusion

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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comments user
Traveling Ted

Hanoi can be a very confusing place to find anything. It is no help when it is really hot too. Glad that you found what you were looking for and can help others not get lost.

comments user
Malaysia Asia

Thanks Ted, I do hope this will help others 'Not Get Lost' while in the Old Quarter especially. I did spend a good amount of time wandering the Old Quarter during my stay there so after day 2, it got pretty easy 🙂

Regards,
David

comments user
Lily Riani

i prefer hcmc over hanoi though but i have to say, their coffee is great

comments user
gbeejipp

I heard about this weasel coffee before but apparently it is not that popular in Vietnam, at least among locals. I tried to find it when I was in Hanoi and I couldn't find it. I probaly didn't take as much effort as you did but then, just as Travelling Ted said, it really is difficult to find anything in Vietnam, thanks to the language barrier and their 'shrug offs' to any questions.

comments user
Wilson Ng

had it in Bali, dun really like it. its very expensive as well

comments user
Malaysia Asia

Jipp, according to my friends in Hanoi, they cater this to the tourist and yes, it is not as popular as thought. Then again, I have to say it was an experience that will be remembered for life.

Wilson, I will try it in Bali next year 🙂

comments user
Steve

I am Vietnamese, and i really love our coffe, after reading your great article, I follow your address and found Cafe Mai . It was great anyway, but i still like Trung Nguyen coffee and highland coffee 🙂

comments user
Malaysia Asia

Hey Steve, glad you found this useful and found Cafe Mai. I understand that you like the other coffees there as I tried them too and found them quite similar and nice.

David

comments user
Thomas

Hi David,

I recently wrote a short blog about weasel coffee on ContemporaryNomad and linked to your article since you had already done all the research. Very entertaining, I loved it!

When I looked through the Wikipedia article, I came across a reference which I thought was very interesting and, perhaps, eye-opening. Check out the article about weasel coffee on Vietnam Business News.

What do you think? Have we all been tricked?

comments user
Ho Chi Minh

I have tried this expensive Cat Poo coffee (aka Civet Cat Coffee) in Bali and I find it so-so only. But I am still open to try this weasel coffee when I visit Vietnam.

comments user
Kimtahee

I like weasel coffee like Mr' Phong private reserve or daily delight, in hanoi coffee street

comments user
leungkeilee

Just back from Ha Noi, now their Paris Mai is selling 124,000,000 d/kg.

comments user
pearlie

I was lucky. I wanted to buy some coffee as gifts but I wasn't actively looking for any shop. I just found myself walking past one! If anyone is interested, you can get it here: 9A, Luong Ngoc Quyen, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi.

comments user
Unknown

I noted the address I bought Weasel coffee in Ha Noi, Viet Nam causing I want to buy it again. I don't have friend in Viet Nam, this store's address is 58 Ma May, Old Quarter. I think you know causing this street is most famous in Ha Noi. How can I buy it again???? 🙁

comments user
Unknown

I just get lost in Old Quarter causing finding to buy this coffee. lol. I bought 1kg at Huong Mai coffee after smelling and trying it. I think I will come back this store again.

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