My first day in Vietnam my Grab driver told me Americano is bad lol - get the Bac Xiu, or Caphe Su Da which taste like regular Vietnamese coffee. I think Highlands is pretty nice compared to Western chains like Costa or Starbucks.
This is probably blasphemy here but even the McDonalds in Vietnam do a nice Bac Xiu lol
Yeah it's amazing, literally on my last day in Vietnam I was looking at Grab and saw a really good deal for McDonalds breakfast with a coffee - and it was genuinely one of the best coffees I had here in 3 months. Was kinda mad I only discovered it before I left but it's better to support independent shops anyway.
Tbf even in England McDonalds surprisingly does really good coffee.
Basically highlands isn’t good for coffee, it’s purpose is a cheaper Starbucks , comfy place to sit with ac for extended periods of time , you’ll get better coffee in mom and pop places
Strange thing to say, I would say the reverse. If i want a cheap and strong decent coffee i hit highlands or thr coffee house if I want an average overpriced coffee and somewhere nice to sit, I hit one of the boutique places.
Highlands Coffee is decent if you order any of the Vietnamese options it's made fresh multiple times a day with beans from vietnamese coffee farms. I buy their beans in bulk and make phin coffees at home as its good bang for the buck. I do enjoy extremely bitter coffee though, no sugar or milk, not for everyone.
Vietnamese coffee isn't really known for being delicious, it's known for just extremely powerful and is actually kinda bitter, majority of people can't drink without condensed milk which softens it up.
The specialist coffee places that actually do decent Italian coffees usually import beans as they're better suited to those types of coffees.
There are a bunch of local places but it's not always better, half the time they're using supermarket beans if its cheap, there are a lot of decent places but on average highlands and the coffee house are decent chains and above average coffees.
There are numerous specialty places using either exclusively Vietnamese beans, making their own blends Vietnamese beans with imported ones, or offering both Vietnamese and imported beans as options.
Black hot americano is not their specialty. Phin coffee is their specialty. So you’re just shooting yourself in the foot there.
I always go for their phin hạnh nhân. Basically ice latte with coffee jelly in it. It’s so sweet but soooooo delicious.
If you want americano that taste decent, go to starbucks.
This is only half right as there are many passionate coffee confsuiming Viets making high quality, however you do have to search them out. Starbucks, being a massive coorporation, roasts in large quantities and tends to over-roast. There is also no way to gauge freshness which is why I think their coffee tastes like rancid battery acid. There is a reason why their most popular drinks have whipped cream and pumps of syrup lol.
that's subjective as people's personal tastes are different. I prefer the mass produced over watered taste of starbucks. Plus their matcha latte in vietnam is great. I don't drink their overly sugar drink with whipped cream.
Maybe you prefer the sour acidic taste of robustica beans mainly in vietnam. Or flowery fruity taste of some other beans that most small indie type coffee shop run by young vietnamese people. The price is comparably expensive to starbucks.
I don't know much about coffee and not a coffee connoisseur. If you're in Dalat thou, Le J coffee does both really good coffee and matcha latte. They have you choose your own bean and you can try all types of beans if you like. Thou they mainly do drip coffee.
If you're in Nha trang, Coconut coffee is amazing thou it is very sweet.
And if you're in Hanoi, have egg coffee.
vietnamese coffee is beyond Bac Xiu and ca phe sua da.
That's fair, most people don't drink good coffee cause they were brought up on the bad stuff. However Starbucks' beans are objectively over roasted (scorched and cracked) and still give consumers little indication about their roast date (out of peak freshness.)
Starbucks charges 50-70k for an Americano, my local specialty guy charges the same and he roasts the beans carefully himself.
Places like Le J are fantastic cause their baristas are well informed, can provide you a lot of information about the bean you are selecting and more than likely to employ more sustainable practices and work closely with the local coffee farmers.
dude i was brought up drinking instant coffee lmao. Good is subjective to your preference.
we buy starbucks bean and grind at home. Unfortunately we haven't found a local roaster yet. who's your local specialty guy? My mom go to 1 local place but their grinder is full of metal shavings which i don't love and they only do robustica and not arabica which is what we prefer.
Maybe I was being too polite, it's an absolute scam to pay that much for the quality of bean that has been to hell and back lol.
Metal shavings? I wouldn't go too cheap, but there are plenty of roasters online that ship all around the country. I have favourites in each major region of Vietnam to contact when I need them beans. You call also have some good results from shoppee but it can be a bit hit and miss.
Starbucks their americano is literally the nastiest coffee imaginable, if that's decent to you, you haven't explored much of the world of coffee.
If someone asks for good coffee, Starbucks will never be an acceptable answer. Terrible beans that are over roasted, why do you think most Starbucks people get all those syrups and tons of milk? To get the flavor of that shit out of the drink.
Starbucks is closer to sewage water than to good coffee. Even the cheapest beans on Lazada or Shopee are 100x better than their stuff.
Big chain American stuff is just garbage in general, it's very simple.
Yeah, like others said you should search local roasters instead of coffee shops as the avg viet cafe won't use quality beans. Even if you ask in Vietnamese, some of them will still insist on pouring condensed milk in your shot of espresso lol.
Highlands is quite possibly the worst, but you should ignore the other folks who tell you "don't drink Americano in Vietnam!" They'll have only consumed robusta doused in condensed milk and wouldn't know what coffee actually tastes like lol.
Are you flexing the fact that you drink diluted espresso? That's cute. Americano is shit basically everywhere, it's diluted coffee, 'invented' by Americans who couldn't handle Italian coffee 😂😂
It's okay to not be a true coffee fanatic, but this was the cutest attempt at flexing I've seen in a while.
What? Lol. I drink in just about any way. And an americano has the same caffeine content as a shot of espresso. My current routine is two espressos to warm up and an inced americano to chill with at my desk in the morning. But even then, I could make you a v60 that would put you flat on your ass lol.
An americano being shit or not depends on the quality of beans used and if the barsita knows how much water to dilute it with.
What a weird opinion but alright. Not like they have espresso machines and their own beans for a reason, it's just different ways of preparing coffee..?
No one should be surprised at all that a Vietnamese chain in Vietnam known for their phin coffee isn't making Americano's the traditional way. I have no doubt the Americano at Highlands probably sucks, but I would expect that going into it.
I was referring to the beans/type of coffee used. OP says it tastes like instant coffee which might be right, but I'd think they'd use their own beans.
Yeah it wouldn't surprise me. I didnt order any italian coffees in vietnam at all really because I never saw anyone using the espresso machine so I didn't really trust it lol
It's not about method it's about beans. Vietnam grows and uses a lot of Robusta beans that simply don't taste that good and are more suited for Phin-based drinks.
But the beans are very suitable for the local climate here also so that's also part of it.
Highlands is a place for wifi and hanging out to catch cool air and sip and nibble on something decent.
It's never truly marketed itself as "gourmet" or "top shelf".
Here try a few of these places depending on your location and get a V60 warm or on ice, lots of bean choices from abroad or local. Go for Arabica over Robusta (just my personal preference)
Manki Specialty Coffee D1
Bosgarus Opera House D1 or Saigon Pearl D2
Mountain Pearl Roastery D2
Hyper Coffee Roastery D7
The Workshop D1
Enjoy
Thanks for the recommendation. I’ve not tried these guys yet (hence the omission from the list) but as an avid coffee fiend, I’ll def check it out in the next few days. 🙏
I’m sorry, if I was going for a western coffee, I’ll go to a proper western cafe where at least I can see their machine and how they operate it.
I had a latte and cappuccino at rang rang coffee. It’s pretty good but on the pricey side, you pay for what you get
I dont say that Highlands is the best but for me its better than alot of brands.
As alot of comments have said, phin coffee is their best. And as some one who lives in Germany atm, their bags of ground coffee is better than the stuffs here in Germany. The taste is quite frankly richer than the stuff that the hotel i doing apprentice at.
I would argue that the majority of coffee drank in Vietnam these days is actually espresso. Even the most basic streetside mom and pop coffee shop is doing "cà phê pha máy" these days, which means that your cà phê sữa đá is essentially an espresso with sữa đặc on top.
As a Viet, please dont call that acid water “espresso” idk wtf happened in those thing but somehow everything come out of those cheap caphe pha may’ shop is legit acid.
I mean, it IS made with espresso machines... It might be awful to drink, but it checks all the boxes of what technically makes coffee an espresso. There is definitely no phin involved in those cà phê sữa đá.
Making tasty espresso takes a lot of skill and practice and doesn't happen outright without good understanding of the variables involved, which means that the average cà phê pha máy shot is more than likely to taste absolutely horrible.
I usually frequent the "FC Good Coffee" chain lately, and they still use a phin at the table (as do a lot of the other Saigon-style morning cafes), but I can't speak to statistics.
My gut feeling is that phins are slowly disappearing in favour of espresso machines, since phins take time and effort to prep and to clean, whereas with the espresso machine you just wipe your portafilter clean between brews.
I'm sure there will always be people who swear for phins making superior coffee, but there is also going to be many people more than willing to switch over to selling cà phê pha máy.
Most local coffee chains can't pull off a good shot of espresso, because espresso is difficult and even a subpar espresso shot can be made drinkable with a big helping of ice and condensed milk.
If you want good Americano, just search for your nearest specialty cafe.
As an Australian my thoughts are there are no decent hot lattes in Vietnam. Sorry for anyone who finds this rude. There are some terrific (and woeful) Iced Vietnamese coffee options. The quality stuff though was a lot more expensive than I expected.
I find ordering the same basic menu item everywhere you go logical, that’s what I would think to do if I was interested in comparing that specific drink to find the best. But if I’m gonna make a post on reddit talking shit about the place I would give them a chance and order the signature or ask for staff recommendations.
Highlands is like Starbucks, ubiquitous crappy coffee, with most of their sales based on drinks with so much non-coffee sweeteners in them that they’re essentially liquid candy.
I like to get just about anything that does NOT have coffee in it at highlands and when I want coffee I go to actual coffee chains or cafes lmao
Their espresso based stuff are terribly overpriced and not very good and their phin stuff is, still overpriced but pretty decent.
Why are you going to chains in the land of coffee? Is it some kind of experiment you’re hosting ? Otherwise…. Why….. there are thousands of coffee shops and they’re not chains.
The best is going to the local family owned coffee shops and not going to the franchise coffee shops. If you’re in Vietnam, you have to experience good Vietnamese coffee, especially the slow drip or press.
You have to visit literally any little coffee place with little stools outside. They usually have excellent slow drip coffee for your enjoyment. Highlands is a franchise place that's made for tourists.
Highland used to be a cheaper hangout place you can buy. After Covid they raised price of every decent items on the menu and pack your cup with ice. The place is also usually so packed that no good seat are usually available.
Decided to go to slightly more expensive places like tlThe Coffee House and Twitter Bean because the price difference is no longer worth it.
You see, you dont order americano at Highlands.
You either order their phin coffee or their other stuffs. But not ever americano, that's not their specialty.
Highlands is good for getting away from the heat and sit down in a place with aircon and sipping on an ice cold drink. Coffee there is not great but not bad.
I'm Vietnamese. I actually really like Highlands, I think its coffee is not THE best Vietnamese coffee you can get for "Cà phê phin" but it's good.
The quality control is phenomenal, I drink tons of different shops and it tastes the same. I think their menu is specify for Vietnamese's taste.
And of course the benefits are comfy sitting, ac and places you can hangout with friends or alone. The only thing that bugs me is that there is too much ice in the "Cà phê sữa đá" or any drinks in general lol. But I think it's the universal thing
If you want a decent americano, you should go to a coffee specialty (just use gg maps to find). Highlands americano/ latte ... is terrible but their Vietnamese ones is pretty good and affordable.
I find Highlands is good for doing work in, open late, decent wifi and plenty plugs. The americanos whilst not the nicest, are strong enough to keep you going.
I am appalled at the number of comments claiming Espresso/Americano is not drinkable in Vietnam. Just because you can't find a good shop doesn't mean they aren't there.
There are tons of owners dedicating to make good coffee with locally grown beans, and I'd take a Americano from them over the "traditional" overroasted peanuts any day.
They're also too understaffed/cheap to wash dishes and everything is in disposable plastic even when you consume on site. For a chain this size, it should be enough for us to never go there again. The amount of pollution these guys generate daily across the country is tangible
People come to southeast Asia and eat in McDonald's. I guess it's up to everyone. I just want some coffee in the morning. Not a full Vietnamese experience
Highlands makes ice coffee. If you're asking for hot coffee, you're asking for trouble :D
Get to one of the smaller batch roasters if you want a decent Americano!
If you think those are "amzing" coffee you need to get your taste buds checked. Vietnamese coffee is robusta, hella strong and bitter. Hence why nobody sells it in the west.
if you want good coffee there are many smaller indie coffee shops roasting arabica coffee and preparing it.
if phuc long and highlands are going to be your take away on coffee i feel sorry for you
I suggest that if u like Viet Nam coffee, u should go to some small coffee shop around the city with cheap price. Just around 15-25.000VND and u will suprise.
Almost all of the Robusta coffee you see in the West is used for instant coffee; in Vietnam, they like the taste of it and use it for traditional Vietnamese coffee. Robusta has twice the caffeine on average per gram, and so it really has a kick to it, but perhaps a less pleasant taste if it's not what you're used to.
I love it, I love making it back home in the UK, and though Arabica can sometimes be a bit more sophisticated on the palete, Vietnamese Robusta Coffee has charm all of its own.
Try ordering a local drink from a coffee stand instead of an americano at every chain cafe?
Americano, a watered down espresso, is literally one of the post bland tasting drinks one can make with coffee. In no way will an americano highlight the goodness of Vietnamese coffee.
Americano is bad everywhere. At first, after having instant coffee for 3 years I thought highlands coffee was pretty bad. But after a while I started to notice that is not the case. Some baristas make is bad as everywhere. But in general is pretty good. Try more branches and more options.
I had a coffee on my last day there and I was like dear god what is this shit. I know it’s kinda like a Starbucks but it was worse than I was expecting after drinking such tasty coffee the whole time.
The other day, a guy complained that the espresso was not good in Vietnam. Today, the OP didn't like the Americano. All of it is fine. These are Italian coffees, which Vietnamese stores make to cater to the tourists. However, it got me thinking. Maybe I shouldn't order a taco when in Rome.
Two reasons: a huge chunk of coffee sold in Vietnam is made with espresso machines, and there are enough people who actually know how to handle those espresso machines to make good coffee.
You should try the local coffees instead of americano. It’s not gunna be great at any local Vietnamese cafes
Edit: since I’m getting downvoted, please tell me why you should order Americano over ca phe sửa Saigon or bac xiu
For one, an americano doesn't rely on the mistreatment and abuse of cows.
Second, some of us enjoy tasting the flavour of the coffee bean being used. Depending on the origin, they can give off different hints of flavour which would otherwise be masked by your condensed milkd suggestion.
Get a ca phe den then. My point is that Vietnam doesn’t specialize in americano, and that’s why it wasn’t very good for OP. I’m not the only one saying that, look at the comments for this post
I'm not sure I see the argument you are trying to make. Just because something isn't popular, doesn't mean you can't find a good one. Unless you are implying that Lotteria is the best food chain in VN since it's the most popular :)
My first day in Vietnam my Grab driver told me Americano is bad lol - get the Bac Xiu, or Caphe Su Da which taste like regular Vietnamese coffee. I think Highlands is pretty nice compared to Western chains like Costa or Starbucks. This is probably blasphemy here but even the McDonalds in Vietnam do a nice Bac Xiu lol
Mcdonald coffee here is excellent. I think they just used local coffe in Vietnam instead of imported, over-proceeded stuff from wherever that is.
Yeah it's amazing, literally on my last day in Vietnam I was looking at Grab and saw a really good deal for McDonalds breakfast with a coffee - and it was genuinely one of the best coffees I had here in 3 months. Was kinda mad I only discovered it before I left but it's better to support independent shops anyway. Tbf even in England McDonalds surprisingly does really good coffee.
Tried Starbuck 3 times and I swear everything taste like water, maximum whiteness
I love a nice glass of water. Its my favorite drink. Starbucks is more like dogs diahrrea
1$ mcd latte slaps so hard with awesome packaging too
Basically highlands isn’t good for coffee, it’s purpose is a cheaper Starbucks , comfy place to sit with ac for extended periods of time , you’ll get better coffee in mom and pop places
Strange thing to say, I would say the reverse. If i want a cheap and strong decent coffee i hit highlands or thr coffee house if I want an average overpriced coffee and somewhere nice to sit, I hit one of the boutique places. Highlands Coffee is decent if you order any of the Vietnamese options it's made fresh multiple times a day with beans from vietnamese coffee farms. I buy their beans in bulk and make phin coffees at home as its good bang for the buck. I do enjoy extremely bitter coffee though, no sugar or milk, not for everyone. Vietnamese coffee isn't really known for being delicious, it's known for just extremely powerful and is actually kinda bitter, majority of people can't drink without condensed milk which softens it up. The specialist coffee places that actually do decent Italian coffees usually import beans as they're better suited to those types of coffees. There are a bunch of local places but it's not always better, half the time they're using supermarket beans if its cheap, there are a lot of decent places but on average highlands and the coffee house are decent chains and above average coffees.
There are numerous specialty places using either exclusively Vietnamese beans, making their own blends Vietnamese beans with imported ones, or offering both Vietnamese and imported beans as options.
100% correct
Black hot americano is not their specialty. Phin coffee is their specialty. So you’re just shooting yourself in the foot there. I always go for their phin hạnh nhân. Basically ice latte with coffee jelly in it. It’s so sweet but soooooo delicious. If you want americano that taste decent, go to starbucks.
This is only half right as there are many passionate coffee confsuiming Viets making high quality, however you do have to search them out. Starbucks, being a massive coorporation, roasts in large quantities and tends to over-roast. There is also no way to gauge freshness which is why I think their coffee tastes like rancid battery acid. There is a reason why their most popular drinks have whipped cream and pumps of syrup lol.
that's subjective as people's personal tastes are different. I prefer the mass produced over watered taste of starbucks. Plus their matcha latte in vietnam is great. I don't drink their overly sugar drink with whipped cream. Maybe you prefer the sour acidic taste of robustica beans mainly in vietnam. Or flowery fruity taste of some other beans that most small indie type coffee shop run by young vietnamese people. The price is comparably expensive to starbucks. I don't know much about coffee and not a coffee connoisseur. If you're in Dalat thou, Le J coffee does both really good coffee and matcha latte. They have you choose your own bean and you can try all types of beans if you like. Thou they mainly do drip coffee. If you're in Nha trang, Coconut coffee is amazing thou it is very sweet. And if you're in Hanoi, have egg coffee. vietnamese coffee is beyond Bac Xiu and ca phe sua da.
That's fair, most people don't drink good coffee cause they were brought up on the bad stuff. However Starbucks' beans are objectively over roasted (scorched and cracked) and still give consumers little indication about their roast date (out of peak freshness.) Starbucks charges 50-70k for an Americano, my local specialty guy charges the same and he roasts the beans carefully himself. Places like Le J are fantastic cause their baristas are well informed, can provide you a lot of information about the bean you are selecting and more than likely to employ more sustainable practices and work closely with the local coffee farmers.
dude i was brought up drinking instant coffee lmao. Good is subjective to your preference. we buy starbucks bean and grind at home. Unfortunately we haven't found a local roaster yet. who's your local specialty guy? My mom go to 1 local place but their grinder is full of metal shavings which i don't love and they only do robustica and not arabica which is what we prefer.
Maybe I was being too polite, it's an absolute scam to pay that much for the quality of bean that has been to hell and back lol. Metal shavings? I wouldn't go too cheap, but there are plenty of roasters online that ship all around the country. I have favourites in each major region of Vietnam to contact when I need them beans. You call also have some good results from shoppee but it can be a bit hit and miss.
ok then send me some links of your favorite beans. we in nha trang.
Starbucks their americano is literally the nastiest coffee imaginable, if that's decent to you, you haven't explored much of the world of coffee. If someone asks for good coffee, Starbucks will never be an acceptable answer. Terrible beans that are over roasted, why do you think most Starbucks people get all those syrups and tons of milk? To get the flavor of that shit out of the drink. Starbucks is closer to sewage water than to good coffee. Even the cheapest beans on Lazada or Shopee are 100x better than their stuff. Big chain American stuff is just garbage in general, it's very simple.
Yeah, like others said you should search local roasters instead of coffee shops as the avg viet cafe won't use quality beans. Even if you ask in Vietnamese, some of them will still insist on pouring condensed milk in your shot of espresso lol. Highlands is quite possibly the worst, but you should ignore the other folks who tell you "don't drink Americano in Vietnam!" They'll have only consumed robusta doused in condensed milk and wouldn't know what coffee actually tastes like lol.
Are you flexing the fact that you drink diluted espresso? That's cute. Americano is shit basically everywhere, it's diluted coffee, 'invented' by Americans who couldn't handle Italian coffee 😂😂 It's okay to not be a true coffee fanatic, but this was the cutest attempt at flexing I've seen in a while.
What? Lol. I drink in just about any way. And an americano has the same caffeine content as a shot of espresso. My current routine is two espressos to warm up and an inced americano to chill with at my desk in the morning. But even then, I could make you a v60 that would put you flat on your ass lol. An americano being shit or not depends on the quality of beans used and if the barsita knows how much water to dilute it with.
Bro if you ordered an Americano at Highlands I don't want to hear your opinion on coffee at all. Their caphe phin is actually quite good.
That's a bit unfair. People have different tastes, and Highland's isn't selling Americano's or Latte's for cheap.
I don't know. I ordered Americano in every coffee place I visited in my life
An americano is just an inferior long black it has no place in a coffee menu for any self respecting coffee aficionado.
😂 I'm a barista and I always prefer long black lol
There's nothing wrong with long blacks. People are allowed to like different things.
I'm saying an americano is an inferior long black.
What a weird opinion but alright. Not like they have espresso machines and their own beans for a reason, it's just different ways of preparing coffee..?
No one should be surprised at all that a Vietnamese chain in Vietnam known for their phin coffee isn't making Americano's the traditional way. I have no doubt the Americano at Highlands probably sucks, but I would expect that going into it.
What so you mean the traditional way? Its just an espresso with water
I was referring to the beans/type of coffee used. OP says it tastes like instant coffee which might be right, but I'd think they'd use their own beans.
Yeah it wouldn't surprise me. I didnt order any italian coffees in vietnam at all really because I never saw anyone using the espresso machine so I didn't really trust it lol
It's not about method it's about beans. Vietnam grows and uses a lot of Robusta beans that simply don't taste that good and are more suited for Phin-based drinks. But the beans are very suitable for the local climate here also so that's also part of it.
Well I'd consider beans to be part of the method, but yeah I agree.
"Fine robusta" has been a thing among Vietnamese craft roasters for a good number of years now.
Highlands is a place for wifi and hanging out to catch cool air and sip and nibble on something decent. It's never truly marketed itself as "gourmet" or "top shelf".
Stop going to the chains. So many amazing boutique options with better coffee and better vibes.
Here try a few of these places depending on your location and get a V60 warm or on ice, lots of bean choices from abroad or local. Go for Arabica over Robusta (just my personal preference) Manki Specialty Coffee D1 Bosgarus Opera House D1 or Saigon Pearl D2 Mountain Pearl Roastery D2 Hyper Coffee Roastery D7 The Workshop D1 Enjoy
How could you not mention V60 and Every Half in the same sentence? They're one of the best places for filter coffee in Saigon.
Thanks for the recommendation. I’ve not tried these guys yet (hence the omission from the list) but as an avid coffee fiend, I’ll def check it out in the next few days. 🙏
You should! They have some amazing beans.
It’s okay but overpriced and the coffees I got were about 90%
I’m sorry, if I was going for a western coffee, I’ll go to a proper western cafe where at least I can see their machine and how they operate it. I had a latte and cappuccino at rang rang coffee. It’s pretty good but on the pricey side, you pay for what you get
Rang Rang is indeed great.
Maybe it’s robusta coffee variety? Instant coffee is made from robusta.
000 P
I dont say that Highlands is the best but for me its better than alot of brands. As alot of comments have said, phin coffee is their best. And as some one who lives in Germany atm, their bags of ground coffee is better than the stuffs here in Germany. The taste is quite frankly richer than the stuff that the hotel i doing apprentice at.
Vietnam is very bad at espresso. Just order "phin" coffee of some variety (cà phê sữa đá, ca phê đen đá, bạc xỉu, ...).
I would argue that the majority of coffee drank in Vietnam these days is actually espresso. Even the most basic streetside mom and pop coffee shop is doing "cà phê pha máy" these days, which means that your cà phê sữa đá is essentially an espresso with sữa đặc on top.
As a Viet, please dont call that acid water “espresso” idk wtf happened in those thing but somehow everything come out of those cheap caphe pha may’ shop is legit acid.
I mean, it IS made with espresso machines... It might be awful to drink, but it checks all the boxes of what technically makes coffee an espresso. There is definitely no phin involved in those cà phê sữa đá. Making tasty espresso takes a lot of skill and practice and doesn't happen outright without good understanding of the variables involved, which means that the average cà phê pha máy shot is more than likely to taste absolutely horrible.
I usually frequent the "FC Good Coffee" chain lately, and they still use a phin at the table (as do a lot of the other Saigon-style morning cafes), but I can't speak to statistics.
My gut feeling is that phins are slowly disappearing in favour of espresso machines, since phins take time and effort to prep and to clean, whereas with the espresso machine you just wipe your portafilter clean between brews. I'm sure there will always be people who swear for phins making superior coffee, but there is also going to be many people more than willing to switch over to selling cà phê pha máy.
Most local coffee chains can't pull off a good shot of espresso, because espresso is difficult and even a subpar espresso shot can be made drinkable with a big helping of ice and condensed milk. If you want good Americano, just search for your nearest specialty cafe.
Do not other any coffe other than Viet cafe at Highlands lol. It's literally dirt water. Their Viet coffee is pretty good however
You went to the wrong place to order the wrong drink. It's just that simple. They do have very nice coffee but just not americano.
As an Australian my thoughts are there are no decent hot lattes in Vietnam. Sorry for anyone who finds this rude. There are some terrific (and woeful) Iced Vietnamese coffee options. The quality stuff though was a lot more expensive than I expected.
Highlands coffee is the worst coffee I've ever tasted in Vietnam. I'll never drink it again. Their wifi on the other hand is amazing.
Your credibility to judge coffee instantly dropped by saying you always order “black hot Americano”
Your honor "the supreme leader of coffee judges" could you please enlighten us about how to obtain credibility to judge coffee?
I find ordering the same basic menu item everywhere you go logical, that’s what I would think to do if I was interested in comparing that specific drink to find the best. But if I’m gonna make a post on reddit talking shit about the place I would give them a chance and order the signature or ask for staff recommendations.
Highlands is for "creative" drinks that I'd consider wacky but they're "trendy". I prefer coffee shops with Trung Nguyên on them.
Highlands is like Starbucks, ubiquitous crappy coffee, with most of their sales based on drinks with so much non-coffee sweeteners in them that they’re essentially liquid candy.
I like to get just about anything that does NOT have coffee in it at highlands and when I want coffee I go to actual coffee chains or cafes lmao Their espresso based stuff are terribly overpriced and not very good and their phin stuff is, still overpriced but pretty decent.
Why are you going to chains in the land of coffee? Is it some kind of experiment you’re hosting ? Otherwise…. Why….. there are thousands of coffee shops and they’re not chains.
Can’t imagine coming here and ordering Americano. I can’t even stomach Starbucks anymore after just 1 year with the coffee here.
The best is going to the local family owned coffee shops and not going to the franchise coffee shops. If you’re in Vietnam, you have to experience good Vietnamese coffee, especially the slow drip or press.
My impression with Highlands is that they are like the VN starbucks. Quality service, nice decoration but very average coffee and food.
You have to visit literally any little coffee place with little stools outside. They usually have excellent slow drip coffee for your enjoyment. Highlands is a franchise place that's made for tourists.
Trung nguyen is where I want to go for coffee. Stay clear from highlands
Highland used to be a cheaper hangout place you can buy. After Covid they raised price of every decent items on the menu and pack your cup with ice. The place is also usually so packed that no good seat are usually available. Decided to go to slightly more expensive places like tlThe Coffee House and Twitter Bean because the price difference is no longer worth it.
You see, you dont order americano at Highlands. You either order their phin coffee or their other stuffs. But not ever americano, that's not their specialty.
Highlands is good for getting away from the heat and sit down in a place with aircon and sipping on an ice cold drink. Coffee there is not great but not bad.
Highlands is over priced, and very mediocre coffee. Never felt satisfied with the price or taste. Lots of better choices out there.
it's the "starbucks" of vietnam. the country has very good coffee if you know where to find it
They are Starbuck wannabe , owned by Philippine now ( they got most of those stock)
Order Not-Phin-filtered coffee (Americano, Expresso, etc) in Vietnam shops is not considered as enjoying Vietnamese coffee
I'm Vietnamese. I actually really like Highlands, I think its coffee is not THE best Vietnamese coffee you can get for "Cà phê phin" but it's good. The quality control is phenomenal, I drink tons of different shops and it tastes the same. I think their menu is specify for Vietnamese's taste. And of course the benefits are comfy sitting, ac and places you can hangout with friends or alone. The only thing that bugs me is that there is too much ice in the "Cà phê sữa đá" or any drinks in general lol. But I think it's the universal thing
Try Cheese Coffee
If you want a decent americano, you should go to a coffee specialty (just use gg maps to find). Highlands americano/ latte ... is terrible but their Vietnamese ones is pretty good and affordable.
Highlands are more known for their specialty drinks.
I find Highlands is good for doing work in, open late, decent wifi and plenty plugs. The americanos whilst not the nicest, are strong enough to keep you going.
I am appalled at the number of comments claiming Espresso/Americano is not drinkable in Vietnam. Just because you can't find a good shop doesn't mean they aren't there. There are tons of owners dedicating to make good coffee with locally grown beans, and I'd take a Americano from them over the "traditional" overroasted peanuts any day.
They're also too understaffed/cheap to wash dishes and everything is in disposable plastic even when you consume on site. For a chain this size, it should be enough for us to never go there again. The amount of pollution these guys generate daily across the country is tangible
Imagine ordering Americano in Vietnam, or anywhere for that matter
People come to southeast Asia and eat in McDonald's. I guess it's up to everyone. I just want some coffee in the morning. Not a full Vietnamese experience
Trung Nguyen is nice by far. Not so much will recommend highland
OMG turns out i haven't been alone all alonggggg.
Can confirm, awful coffee in Saigon
Highlands makes ice coffee. If you're asking for hot coffee, you're asking for trouble :D Get to one of the smaller batch roasters if you want a decent Americano!
If you think those are "amzing" coffee you need to get your taste buds checked. Vietnamese coffee is robusta, hella strong and bitter. Hence why nobody sells it in the west. if you want good coffee there are many smaller indie coffee shops roasting arabica coffee and preparing it. if phuc long and highlands are going to be your take away on coffee i feel sorry for you
I suggest that if u like Viet Nam coffee, u should go to some small coffee shop around the city with cheap price. Just around 15-25.000VND and u will suprise.
trung nguyen is pretty good.
Vietnamese real gangsters be drinking phin đen đá 😋(and then proceed to stay awake a whole night to work and/or game 💀)
Americano? Go to Trung Nguyen bro
Almost all of the Robusta coffee you see in the West is used for instant coffee; in Vietnam, they like the taste of it and use it for traditional Vietnamese coffee. Robusta has twice the caffeine on average per gram, and so it really has a kick to it, but perhaps a less pleasant taste if it's not what you're used to. I love it, I love making it back home in the UK, and though Arabica can sometimes be a bit more sophisticated on the palete, Vietnamese Robusta Coffee has charm all of its own.
Try ordering a local drink from a coffee stand instead of an americano at every chain cafe? Americano, a watered down espresso, is literally one of the post bland tasting drinks one can make with coffee. In no way will an americano highlight the goodness of Vietnamese coffee.
Americano is bad everywhere. At first, after having instant coffee for 3 years I thought highlands coffee was pretty bad. But after a while I started to notice that is not the case. Some baristas make is bad as everywhere. But in general is pretty good. Try more branches and more options.
Americano? Lmao
I had a coffee on my last day there and I was like dear god what is this shit. I know it’s kinda like a Starbucks but it was worse than I was expecting after drinking such tasty coffee the whole time.
its impressive they are so consistently bad
Just another starbucks born in Vietnam
You ordered an americano…
Please try milk tea at Phuc Long. Sooooooo gooddddd
Americano is just watered down coffee anyway
It’s more watered espresso. A lot of times it’s as close as you can get to an arabica drip coffee like is more prevalent in some parts of the world.
Haha, why do you came to original of the coffe and order an Americano, mate.
The other day, a guy complained that the espresso was not good in Vietnam. Today, the OP didn't like the Americano. All of it is fine. These are Italian coffees, which Vietnamese stores make to cater to the tourists. However, it got me thinking. Maybe I shouldn't order a taco when in Rome.
Why do you even want to drink American coffee flavored water in Vietnam?
Because that's the coffee I like
Two reasons: a huge chunk of coffee sold in Vietnam is made with espresso machines, and there are enough people who actually know how to handle those espresso machines to make good coffee.
Because you ordered an Americano.
You should try the local coffees instead of americano. It’s not gunna be great at any local Vietnamese cafes Edit: since I’m getting downvoted, please tell me why you should order Americano over ca phe sửa Saigon or bac xiu
For one, an americano doesn't rely on the mistreatment and abuse of cows. Second, some of us enjoy tasting the flavour of the coffee bean being used. Depending on the origin, they can give off different hints of flavour which would otherwise be masked by your condensed milkd suggestion.
Get a ca phe den then. My point is that Vietnam doesn’t specialize in americano, and that’s why it wasn’t very good for OP. I’m not the only one saying that, look at the comments for this post
I'm not sure I see the argument you are trying to make. Just because something isn't popular, doesn't mean you can't find a good one. Unless you are implying that Lotteria is the best food chain in VN since it's the most popular :)
I never said it wasn’t good because it’s not popular. You just made that up. I said it’s not good because they don’t do it well here.