With humble beginnings in the 1940s, Vietnamese egg coffee has now risen to become the king of caffeine in Southeast Asia. Sorry Starbucks, you lose.
So, what happens when you need a coffee fix and the barista has no milk? It’s time to improvise! And back in 1946, that’s exactly how Vietnamese egg coffee was introduced to the world. During the French War, there was a serious shortage of milk, and only one man came to the rescue of java junkies across the nation’s capital during a time of need, Nguyen Van Giang.
Back then, he was working at the renowned Sofitel Legend Metropole Hotel in Hanoi. After patrons began foaming at the mouth for this unique concoction, he decided it was high time to throw in the towel on the hotel industry and open up his own shop. Today, Giang is revered as the original Vietnamese egg coffee king, and his shop, Cafe Giang, is managed by his son, Nguyen Van Do in Hanoi’s Old Quarter.