Places to eat and drink coffee in Hai Phong
Hai Phong is a major industrial city and the second-largest city in the northern part of Vietnam, third biggest in population in Vietnam (2,190,788). There are many places to visit around, even though Hai Phong is not a tourist spot which makes it even more unique and not that pricey.
As a former volunteer and a person who fell in love with Hai Phong and its people, I would love to give you some advice on what to do, what to see, where to go, but most importantly, what to drink and eat because I consider myself as a foodie and coffee lover (just Vietnamese coffee!).
FOOD FIRST
Let's start with some Vietnamese words for food and drinks so you can walk around and know what are people selling.
Most important are:
Rice: cơm
Thin rice noodles: bún
Flat rice noodles: phở
Crab noodles type: bánh đa
Egg noodles: mỳ
Vegetables: rau
Meat (They eat everything in here so you can try various types of any meat you can imagine. Check more below)
Chicken: Gà
Beef: bò
Pork: heo
Duck: vịt
Goat: dê
Sausage: xúc xích
Egg: trứng
Fish: cá
Dog: chó
Cat: mèo
Buffalo: trâu
Shrimp: tôm
Crab: cua
Seafood: hải sản
Snail: ốc sên
Tofu: đậu hũ
Snake: rắn
Rat: chuột
Now we will finally get to the food you must try while living or staying in Vietnam! Vietnamese food is delicious, healthy and full of flavors! Here are some meals you better try before you die!
Phở bò/gà
Noodle soup with flat rice noodles that can be made with beef or chicken meat according to the name (Phở Bò for beef and Phở Gà for chicken), spring onions, onions, some herbs, and vegetables on the side.
Bún chả
Typical Vietnamese, mostly breakfast meal that consists of thin rice noodles, grilled pork, vegetables/herbs, and a special sauce.
Bánh cuốn
This meal is made from a thin, wide sheet of steamed fermented rice batter filled with a mixture of cooked seasoned ground pork, minced wood ear mushroom, and minced shallots. There are different types of Bánh cuốn from the plain one to the stuffed one. The best time to eat Bánh cuốn is in the morning for breakfast or evening for late dinner.
Bánh đa cua
This is typical for Hai Phong area so you definitely have to try it! Crab noodles is a soup type meal like Pho but the noodles are different. There is usually no crab in the soup, mostly fish balls, shrimp or fish but the broth is made out of small river crabs and the taste is amazing! Consists also tomatoes and different herbs and comes with herbs and vegetables.
Bánh mì
This is a typical morning or evening food. It means bread (baguette for us) and the fillings vary from one place to another. You can find Pate, sausage, egg, vegetables and much more. All the stalls are out during the evenings, try to find your favorite!
Mi xào
This dish is usually for lunch or dinner. Fried noodles have many variations with chicken, beef or just vegetables.
Bánh xèo
Literally "sizzling cake", named for the loud sizzling sound it makes khi rice batter is poured into the hot skillet is a Vietnamese savory fried pancake made of rice flour, water, turmeric powder. The fillings can vary from vegetarian to shrimp or pork and usually sprouts.
Bún bò Huế
This is a popular Vietnamese soup containing rice vermicelli (bún) and beef (bò). Very good for breakfast!
Bún bò Nam Bộ
This dish is a vermicelli noodle dish served with grilled marinated beef, fresh vegetables, some pickled carrot and the Vietnamese ‘nuoc cham’ (special soup).
COFFEE AND DRINKS
COFFEE
Vietnamese coffee culture is one of the best known around the world and their coffee is something you will never try somewhere else so it is a MUST to do it while you are here. Don't fancy coffee back home? That doesn't matter at all because trust me, you will love it here! I don't drink coffee back home at all but I HAVE to have at least one coffee a day in Vietnam! There is not the right time for a coffee in Vietnam, because whenever you drink coffee is the right time! The coffee beans in here have definitely a different taste as well as using condensed milk instead of fresh milk that we do in Europe is a big game changer! If you are here and you are not going to try at least one of the coffees mentioned below, it is like you have never been to Vietnam! Try all the local small cafes instead of the big chains like Highlands Coffee because it is like drinking coffee in Starbucks while having the best espresso in Italy, it would be stupid and not good :)
Cà phê dừa (Coconut coffee)
Different look in most of the places but based on the same thing: coconut. If you love the coconut taste, you must try this one! Usually made out of coconut milk/cream, coffee, and condensed milk. Can be made hot or cold, I just prefer the cold version. You should try places around and find your favorite one. The best that I have tried was in Hanoi but many places in Hai Phong has great coconut coffee, check the recommendations below.
Bạc xỉu (kinda coffee shake with condensed milk as well as fresh milk)
My favorite coffee is definitely bạc xỉu. Why? Because it is a mix of condensed milk as well as fresh milk (the fresh milk is not used too often in Vietnam so I'm enjoying it at least in this drink). Every coffee you will taste in Vietnam is like a drink from heaven, I swear, but this one is another stage of happiness! The mix of condensed and fresh milk added with amazing Vietnamese roasted coffee and shake is just heaven not only for your eyes but also for your tongue. This combination is mouthwatering that I should get one right now!
Cà phê đen (Black coffee) / Cà phê đá (Coffee with ice)
Black coffee with no milk (neither condensed or fresh) is a great choice if you like strong coffee. Be careful, you can get drunk of Vietnamese coffee and yes, really, it is a thing! Vietnamese coffee can be very strong and if you are not used to it, your body will give you the same reactions as being drunk. Vietnamese coffee is delicious and if you like black coffee, you will love this coffee which is dripping thru a filter to your glass. It can be served with or without ice.
Cà phê sữa (Coffee with milk) / Cà phê sữa đá (Coffee with milk and ice)
This coffee is basically the same as mentioned above but this one consists of milk, understand condensed milk. Usually served like the one above, dripping from the filter straight to your glass with milk and ice on the side so you can add as much ice as you want.
Cà phê trứng (Egg coffee)
Does that sound weird and nasty to you? It should because who would put an egg into coffee, right? As much as it sounds weird more delicious it is! Imagine this coffee is more like a dessert after lunch. There is really no egg swimming in your coffee, no worries. Where is it then? Why the name? Because they whisk the egg yolk with sugar and put it on the top of your coffee and it's super delicious! One of the best ones I had was in Cat Ba (hot version) and in Hanoi (cold version) but even in Hai Phong, we have good places to try it! And yes, if you are asking, there is also the option of iced or hot egg coffee.
Cà phê sữa chua (Yogurt coffee)
A little bit different version of Coconut coffee. This one is with yogurt instead. Very nice light taste combined with strong and lovely Vietnamese coffee beans. I usually take it if I feel like not drinking too strong coffee as well as I need something light. So if you are in the same mood, give it a try.
Cà phê sữa tươi (Coffee with fresh milk)
Usually not used in Vietnam, at least not that often, you can ask for coffee with fresh milk. Just one piece of advice if you decide to do so. If you want to ask for fresh milk instead of condensed milk because of no sugar, tell them. They use sweet fresh milk everywhere so it is better to say so.
Cà phê nóng (Hot coffee)
I love hot coffee for how you can just sit down and watch the process that it is still working. Usually served with a small tea candle under the cup. Order milk on the side and add it by spoons to make a caramel based coffee. A delicious treat and it doesn't have to be just during cold days, the hot coffee is perfect anytime. Well, as well as any Vietnamese beans based coffee, I guess.
OTHER DRINKS
Various drinks that you can find around from fresh juices from any fruit you can imagine, smoothies, hot/cold chocolate, tea or milk tea (very favorite among teenagers in here). Find your favorite, I'm all for fresh juices and smoothies because of the fresh fruits in here.
Bia (Beer)
Beer culture is also a thing in Vietnam. From quite good bottle beers to the beers on the tap to Bia Hoi on the street. This is a thing that cannot be missed while being in Vietnam! Sitting on the plastic chairs, drinking unbelievable cheap beer with a taste of the beer is a thing! Not just that you will meet many locals around, chat with your amazing colleagues, but you will also try something very local and traditional, Bia Hoi. This beer is very light and I mean VERY light so you can drink few glasses and you will be still fine and it is also VERY cheap, super cheap (5.000VND - 0.20USD for one glass).
Rượu (Wine)
Don't try to imagine the wine you drink in the "West" as the same wine you might try in Vietnam. They call it wine, it can be made out of rice, sticky rice, plums or other fruits and it is much stronger than our wine, and it is drunk in shot glasses like our spirits. Worth try, absolutely, but not as a drink that you might enjoy while reading a book or do another activity in the evening, just to make sure you know.
Matcha
This is definitely an Asian thing which you can try in Hai Phong as well, of course. From Matcha tea to Matcha latte, try them all if you are into Matcha.
Nước ép (Fresh Juice)
Because there all many kinds of fresh fruits (even more during summer) so there are endless options for your fresh juices. I personally love the watermelon and pineapple juice but as I said, there are thousands of options here. If you don't like sugar in your drinks, don't forget to tell them because they will definitely put sugar in!
Sinh tố (Smoothies)
Smoothies, based on milk or yogurt, are never a bad choice! Always freshly made out of the available fruits! My favorite is mango smoothie but the same counts for smoothies as well as fresh juices, many options, try them all!
Sô cô la (Chocolate)
Hot or cold chocolate, people who don't drink coffee drink chocolate instead so you can mostly find it everywhere.
Trà (Tea)
Asian culture and tea? Is there anything else that sounds more like a great combo? Hot or cold, always a good tea. Usually made out of leaves from the tea fields. Even if you go for a coffee, you usually get a glass of tea aside.
Trà sữa (Milk tea)
Milk tea is a thing here. If you are trying to think of English black tea with milk, forget it immediately. It is definitely not anything like this! Not that it just looks different but it also tastes different, of course. There are many small places to go where usually locals go but also some well-known chains that serve just milk tea and no coffee. If you want to try something different, I would say you should try it.
List of places to eat and drink in Hai Phong
Here are just a few of my favorite places to eat and drink or the places I heard are good for food and drinks.
Food
Banh Da Cua
Pho Bo
Bun Cha
Banh Cuon
Banh Mi
Bun Bo Hue
Banh Xeo
BBQ Chicken - Chicken 58
Bánh Mì chảo
Texas BBQ
Pizza Hut
Pizza Love
Goodmen burger
Coffee
I don't want to mention what coffee you should have in each cafe but what I have to mention is that we have a franchise here called VIP cafe and they have a very good strong coffee. You can find many of them around the town, I’m going to mention just two of the VIP locations.
Secret Garden - closest to the center and super cute
PUSH Co-working space coffee - very good if you like to work on your computer. Their wifi is very good as well as their juices and coffee
Memory cafe - a cute cafe next to the lake with an overview of it. Sometimes, they even have live music during weekends in the evenings
HTower cafe - top floor - nice view of HP from the top of the tower
Rainbow cafe - a cafe with live music in the evenings as well as some karaoke
Cafe 1986 - very cool cafe in HP that you might expect more in Hanoi. Very nice, their drinks are awesome! Can recommend mango tea with fresh milk and Bac Xiu
Universal coffee - their coffee is not the best but great location and overview of the town, as well as they, turn the top floor sometimes while sitting in
Ecoffee - a very nice cafe with lovely coffee and good service. They do good take away too
VIP coffee - the closest one
Tous les jours - French bakery and coffee. A bit pricey but if you are looking for something western, here you go
IQ coffee - a bit further from our place, you need a bike but lovely and relaxed place for a coffee
VIP at the lake - amazing during sunny days as you can sit outside and watch the lake
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