By ending your tour of Cholon at Ba Lu coffee shop, you can admire the ancient skills being honed while making your delicious cuppa – that have kept their customers happy for over 70 years! You can have your coffee either steaming hot to enjoy it as the locals would or ice cold to refresh you from Saigon’s tropical climate.

 

The process revolves around using the iconic hand-roasted technique, as seen in the photos below. Look on as the coffee master manually turns the cog for one final time as you know the feeling of joy is near. Gaze as the ancient barista pours hot water over and the coffee brews through the sock the ground beans are held.

 

Once brewed, the steaming hot coffee is poured over sweet, condensed milk, and it is left to you for the final task - giving the glass a firm stir and deciding whether you wish to drop a few ice cubes into the swirl you’ve created. The hard work is now done, it is time to enjoy the freshest coffee you have ever tasted! Exhausted from the heat and earlier activities, one sip tastes like liquid gold, re-energizing yourself for the rest of the evening. Relax, slowly drink the remainder of your glass, and embrace the culture that surrounds you. A perfect opportunity to share moments of laughter and talk about the cultural journey you’ve just experienced – this will want you to savor every moment.

 

It is safe to say this experience is completely different to one in Starbucks!

 

Here the skilful artist is carefully roasting and grinding the coffee beans to make them ready to be brewed. This process is very time-consuming but is essential to the final product maintaining its immense flavour.

 

While the coffee is brewing, the barista takes time to carefully pour out a ration of condensed milk into each glass. Condensed milk has been used for generations rather than traditional milk for numerous reasons, including it lasts longer out of the fridge, is more easily available in tropical climates, and effectively complements Vietnamese coffee's strong taste.

Now it is time to enjoy the traditional coffee, handmade right in front of your own eyes. Smiles, laughter and conversations over what you experienced throughout the day are captured through the lens as you enjoy the freshest, most authentic coffee you have been waiting for.

After the brewing process, it is time to pour the freshly roasted coffee over the sweet, condensed milk. Make sure to stir well due to the viscosity of condensed milk! You can then decide whether to drink like a local or add a few ice cubes if you need to cool off.

The freshly grounded and roasted beans are then placed into the sock and brewed for 10-15 minutes. Initially, the chamber is covered to maintain the warmth while roasting, then take the lid off and continue to roast for another 5-10 minutes. Guests begin to smell the sweet aroma that develops while the coffee is brewing.