{"id":10905,"date":"2017-04-10T23:43:24","date_gmt":"2017-04-11T04:43:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.luc.edu\/goglobal\/?p=10905"},"modified":"2017-04-10T23:43:24","modified_gmt":"2017-04-11T04:43:24","slug":"a-caffeinated-culture","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.luc.edu\/goglobal\/?p=10905","title":{"rendered":"A Caffeinated Culture"},"content":{"rendered":"

If there\u2019s one thing that people know about me, it\u2019s my addiction to coffee. There\u2019s no rescuing me because I\u2019m way too far-gone, so I\u2019ve gone ahead and embraced the addiction. If you think about technicalities, a cup a day is good for you! Anyways, something that I will miss when I leave Vietnam (IN LESS THAN THREE\u00a0WEEKS) is the caf\u00e9 culture. It\u2019s everywhere that you turn! Even if I went to a different caf\u00e9 for breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day for years on end I still wouldn\u2019t make it to every caf\u00e9 in Saigon. Throughout my semester I made it my goal to go to as many cafes as possible. My grand total is\u2026.. 38! I don\u2019t have that much space in this blog though to list off each one, but here are my\u00a0top 20 cafes in Saigon, ranked loosely in order.<\/p>\n

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  1. Work Saigon \u2013 <\/strong>This space saved me when I started feeling homesick. When you walk in, you see huge workshop style tables, beautiful food, a variety of creative expats, and a collective vibe that brings everyone all together. The only request is that you buy something to use the creative co-working space, which almost every time I\u2019ve been there I\u2019ve had the Salted Caramel French Toast with a caphe sua da, and I tell you that heaven on earth really does exist. This is a great place if you\u2019re feeling homesick, want a space that\u2019s big enough to spread out and do your work, or if you just want to meet some really cool expats! Also, there\u2019s a pool. Enough said.\"\"<\/li>\n
  2. Vietcetera \u2013 <\/strong>This place roasts from the heart. There\u2019s two parts to this collective, both the caf\u00e9 and the website. The owners of both are incredible and have a passion for telling stories. Also, the food here is incredible! I love the fusion of locals and expats here, as well as the vision for the future that the shop and collective have. There\u2019s also a really cool airbnb located upstairs (Sunday Studios).<\/li>\n
  3. The Workshop \u2013 <\/strong>There\u2019s no ca phe sua da here, but there is GREAT European-style coffee. Once again. The huge work tables are a huge plus, and it\u2019s a really awesome hidden space (although it\u2019s not as hidden as it once was). Expect to find troves of Vietnamese business professionals in meetings or tinkering away on their laptops.<\/li>\n
  4. The Maker <\/strong>\u2013 Another creative collective (can you see the trend here?), this space offers a hipster oasis inside of the famous 42 Nguyen Hue building, which is an apartment building turned caf\u00e9\/boutique haven. There are two shops, one that\u2019s completely dedicated to fashion and one that\u2019s half boutique shop and half coffee shop. Everything from the design work to the coffee is enough inspiration for a productive afternoon!<\/li>\n
  5. Oromia Coffee Lounge \u2013 <\/strong>One word: CATS. Not necessarily marketed as a cat caf\u00e9, there\u2019s a secret population of cats on the second level, including day old kittens. The cats are treated very well and added the perfect bit of cuteness to an afternoon of productivity. Also, Oromia has an incredible branding strategy and ample workspace that\u2019s fit for any project or group outing.\"\"<\/li>\n
  6. L\u2019Usine \u2013 <\/strong>The crowning jewel of fashion meets caf\u00e9 culture. There are two shops and are extending into a third space as well. Think Urban Outfitters meets hipster coffee shop\/wine bar and you basically have been there. With the coolness comes more expensive taste, but definitely worth a couple of visits.<\/li>\n
  7. Shelter Coffee \u2013 <\/strong>Their coffee is strong and their cups are large, which means their typical coffee is enough to power a small town, let alone you for the day. You can get a coffee and a banh mi for the same price as one L\u2019Usine coffee, and the shop has a ton of natural light on the upper two floors. It\u2019s also located a block away from the Vietnam Center, so you can bet that it\u2019s been frequented a lot by us! \u00a0\"\"<\/li>\n
  8. The Loft Caf\u00e9 \u2013 <\/strong>The Loft offers everything from an open workspace to the cool factor of being inside an old abandoned apartment building that housed employees for USAID and used to be a CIA safe house back in the day. This space is on the way to the Vietnam Center which adds in a level of convenience, too.<\/li>\n
  9. Mockingbird \u2013 <\/strong>Back in the 42 Nguyen Hue building, Mockingbird has some great food and drink options, and a ton of photo op opportunities. It\u2019s a great space if you need a break from all of the great shopping on the other floors!<\/li>\n
  10. Things Caf\u00e9 \u2013 <\/strong>This place was so cute! Also located in 42 Nguyen Hue, this humble shop had a great vibe and a sweet balcony. It wasn\u2019t exactly the most impression-leaving spaces, but it had its quirks!<\/li>\n
  11. Monologues \u2013 <\/strong>Outside of the fact that we convinced our literature professor to have class here (we only had three students in our class) this is probably the most frequented spot of the semester, mostly out of convenience. Down an alley next to open, there\u2019s usually a ton of space and really good wifi, so if you need a place for early-ish skype calls before class, this would be it.<\/li>\n
  12. Heart Coffee \u2013 <\/strong>Honestly this was some of the most unadultered espresso I\u2019ve had here, and its only 25,000 (about a dollar). It\u2019s also right next door to open. There\u2019s not exactly a work-friendly environment though, so takeaway is your best option.<\/li>\n
  13. The Old Compass Caf\u00e9 <\/strong>\u2013 Although I was a bit turned off by a strange smell in the shop at first, I was convinced to stay by the presence of good coffee (albeit a bit more on the expensive side), a quiet workspace, and\u00a0nice waiters!\"\"<\/li>\n
  14. Le Saigonais \u2013 <\/strong>A combination of fashion and coffee, this shop is also on the route between Open University and The Vietnam Center office. You get to finish the process of making ca phe sua da yourself and the staff are attentive to every need! If you look around with even the slightest look of franticness they\u2019ll come to your rescue. The main downside is the price of the clothes and how tempting they are.<\/li>\n
  15. Klasik Coffee Roasters \u2013 <\/strong>A sweet spot with a ton of local roasts, this place knows how to create a name for themselves. As a poor college student though, I couldn\u2019t keep up.<\/li>\n
  16. Journal Coffee \u2013 <\/strong>Here you can get great blended coffee and a ton of space upstairs! Their takeaway coffee is super cheap, but the downside is the poor wifi and the music that blasts while you\u2019re trying to get work done in the shop. If you\u2019re down with loud Vietnamese ballads, though, be my guest!<\/li>\n
  17. Id Caf\u00e9 \u2013 <\/strong>An interesting caf\u00e9, there\u2019s a ton of cool d\u00e9cor and great smoothies and coffee. I highly recommend avoiding the food though, and the wifi can be spotty.<\/li>\n
  18. She Caf\u00e9 \u2013 <\/strong>Filled with pictures of Angelina Jolie and musical hits by women, this caf\u00e9 is full of female fatale. The downsides are a dark work environment and more on the US-level of pricing for coffee. It\u2019s a hidden oasis though if your hope is to escape the heat and stay in district 1!<\/li>\n
  19. Heritage \u2013 <\/strong>Located on the edge of district 1, this caf\u00e9 features its own mascot, a sassy bulldog who even got his own logo. There\u2019s an interesting vibe here and more of a hangout space than a workspace. My greatest achievement was meeting said mascot and escaping the heat. \u00a0\"\"<\/li>\n
  20. BK Coffeehouse \u2013 <\/strong>More out of convenience than anything, this shop is right next door to the dormitory and gives you a low price but also a low amount of ca phe sua da. For what it\u2019s worth, you\u2019re better off going with the smoothie lady across the street, but in moments of desperation, BK Coffeehouse comes through.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

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    As you can probably tell, coffee has been a very formative part of my study abroad experience. From meeting new friends to learning more about coffee, I will forever hold in my heart the experience of the coffee culture here in Vietnam. Here are some honorable mentions of coffee shops in other areas of Vietnam and SE Asia!<\/p>\n

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    Hanoi, Vietnam:<\/p>\n