Food & Drink
Egg Coffee (Cà Phê Trứng)
Whipped egg yolk, condensed milk and robusta coffee, layered into something closer to a warm, drinkable custard than a coffee — egg coffee is Hanoi's most distinctive drink, and it's better than it sounds.
Where it came from
Egg coffee was invented in Hanoi in 1946 by Nguyen Van Giang, a bartender at the Sofitel Metropole, during a period when fresh milk was scarce. He substituted whipped egg yolk for milk, and the drink stuck. His family still runs Café Giảng, one of the most famous places to try the original recipe today.
What it actually tastes like
Despite the name, it doesn't taste eggy in the way you might expect — the yolk is whipped with sugar and condensed milk into a thick, airy foam that sits on top of strong Vietnamese coffee, tasting more like a coffee-flavoured custard or tiramisu than anything resembling scrambled eggs. It's rich, so it's usually served in a small cup.
Where to try it
Café Giảng (with locations in the Old Quarter) is the historic original. Beyond that, egg coffee is now served all over the city, from tiny pavement stalls to modern cafes — quality varies, so it's worth trying it at a couple of different spots to compare.