Egg coffee? Why this Hanoi specialty has everyone rushing for a caffeine fix
Cafe Giang: "Ca phe trúng," or egg coffee, is a Hanoi specialty. A creamy soft, meringue-like egg white foam is perched on dense Vietnamese coffee. While venues across the city now serve it, Cafe Giang claims to have invented it.
Cafe Giang
Hot and cold: Visitors can order either hot or cold versions of Cafe Giang's egg coffee. The cold version, consumed with a spoon, almost tastes lke a coffee-flavored ice cream. The hot version comes resting in a small dish of hot water to maintain its temperature.
Cafe Giang
Hard to find: Blink and you'll miss Cafe Giang's narrow, dark doorway and sign. To enter, you need to walk through a hallway, which opens out to a two-story cafe.
Cafe Giang
How it's made: The cafe's owner,Nguyen Van Dao, says the recipe includes egg, condensed milk, coffee powder, some butter and some cheese.
Cafe Giang
An accidental success: Van Dao says it was his father, Nguyen Van Giang, who invented the recipe while working as a bartender in 1946. It proved to be so popular he decided to leave the hotel and start his own brand.
Cafe Giang
Nguyen Van Dao: Van Dao, pictured, can usually be found in front of the kitchen, keeping track of the plentiful orders in a large notebook and giving orders to those serving.