I first realise this in Hanoi, capital of this welcoming socialist republic. I am sitting in Café Giang in the city’s Old Town, a small hole-in-the-wall coffee shop that serves one of Hanoi’s ...

Giang’s children and grandchildren now have their own cafés in Hanoi, including Cafe Giang and the aforementioned Café Dinh. Beyond providing a wallop of caffeine, coffee culture in Vietnam is deeply ...

Café Giang serves the original; modern cafés offer creative twists. Thai Iced Coffee, or Oliang, is a bold, nutty brew made with roasted grains, sweetened with condensed milk, and served over ice.