Coffee Lovers' Hideaway in Saigon

The "Apartment"

Source: Internet

Written October, 2016

A visitor may adore Saigon for the vibrancy it breaths into floods of vehicles on the streets, the modernity it paints on skyscrapers and foreign-invested shopping malls, or the taste of history it preserves for hundreds of years in historical buildings. Yet, to a resident, the soul of the city actually rests in our coffee culture, where busy people spare their precious time at a local coffee shop: sipping their favorite drinks, chatting with friends, or simply enjoying the beauty of their birthplace.

Among the growth of Starbucks and other world-famous brands, Saigon-based coffee shops spread a more unique vibe into the community, especially the youth. Not the expensive area around Rue Catinat or the busy Central Square, it has become a new trend for these coffee shops to hide under the rusty coat of many humble 1900s apartments. This business began a few years ago as its young owners, who are mostly college entrepreneurs, aspire to characterize the city's coffee culture by creating a private space away from all the hustles and bustles. Among these multiple apartments, the most popular is Nguyen Hue, situated right in the heart of Saigon.

If one is new to the area, it would be a challenge to enter the correct address, since its first floor is utilized for the biggest bookstore in town. On the side of the building is a narrow entrance leading to the dull motorbikes parking lot. It has 8 floors, each containing 4 to 5 rooms. Looking up from beneath, they appear as even squares enclosed by silver handrails. Cream paint, through time, is now patched with splotch of timber red. From each balcony sparkle plenty of light bulbs in different shapes and sizes: tiny LED strings glued to the ceiling, white round bulbs hung around the wall, or red lanterns loosely swinging in the air. From a distance, even though the chairs and tables look pretty similar, every coffee shop still stands out with their own decorations.

The first time I visited this apartment, I was almost lost in this seeming maze. As I walked up the stairs, there were more than one direction to turn, each leading to a different coffee shop. Without prior research, I assumed it would be easy to decide on the spot which one to try. I was wrong. Only after 20 minutes navigating myself through the wall chalkings and blurry signs, Googling and looking at reviews could I stop at one called Partea.

Partea is established based on the idea of English afternoon tea. In this place, blue and white blended perfectly, making the room more spacious. There were 5 to 6 tables with a sofa, which could only contain 20 people at most. Miniatures of European tourist attractions sat silently upon the shelves. On the wall opposite the cashier were jars of flavored tea leaves: rose, banana strawberry, lavender, and a lot more. Once I selected what I hoped to be drinkable, the staff asked me to choose my favorite cup and teapot. Standing in front of rows and rows of those ceramics was my favorite part. There are transparent pots and minimal white cups for elegance, pots shaped as old-fashioned houses and cups painted with pink flowers for intricacy, and so on. The tea will then be served in my chosen potteries with a separate cup of sugar cubes and milk.

Each of this place is owned by a different person, attracts different types of visitors, offers different services, and creates different atmosphere. Yet, after all, no matter how different they are, these “apartment coffee shops" still contribute to the unique coffee culture Saigon brings about. Without the noisy streets, without busy passers-by, without the daily rush, time freezes in these coffee lovers' hideaways.