Remember the cafe I mentioned founded by Nguyen Van Giang, the father of egg coffee? It’s still open despite the fact that he’s now passed away. Now run by his son, it receives hundreds of customers a day who visit to drink the most famous egg coffee in Hanoi.
Cafe Giang is a busy and friendly spot, although some say it’s not authentic anymore. I feel this idea of ‘authenticity’ has got scrambled recently. As soon as something’s popular, it’s mainstream and no longer worthy, apparently. I don’t think this cafe should be marked down just because tourists know about it, too.
Iced egg coffee Hanoi Cafe Giang
I decided to order the iced egg coffee because I’d tried the regular version so many times before. Having now tried both types, I’d suggest going for the OG hot coffee.
I enjoyed my visit to Cafe Giang because it was a chance to rub shoulders with the locals. I sat at a small stool at an equally tiny table and chatted with two local businessmen taking a quick coffee break. They spoke a bit of English and we swapped Instagram handles.
At Cafe Giang you grab a stool, place an order and wait for your drink to arrive teetering on a heavy tray. You may be waiting for some time as the cafe is always busy. It’s worth the wait!
Address: 39 Nguyễn Hữu Huân, Lý Thái Tổ, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội.
Opening times: 7am-10pm, daily.