Cafe Giang (Cafe Giảng)

Founded in 1946 by Nguyen Van Giang, this is the cafe where ca phe trung (egg coffee) was invented. A thick, custard-like foam of beaten egg yolk and sweetened condensed milk sits atop strong robusta brewed in a phin filter. The narrow alley entrance at 39 Nguyen Huu Huan leads into a time-capsule interior of worn wooden furniture and old photographs. No frills, no pretension: just the original recipe unchanged for nearly eight decades.