Specialty coffee people sometimes dismiss Vietnamese coffee because it’s robusta-heavy and traditionally served very sweet. This is a mistake. The basics Egg coffee (ca phe trung) is the obvious tourist one and worth having once. Hanoi does it better than Ho Chi Minh City. Iced black (ca phe da) is the everyday drink and the one worth paying attention to. Strong, slightly bitter, served over ice. Simple. The culture Coffee shops in Vietnam are for sitting in for a long time. Nobody is rushing you out. Order one drink, stay two hours, watch the street. This is the point. ...
Working from Cafes: What Actually Matters
I spend a fair amount of time working from cafes. A few things that actually matter versus things people overthink. What matters Seating comfort — an uncomfortable chair ends the session in 90 minutes regardless of everything else. Noise level — not quiet, just consistent. A steady ambient hum is fine. Unpredictable loud music is not. Power outlets — mandatory for anything longer than 2 hours. What doesn’t matter much WiFi speed, unless you’re doing something bandwidth-heavy. Most cafe work is not. ...
Tokyo: Notes from a Recent Trip
A loose set of notes from a few days in Tokyo, mostly food and neighbourhoods. Neighbourhoods Yanaka � old shitamachi feel, temples, small shops, cats. Good for a slow morning walk. Shimokitazawa � vintage shops, small live music venues, good coffee. Young crowd but not overwhelming. Koenji � similar vibe to Shimokitazawa but quieter. Worth an afternoon. Food Ramen at a counter at 11am before the queue builds. Tonkatsu set lunch � absurdly good value. Depachika basement food halls for everything else. ...
Cold Brew at Home is Easier Than You Think
Cold brew has a reputation for being fussy. It isn’t. The process is just coarse grind, water, time, filter. Ratio 1:8 coffee to water by weight for a concentrate. Dilute 1:1 with water or milk to serve. Process Grind coarse � coarser than you think Combine with cold or room temperature water Stir, cover, refrigerate Steep 16-20 hours Filter through a paper filter � this is important, fine sediment makes it muddy Notes Room temperature steeping is faster (12 hours) but I find fridge steeping cleaner and less bitter. Keeps for up to 2 weeks refrigerated. ...
Cafe Notes: Kyoto
Kyoto has a surprisingly good cafe scene. Less flashy than Tokyo but more consistent — lots of small owner-operated places that have been around for decades. Standouts Weekenders Coffee — small, serious about their beans, good pour over. Worth the walk. % Arabica — yes it’s touristy but the location by the canal is genuinely nice in the morning before the crowds arrive. Inoda Coffee — old school kissaten. Order the Kyoto blend with milk. Don’t fight it, just order it with milk. ...
Is a Burr Grinder Actually Worth It?
Short answer: yes, but not for the reasons most people say. The standard argument is consistency � burr grinders produce uniform particle size, blade grinders don’t. This is true. But the more practical reason is that a decent burr grinder forces you to actually dial in your coffee, which teaches you more about what you like than any amount of reading. What I use A mid-range hand grinder. Slow, but the grind quality is genuinely good and it travels well. For home espresso I’d want something electric, but for pour over the hand grinder is fine. ...