Egg Coffee (cà phê trúng) is a specialty of Northern Vietnam and is one of our must-try Vietnamese dishes in Hanoi. These days Vietnamese Egg Coffee has achieved international fame and you can even find coffee shops serving egg coffee in New York.

While egg coffee is much more prevalent in Northern Vietnam, there are plenty of excellent coffee shops serving up this frothy delicacy in the south as well. Now that we’re living in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City), we have been on the hunt for the perfect cup of egg coffee and we have found some real local gems.

Check out our 7 favorite cafes for cà phê trúng in Saigon!

A Brief History of Egg Coffee

Egg coffee was first invented by Nguyen Van Giang in 1946 at the onset of the First Indochina War (known in Vietnam as the French War). He was working at the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hotel and there was a shortage of milk in Hanoi. Looking for a substitute to add to the coffee for the hotel’s guests, he decided to whip up some egg yolks.

Mr. Van Giang’s first experiment was a bit, well, eggy. But over time, he continued to adjust and perfect the recipe by adding sugar, condensed milk, and even Laughing Cow cheese (according to some sources). He finally opened his own coffee shop in Hanoi which remains a required stop for any egg coffee aficionados visiting Northern Vietnam.

These days, the recipe for egg coffee has been copied, tweaked, and modified by cafes all over Vietnam in both the North and the South. Every coffee shop that serves cà phê trúng has its own secret recipe and elaborate method of preparation.

Finding “the best cup of egg coffee” is a matter of your own personal taste, but we have selected the ones below based on recommendations of ex-pats we have spoken to in Saigon and our own experience living here.

What does Egg Coffee Taste Like?

Regardless of where you try egg coffee, you can expect it to be layered. The top layer is the thick frothy egg mixture which floats on top of the second layer, a strong shot of espresso. The combination is quite decadent and closer to a dessert than a morning beverage. Most people equate the flavor to liquid tiramisu.

You should begin by sampling the rich egg layer by itself and then mix the two together to get the full experience. Egg coffee is best consumed hot so don’t let your drink cool off too much while you’re sipping it. Some cafes will even serve your cà phê trúng over a candle or in a bowl of hot water to keep it warm so you’ll have more time to enjoy your beverage.

The Best Egg Coffee Cafes in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City)

1. Goc Ha Noi

Goc Ha Noi (Góc Hà Nội) is by far our favorite cafe in Saigon for egg coffee. This cute little coffee shop is tucked down an alleyway at the center of Bui Vien Street in District 1. We normally try to avoid the backpacker area surrounding Bui Vien Street, but the egg coffee at Go Ha Noi is one of the few things that will motivate us to face the aggressive touts and grungy backpackers hanging out around here.

Goc Ha Noi consists of three levels. The ground floor has just enough room for the owner to take orders and prepare coffee. The two small floors above have just six tables in total and provide seating for maybe twenty people at maximum capacity. The squat furnishings and Vietnamese memorabilia will make you feel like you’re having coffee in your granny’s house (if your grandmother was Vietnamese).

The menu at Go Ha Noi is incredibly simple and consists of just Vietnamese coffee, egg coffee, egg chocolate, and a handful of teas and juices. The egg coffee here is simple but delicious, and at just 40,000, it’s the cheapest cà phê trúng on our list. And make sure you try the sugar cookies on the third floor – they’re made with the leftover egg whites from all of the egg coffee being prepared at Go Ha Noi.

Price for Egg Coffee: 40,000 VND
Address: 165/3 Bùi Viện, Phường Phạm Ngũ Lão, Quận 1, Hồ Chí Minh

2. Okkio Cafe

A real hidden gem in Saigon, Okkio Cafe is located on Le Loi Street just a few hundred feet from Ben Thanh Market. Head through the narrow red door and up the spiral staircase to the third floor. There you’ll find a darling coffee shop featuring a mix of exposed brick and blue tile – the perfect mix of old Saigon and new.

This hidden cafe is surprisingly spacious and calm during all but the busiest times. The baristas at Okkio are friendly and efficient, and their egg coffee is, of course, delicious. The egg foam is rich with a bit of a marshmallow taste and it comes with a healthy sprinkling of cocoa on top!

If you’re looking for egg coffee around Ben Thanh market then Okkio Cafe is the place to find it.

Price for Egg Coffee: 70,000 VND
Address: 122 Lê Lợi, Phường Bến Thành, Quận 1, Hồ Chí Minh

3. Runam Cafe

Runam Cafe is a chain of high-end Vietnamese coffee shops and bistros with over a dozen locations spread between Saigon, Nha Trang, Danang, Hanoi, and Ha Long City. It’s a favorite coffee shop of Saigon’s upper-middle class and we have had several Vietnamese friends recommend Runam Cafe.

You’ll be paying a bit more for your egg coffee (95,000 VND), but you can expect a delicious cup of cà phê trúng made with fresh, high-quality ingredients. And since egg coffee uses raw egg yolks, it’s not a bad idea to opt for a more upscale cafe to try your first cup, especially if you have a sensitive stomach.

Runam has two fancy bistros in District 1 where you can get delicious, albeit pricy, food to go along with your egg coffee. Or if you have some shopping to do, they also have two smaller cafes located in Saigon Center Mall and Vincom Center Mall.

Runam Cafe Locations in District 1:

• Runam Bistro – 2-4-6 Đồng Khởi
• Runam Bistro – 96 Mạc Thị Bưởi
• Runam Boutique Saigon Center – 65 Lê Lợi (inside Saigon Center Mall)
• Runam Boutique Vincom Center – 72 Lê Thánh Tôn (inside Vincom Center Mall)

Price for Egg Coffee: 95,000 VND

4. English & Coffee

Another cafe that is well-regarded for its egg coffee, English & Coffee is located in Saigon’s historic Đa Kao ward. Here the cà phê trúng is served over a small candle to keep it hot while you enjoy it.

As you might deduce from the name, English & Coffee hosts language classes for Vietnamese people who want to learn English, so if you stop by you’ll probably meet a few locals who want to practice with you!

Price for Egg Coffee: 70,000 VND
Address: 102 Đường Nguyễn Văn Thủ, Đa Kao, Quận 1, Hồ Chí Minh

5. Nap Saigon

Nap Saigon (Nấp Saigon) is another awesome place for a cup of cà phê trúng in the Đa Kao ward of Ho Chi Minh City. The word Nấp means “hidden” in Vietnamese and true to its name, this cafe is hidden down a small alleyway. It’s located just north of the Saigon Zoo near one of the city’s best pho shops, Pho Phuong (Phở Phượng), and Saigon’s famous “Lunch Lady“.

Nap Saigon bills itself as a “high-concept hostel” – the modern cafe on the ground floor serves coffee, tea, fruit juice, and Vietnamese snacks, while the upper floors have been converted to shared dorm rooms and private guest rooms.

But don’t let the fact that Nap is a hostel dissuade you from visiting. It’s extremely popular with locals and serves one of the best cups of egg coffee in Saigon. They also have decadent egg chocolate if you’re in the mood for egg coffee but don’t want the caffeine.

If you’re visiting Saigon and want to get away from the usual tourist traps, then try this: start your morning with a bowl of pho at Pho Phuong, followed by a cup of cà phê trúng at Nap Saigon, and then a stroll along the canal to the nearby Jade Emperor Pagoda (Chùa Ngọc Hoàng), one of the most famous Buddhist temples in Vietnam (especially after Barak Obama visited it in 2016).

Price for Egg Coffee: 65,000 VND
Address: 3/5 Đường Nguyễn Văn Thủ, Đa Kao, Quận 1, Hồ Chí Minh

6. Hue Cafe Roastery Thao Dien

If you’re living in the ex-pat enclave of Thao Dien and are craving a cup of egg coffee, head to Hue Cafe Roastery. This is a Vietnamese-style coffee shop so you can expect squat chairs spilling out onto the sidewalk and just a couple of fans spinning overhead to keep you cool.

Hue Cafe is a local favorite for all manner of beverages, but their cà phê trúng is especially popular. The shot of espresso at the bottom of the egg coffee has a slightly nutty flavor that pairs perfectly with the creamy egg topping which, in our opinion, tastes quite a bit like french toast.

As the name would imply, Hue Cafe Roastery roasts their own beans so you can pick up a bag of their coffee to brew at home. Also, make sure you go to the location at 67b Xuân Thủy if you want the real thing (there is a copycat with the exact same name located at 40 Đường Thảo Điền).

Price for Egg Coffee: 45,000 VND
Address: 67b Xuân Thủy, Thảo Điền, Quận 2, Hồ Chí Minh

7. Ông Chú Cuối Hẻm

The last Saigon cafe on our egg coffee list, Ong Chu Cuoi Hem (Ông Chú Cuối Hẻm), is a much more local spot to enjoy your cup of caffeinated eggy goodness. You’re unlikely to encounter many westerns there even though it’s just a couple of blocks away from Bui Vien Street in District 1.

Tucked down a small alley you’ll find this small cafe serving up coffee and cocktails. The name Ông Chú Cuối Hẻm literally translates to “the uncle at the end of the ally”. Its style is an odd mixture of hipster and reggae with a dark interior, the menu scrawled in dayglow paint behind the bar, and a small patio full of plants and greenery out front.

The real draw is, of course, the egg coffee. Ong Chu Cuoi Hem serves a great cup of cà phê trúng in a cute egg-shaped glass for the bargain price of 42,000 VND. And if that’s not enough to make you want to stop by, they also have an adorable resident french bulldog aptly named “Coffee”.

Price for Egg Coffee: 42,000 VND
Address: 117/28A Cống Quỳnh, Phường Nguyễn Cư Trinh, Quận 1, Hồ Chí Minh

Do you have a favorite egg coffee in Saigon? Let us know below!

Planning a trip to Vietnam? Check out our favorite books and resources!

SHARE THIS ON PINTEREST