Buzz
From the first batches of coffee brewed to this day, amidst the historical twists and turns, Chiêu, Cheo Leo, and the 'underground coffee' shops continue to thrive in the heart of Saigon.
Explore Saigon: Three 50-Year-Old Coffee Gems
Coffee Haven Chiêu
Open for almost half a century, weathering numerous challenges, Coffee Haven Chiêu stands as a symbol of Saigon's enduring cultural essence. Chiêu first lit its lights in 1969 in the Bàn Cờ area, Vườn Chuối.
Many old Saigon residents feel a deep connection to Chiêu for what has remained unchanged over the past half-century. The space on the first floor, often called the 'soul' of Chiêu, retains its original decor, furnishings, and even colors. Wood paneling adorns the entire wall to the ceiling, the bar counter, and the furniture, all preserving a vintage charm. As the patronage grew, the owner utilized the space on the second floor to create a small music stage.
For as many years as Chiêu has existed, it has been entwined with the vintage music of Saigon's bygone era. 'I've known Chiêu since the 1990s, and until now, it feels like those songs have always been playing on a fixed vinyl, looping persistently through the decades. Yet, that raw, old-school sound remains a 'specialty,' akin to a preserved treasure within these wooden walls,' reminisces Ms. Thanh Quyên, a longtime Chiêu patron.
At Chiêu, one may find a middle-aged intellectual seated in a corner, leaning against the wall, nodding along to the tunes of Ngô Thuỵ Miên, Vũ Thành An, Trịnh Công Sơn, performed by the voices of Lệ Thu, Khánh Ly, or Thái Thanh. Today, they listen to what they heard during the student years of the previous century.
'The Underground Coffee'
This somewhat eerie nickname is given by loyal customers to an unnamed, sign-less sidewalk coffee shop that has been operating for the past 60 years. It's the mobile coffee cart at the entrance of alley 330 Phan Đình Phùng, Phú Nhuận district, owned by Mr. Đặng Ngọc Côn.
In Mr. Đặng Ngọc Côn's (also known as Mr. Ba Côn) memory, his father started pushing a small coffee cart onto the streets in the mid-1950s, during the French colonial period.
He took over the family's trading business, and after 1975, he and his wife moved to an alley near the Phú Nhuận intersection, selling continuously until today. Mrs. Ba mentioned that only once, due to a family matter, they had to close for a session, and the customers waiting outside were so numerous that they didn't dare to close again, fearing disappointment.
In the cozy home of Mr. and Mrs. Ba Côn, the entire living room is repurposed to house a coffee cart and a few wooden tables, plastic chairs snugly lined against the wall. Outside, in front of the house, a row of tables and chairs nestles at both ends of the alley entrance, always bustling with people coming and going.
Everything that makes the 'underground coffee' special is neatly packed onto the small but mighty coffee cart, aptly nicknamed 'small but full of internal strength.' The coffee brewing tools, with the fabric filters being the most crucial, are delicately cared for by Mr. and Mrs. Ba, as they believe, 'the longer you use the filter, the richer the flavor of the coffee.'
Long-time Saigon residents around Tân Định, Cầu Kiệu (District 1) are familiar with Mr. and Mrs. Ba Côn's coffee shop. Most patrons are regulars, even those who live far away maintain the habit of visiting daily. In present-day Saigon, you can count on one hand the number of coffee shops that still brew coffee with traditional filters like this.
Cheo Leo
When it comes to ranking the oldest coffee shops in Saigon, Cheo Leo is indispensable.
The coffee shop, located in front of a house nestled in the row of connected houses at alley 109 Nguyễn Thiện Thuật, District 3, opened its doors for the first time 77 years ago, in 1938, when Mr. Vĩnh Ngô, hailing from the royal lineage of Huế, chose this land as his settlement. After Mr. Vĩnh Ngô's passing, Cheo Leo was passed down to his third daughter, 53-year-old Ms. Nguyễn Thị Sương, for continued stewardship.
Also part of the old-style coffee shops, Cheo Leo may not dazzle with luxury but draws in students who gather after school. The urban image of Cheo Leo, accumulated over those years, reflects people from all walks of life, sitting together, chatting over a cup of coffee.
The house maintains its original decor. The walls have faded over time, a portion of the ceiling bears a deep yellow hue – traces of smoke rising from the coffee brewed with aged earth. The tables and chairs, with scratched wooden surfaces, extend out to the front porch for early morning or evening conversations.
At Cheo Leo, the traditional clay pot coffee brewing method remains intact as in the early days. Brewing coffee in a clay pot preserves the full flavor and ensures the drink is still hot when served to customers.
According to Zing News
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Reference: Mytour Travel Guide
MytourMay 23, 2016
