Hồ Chí Minh City is a place to buy coffee, with vendors on every street and every alley (presently exchanging a foreigner's five kilođong for the caffiene-and-sugar hit of a cà phê sữa đá) and all the hotels (the Legend Hotel charges $US3.50 for a very mediocre American-style drip coffee). Mai got me onto the Trung Nguyên cafés, which are apparently a Starbucks-style franchise. If there's anything to be said in favour of tariffs, Trung Nguyên says it; I have difficulty drinking street coffee now.
The problem with it being a franchise (and this being Hồ Chí Minh City) is the difficulty of getting a list of addresses for the cafés. Fortunately I can crib from here (and please excuse the erratic character decorations):
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1 Trần Hưng Đạo, District 1.
Diagonally opposite Bến Thành Market on the roundabout. The first one I went to, with Loan one Saturday afternoon. My local, I have a table there. Don't be put off by the big love-heart on the door, the waitresses will take good care of you. Head upstairs for more of that 50s Art Deco feeling.
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On the monster roundabout at the intersection of Nguyễn Bỉnh Khiêm and Điện Biên Phủ at the top of District 1, opposite Mike's workplace, the impressive-looking Institute of Agricultural Science of South Vietnam.
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On Nguyễn Bỉnh Khiêm between Nguyễn Đình Chiẻu and Nguyễn Thị Minh Khai, District 1.
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1 Bủi Thị Xuân, District 1, opposite the park.
Somewhat like my local on Trần Hưng Đạo but not as atmospheric. Mai steered me to this one.
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Nguyen Van Chiem, next to the Diamond Plaza.
Today it was closed for renovations which will clearly take some time.
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32 Mac Dinh Chi, District 1.
Couldn't find this one, but the numbers go strangely on that street.
I haven't been to (and they may not exist):
- 114 Ly Tu Trong, District 1.
- 44B Chu Manh Trinh, District 1.
- 349 Hai Ba Trung, District 3.
- 150D Ly Chinh Thang, District 3.
- 10 Nguyen Thong, District 3.
- 46 Chu Mạnh Trinh, District 1
- 2A Nguyễn Huệ, District 1.
Apparently one can purchase their coffee in Australia.