Considered one of the four pillars of Hanoi coffee, including “Nhan – Nhi – Di – Giang,” Giang coffee is not only a familiar name to Hanoians but also known to international visitors when they come to Hanoi.
When mentioning Giang, one must mention egg coffee – Giang’s most famous drink, which has become a must-try for many domestic and international tourists visiting Hanoi. Anyone who comes to Giang and doesn’t try egg coffee has missed out on a unique and distinctive flavor of Hanoi. It’s no coincidence that Giang’s egg coffee was chosen as the complimentary drink during the US-North Korea summit; there’s a reason for it.
Hanoi’s oldest coffee shop, the birthplace of egg coffee
For over 70 years (since 1946), Giang has always been a renowned coffee shop in Hanoi, always bustling with customers.
Egg coffee is considered to have originated here, created by Mr. Nguyen Van Giang. Previously, while working as a bartender for the 5-star Sofitel Metropole Hanoi hotel, due to a shortage of fresh milk, he came up with the idea of using eggs as a substitute, and thus egg coffee was born. The rich coffee, combined with the creamy egg, unexpectedly became so popular that Mr. Giang resigned from his hotel job, opened his own shop, and built his own brand.
Starting from a small, temporary location, Giang Coffee gradually moved to a more spacious shop at 90 Cau Go Street. In 1988-1989, after Mr. Giang passed away, his descendants branched out and opened their own egg coffee shops.
Through many ups and downs, Giang Egg Coffee has survived and thrived to this day. Every day, 39 Nguyen Huu Huan Street welcomes countless customers, both Vietnamese and foreign.
The space at Giang is mainly on the second floor, where customers sit and drink coffee at low tables and chairs, many of which have chipped paint. On the yellow-washed walls are a few simple decorative paintings, lacking any striking features, and no music is played.
The menu offers many creative options such as rum egg, beer egg, cocoa egg, mung bean egg… but egg coffee remains the signature item.
See also: Hanoi Tours
“Good wine needs no bush” Giang egg coffee has become famous both domestically and internationally
In Hanoi today, many places sell egg coffee with basic ingredients including coffee, egg yolks, condensed milk… but in terms of flavor, none can compare to Giang because of its long-standing secret recipe and brewing experience. Making a delicious egg coffee requires meticulous care and attention to detail, as even a slight difference in speed can alter the flavor.
The American television channel CNN once rated egg coffee as one of Hanoi’s impressive specialties. The newspaper prtimes.jp also reported on Giang Cafe’s arrival in Japan, with its first location at 78-3 Yamashita Road, Naka Ward, Kanagawa Prefecture, Yokohama City. The newspaper proudly introduced Giang Cafe as “delicious egg coffee originating from Hanoi’s Old Quarter, Vietnam.”
During the US-North Korea summit in Vietnam, over 3,000 cups of Giang egg coffee were served.
If you’re already familiar with the taste of egg coffee from Hanoi, but reading about the above fills you with pride, wouldn’t you want to visit Giang Cafe and order a cup of egg coffee to enjoy?
