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Vintage Saigon cafés offer homes to nostalgic coffee lovers

Vintage Saigon cafés offer homes to nostalgic coffee lovers

Wednesday, June 22, 2016, 16:31 GMT+7

Over the past one year or somany residents of Ho Chi Minh City, young and old alike, have taken to sipping coffee at vintage cafés offering a taste of yesteryear.

The shops, evoking memories of the bygone 1980s and 1990s, have also offered the perfect retreat from the large hub’s hustle and bustle.

Shop owners have been particularly fussy in their choice of interior décor, serving simple, rustic drinks, snacks and cozy home-cooked lunches.

On a recent afternoon, Thuy Phuong and a group of youths turned into a small alley off the Pham Ngu Lao ‘backpacker area’ in District 1 for a secluded vintage café; a far cry from the surrounding bustle of the neighborhood.

The shop arouses curiosity with its name, ‘Saigon Ut Lanh Café,’ perched at the entrance of a century-old house.

The font of the café sign is similar to signs on soft drink stores dozens of years ago.

“I didn’t think there was such a serene place in today’s Ho Chi Minh City. The place conjures up a more elegant Saigon [Ho Chi Minh City now] in its bygone era,” Phuong said.

The shop mostly serves drinks and snacks reminiscent of one’s childhood, including small packs of yogurt and ‘o mai’ (salted dried apricot).

“The shop has a welcoming ambiance, and is not too crowded,” Lan, another patron, commented.

She was particularly fond of older items in the shop like a cassette recorder, a black-and-white TV set, and a flower vase made from food cans used dozens of years ago.

The shop’s décor resembles edifices typical of Saigon some three or four decades ago, including a time-worn wooden bed and other pieces of furniture.

Chi Cong, 30, the shop owner, said he and his wife had gone to great lengths to adorn the shop in such a way to give customers the feelings of returning home.

“We bought some of the vintage items at flea markets while borrowing others from friends. We built most of the tables and chairs ourselves,” he revealed.

Meanwhile, first-time visitors to Café 81, located on Nguyen Van Nguyen Street in District 1, are impressed by the sheer volume of vintage items as well as its nostalgic look.

Nguyen Hoang, the shop’s 35-year-old owner, has tastefully decorated the place herself.

An age-old Vespa is parked at the front of the shop, and inside sit a frame of an advertising poster and illustrations clipped from newspapers.

“I want my shop to be an oasis from their daily toil and troubles,” Hoang explained.

Similarly, Nam Muoi Muoi Lam (Five, Ten, Fifteen) Café, located on Ngo Thoi Nhiem Street in District 3, strikes first-time clients with its name, which is what a hide-and-seek player typically says while counting and waiting for other players to hide.

Nguyen Tuan Kiet, 25, the shop owner, has placed handfuls of pebbles around his shop so that customers, particularly children, can play ‘banh dua’ (a traditional game with a tennis ball and chopsticks).

Not only couples and friends but also families will find something they are looking for.

Similar cafés include Sài Gòn Retro, nestled in an apartment building on Tran Quoc Toan Street in District 3.  

The shop, opened three months ago, has gained an increasing following among local youths.

Other retreats include Hoi Xua in District 1 and Lao Hac, situated on the Hoang Sa Canal bank in District 1.

Young Saigon lovers

Interestingly, most of the vintage café owners do not really want their shop to be crowded, but would rather ensure a homely ambiance.

Hoang, the owner of Café 81, left the northern province of Ninh Binh for Ho Chi Minh City, where he did different jobs before deciding to become a café owner.

He conducted thorough research on the old Saigon and beautified his shop with his collectibles.

He even prepares simple, healthy drinks on demand, and only cooks clean lunches upon customer request.

Meanwhile, Kiet, who owns Nam Muoi Muoi Lam Café, left his hometown in the Mekong Delta province of Tien Giang for Da Lat, a resort town in the Central Highlands, where he studied architecture.

His 52-year-old mother visits him once every week and prepares rustic dishes for his customers.

She gets up early each morning to cook ‘thit kho nuoc dua’ (fish braised in coconut juice) and has a coach attendant carry it to him.

Meanwhile, Kiet’s father sells his own pots of rice and vegetables on the second floor of the café.

The owner of Saigon Ut Lanh also chooses to keep its capacity low to retain the unique atmosphere.

He even prepares jam, yogurt and banana cream, and remains on friendly terms with his customers on Facebook.

He thanked them for not smoking.

The shop also offers discounts of VND5,000 (US$0.22) if their clients can manage to refrain from using cellphones or Wi-Fi to be completely engrossed in real conversations.

Meanwhile, Sài Gòn Retro’s owner often searches for and posts historical photos of Saigon to their Facebook page.

“Such vintage cafés have intrigued elderly people and living witnesses to the city’s historical events,” Vu Thai Ha, who has a master’s in sociology, noted.

“Such cafés will gain greater popularity among local youths in the years to come. As the novelty wears off, these businesses should place priority on the quality of their service in order to survive in the long run,” she advised.

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