Vietnamese Egg Coffee: The Hanoi Story and Recipe

Vietnamese egg coffee, cà phê trứng, tastes like a cup of strong coffee wearing a cloud of warm tiramisu. Underneath is dark, intense Vietnamese-style coffee; on top sits a thick, golden foam of egg yolk whipped with sweetened condensed milk. You eat the top with a spoon, then sip the coffee through it.

It was born out of a shortage. In 1946, a Hanoi bartender named Nguyen Van Giang, unable to get fresh milk, tried whisking egg into coffee instead. His invention became one of the city’s signature drinks, and his family still serves it today. Here is the story, followed by a recipe you can make at home safely with pasteurized eggs.

The story: a bartender, a hotel and a milk shortage

In the mid-1940s, Nguyen Van Giang worked as a bartender at the Metropole hotel in Hanoi, today the Sofitel Legend Metropole, a grand colonial-era building near Hoan Kiem Lake. Vietnam was entering the First Indochina War against France, and fresh milk was scarce in the city.

For the coffee drinks he served, Giang needed something rich and creamy to replace milk. According to the story told by his family and widely reported by Vietnamese and international media, he whisked egg until it was thick and foamy and used it in place of milk in coffee. The year usually given is 1946. The drink was a success, and Giang later left the hotel to open his own small cafe to sell it.

As with many food origin stories, the details come mostly from the family’s own account rather than written records from the time. What is well documented is that the Giang family has been serving egg coffee in Hanoi for generations, and that their cafe is widely credited as the home of the drink.

Café Giảng today

Café Giảng sits down a narrow alley on Nguyen Huu Huan Street in Hanoi’s Old Quarter. It has moved twice since it opened, but the recipe has changed very little. The cafe is now run by Giang’s son, Nguyen Tri Hoa, who keeps the full recipe a family secret.

The cafe’s own description of the drink mentions egg yolk, Vietnamese coffee, sweetened condensed milk, butter and cheese, without revealing quantities or the secret touch. The hot version is served in a small cup resting in a bowl of hot water to keep the foam warm. There is also an iced version, closer to a coffee dessert.

Over the decades, egg coffee spread across Hanoi and beyond. Today you can find it in cafes throughout Vietnam and, increasingly, in Vietnamese cafes abroad. Many places add their own twists, from cocoa powder to coconut.

Vietnamese egg coffee recipe

Makes 1 cup. This home version uses widely available ingredients and pasteurized eggs, since the yolk is not fully cooked.

Steps

1. Brew the coffee. Make a short, very strong coffee: a Vietnamese phin filter is traditional, but a moka pot or a double espresso works well. Use a dark, bold coffee.
2. Warm your cup. Fill a small cup with hot water, or set it in a bowl of hot water, to keep the drink warm.
3. Whisk the cream. In a bowl, combine the pasteurized egg yolks, condensed milk and sugar. Whisk vigorously with an electric hand mixer or milk frother for 2 to 4 minutes, until the mixture is pale yellow, thick and roughly doubled in volume. It should hold soft ribbons when you lift the whisk.
4. Assemble. Empty the warming water, pour the coffee into the cup, then spoon the egg cream gently on top so it floats as a thick layer.
5. Serve warm. Set the cup in a bowl of hot water if you like, and serve with a small spoon. Add a dusting of cocoa if you wish.

Tips

• Whip longer than you think. Undermixed yolks taste eggy and sink. Well-whipped cream is airy and custard-like.
• Strong coffee matters. The sweet foam needs a bitter, intense base underneath for balance.
• Keep everything warm. Egg coffee cools quickly; the hot water bath is not just for show.
• Eat, then drink. Spoon some foam first, then stir a little into the coffee as you go.

Variations

• Iced egg coffee: Pour the coffee over ice, then top with the egg cream for a dessert-like drink.
• Egg cocoa: Replace the coffee with strong hot chocolate for a caffeine-free version.
• Lighter version: Use 1 yolk and 1 tablespoon of condensed milk for a smaller, less sweet topping.
• Dairy-free: Swap condensed milk for sweetened condensed coconut milk; it complements dark coffee well.

A note on food safety

Raw or lightly cooked eggs can carry Salmonella. The US Food and Drug Administration advises using pasteurized eggs or egg products for recipes that call for raw or undercooked eggs, and notes that children, older adults, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems are at higher risk of severe foodborne illness. Pasteurized shell eggs are sold in many supermarkets and whip up just like regular eggs. Keep the egg cream refrigerated if you are not serving it right away, and make it fresh each time.

Which coffee to use

Vietnam grows mostly Robusta, and its bold, chocolatey bitterness is what traditionally sits under the egg cream. Our Robusta comes from West Java in Indonesia rather than Vietnam, but it has the full body and cacao, Brazil nut and malt notes that make it a natural match. Prefer something with a little fruit? African Espresso blends coffees from Kenya, Tanzania and Ethiopia in a medium-dark roast with red fruit and chocolate, which makes egg coffee taste like a coffee-and-berry dessert. Both are roasted 1–5 days before delivery and available in an Espresso grind for moka pots and espresso machines. For more bold options, see our best sellers.

Egg coffee FAQ

What does Vietnamese egg coffee taste like?

Rich and sweet, a little like tiramisu or a warm custard on top of strong, bitter coffee. Well made, it does not taste eggy.

Who invented egg coffee?

Nguyen Van Giang, a bartender at the Metropole hotel in Hanoi, is credited with creating it in 1946 during a milk shortage. His family runs Café Giảng in Hanoi’s Old Quarter.

Is egg coffee safe to drink?

The egg yolk is not fully cooked, so use pasteurized eggs at home, as the FDA advises for recipes with raw or undercooked eggs.

Can I make egg coffee without a phin filter?

Yes. Any very strong coffee works: a moka pot, a double espresso or an AeroPress concentrate.

Is egg coffee served hot or cold?

Both. The classic version is hot, kept warm in a bowl of hot water; the iced version is served over ice as a dessert drink.

Sources

1. Egg coffee: Sounds weird, tastes wonderlish, Hanoi Times.
2. A Brief History of Vietnamese Egg Coffee, Mental Floss.
3. What You Need to Know About Egg Safety, U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Facts checked in October 2026.

This article is for general information only and is not medical advice. If you have a health condition, are pregnant or take medication, ask your doctor before changing your caffeine intake.

Keep reading: The history of coffee · How to make espresso at home · Shop best sellers