“Stay by the fire
You’re giving looks like you telling me i’m faded
It’s cold outside
But spring’s in the corner and i’m waiting”
– She likes spring, i prefer winter. – Song by: slchld
Nothing would be better than sitting next to a cozy fireplace, holding a cup of steaming hot chocolate/hot wine during the coldest time of the year. At least that’s how the European enjoy their snowy winter.
Pretty cool! But now, close your eyes, and erase all images of one common frosty, whitey winter, together with its icing scent. Because…
Winter of Hanoi is very much different from that. Wafted on the freezing thin air is Hanoi’s signature: the scent of Egg coffee.
In a random Sunday morning of December, throw everything behind and reward yourself with a bowl of Pho. That complex yet light flavour of beef broth always worth your time and effort, especially in cold winter.
But, something is missing. A Hanoian’s Sunday-breakfast-package would hardly complete without a moment sitting by yourself, or with a few acquaintances under the tile roof of one age-old coffee shop, taking one sip of Hanoi’s soul – the stunning, rustic Vietnamese Egg Coffee. Once the scent of this creamy yet elegant drink passes through your nostrils, your feet won’t stop until you find out where the scent comes from. And then, suddenly you realize yourself wandering in a small alley, lost into a small nostalgic corner. Egg coffee – the “spring in the corner” – is waiting for you.
To the experience of many Hanoian friends of mine, it would be such a regret without giving Egg Coffee a taste once you visit the city. Giang Coffee (106 Yen Phu str.) – established by Sir Nguyen Van Giang since 1946 is where Egg Coffee was first made authentically. Additionally, Dinh Coffee (13 Dinh Tien Hoang str.) owned by Ms. Bich (Sir Giang’s daughter) is also a nice choice.
It has become a habit of mine to greet my boyfriend with a cup of coffee. It was me who plant this coffee culture into him since we met, and two years later we have been all around tasting Vietnamese and Italian coffee. Being in this city of nostalgia is such a privilege, and I can’t wait till the day the two of us carry out that Hanoian’s Sunday-breakfast-package, dive our nostrils into that irresistible scent of winter. That creamy yet elegant flavour, that warm and cozy feeling in my hand probably would make me homesick the day I leave this city.
“…winter or spring it don’t matter to me
as long as you’re here yeah
I can keep you warm till spring comes.”
-She likes spring, i prefer winter. – Song by: slchld
Pearl.
Adore Yourself 