Though Vietnam is one of the world’s top exporters, its coffee remains overlooked in Europe, where consumers tend to be more familiar with beans from Africa and South America. Now Vietnamese coffee culture is gaining ground in Paris, where a growing number of cafes are introducing the French capital to filter brews, egg coffee and other distinctive flavours.
Nam, owner of Hanoi Corner in the bustling Marais neighbourhood, remembers the puzzled looks of his French customers as they discovered not just Vietnamese coffee, but the art of drinking it.
