After a satisfying brekky at Pho Viet Nam, I walked back to my hotel. Just steps away, the rustic coffee shop at the intersection of Pham Hong Thai street and Truong Dinh street caught my attention.
I have a plane to catch but the cafe held back time. Time and I stood still for moments. Wondering.
A trip to the past beckoned.
Drawn inside, I lost track of time.
Guitar, television, pleasant ways to kill time. But, what has time done to you that you have to kill it?
The answer is blowing in the wind.
The answer my friend, is blowing in the wind, the answer is blowing in the wind.
An old sewing machine offers companionship.
The sewing machine is a very important member in every Vietnamese family and must be saved at all costs. The kettle too (to make coffee?).
Waiting.
Patience has power, brings its rewards, I learned again and again.
Looking out from my perch, I thought I saw the old Saigon of my imagination.
The old city was rousing up for another day in the sun.
Saigon was founded in 1623 when the Nguyen lords set up an outpost here to collect taxes from peasants (that's 400 years ago).
Saigon's history alternate between war and peace.
When I was a boy, I watched the war on television in my grandparents' home in Singapore. Vietnam was the first television war, the Americans say.
The Americans left in 1975, and Saigon reborn as Ho Chi Minh City.
Watching time ticking away.
The coffee here is average (by Vietnam's high standards) and costs a premium.
Bushes in the concrete jungle provide shady relief in Saigon's sweltering heat
I appreciate Heap Seng Leong, the most atmospheric coffee shop in Singapore (in my opinion). They don't charge premium for indulging us in nostalgia in their old coffee shop.
I will be back with more time, next time.
Restaurant name: Tiệm Cà Phê Linh 1975
Address: 1 Trương Định, Phường Bến Thành, Quận 1, Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh, Vietnam
Tel: +84 938 328 057
Hours: 24 hours (always open)
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Written by Tony Boey on 10 Mar 2024
🎗 Opinions in this blog are all my own as no restaurant paid money to be featured.
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My go to cafe for the coffee and vibes everytime when I am in Saigon
ReplyDeleteIf you love passive income, you ought to love passive Vietnamese Coffee:
ReplyDeleteWhen the drip is over; the coffee is just cooled down ready to be enjoyed.
The nation that defeated the French, Chinese and the Americans must be both pretty savvy and resilient.
Wow, great comment. Thank you. You're spot on.
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