Phin Bar’s Traditional Vietnamese Coffee
Thomas J. Story
Here's how Paula Cruz-Cao and her staff make Vietnamese Coffee at Phin Bar.
This recipe can be found in the article "Vietnamese Iced Coffee Is the Drink of Summer—and Beyond."
How to Make It
1
Put the coffee grounds in the phín, place the press on the grounds and apply light pressure, then set the phín atop the glass. Pour on 1 oz. boiling water to pre-steep the coffee, and wait 1 minute to let the coffee bloom. (All photos by Thomas J. story.)
2
Fill the phín to the top with boiling water, then cover with lid. Wait 5 minutes for the coffee to drip through—you should have about 5 oz. of coffee in the glass. (If it drips through too fast, there might not be enough coffee or it may be ground too coarsely. If it’s too slow, the grind could be too fine or the press too tight.)
3
Put the glass in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes. When it’s cool, remove and add 1 oz. condensed milk. Put about 1⁄4 cup of ice in a cocktail shaker—the bigger and denser the ice cubes, the better. Seal the shaker onto the glass, and shake 3–5 seconds.
4
Strain iced coffee into a highball glass filled with ice (denser and bigger cubes = better) and serve with a straw.
Ingredients
12 g coarsely ground coffee (we use Taylor Lane’s Red Rooster French Roast)
Equipment
coffee phín [5 oz]
pint glass
cocktail shaker
highball glass
Directions
1
Put the coffee grounds in the phín, place the press on the grounds and apply light pressure, then set the phín atop the glass. Pour on 1 oz. boiling water to pre-steep the coffee, and wait 1 minute to let the coffee bloom. (All photos by Thomas J. story.)
2
Fill the phín to the top with boiling water, then cover with lid. Wait 5 minutes for the coffee to drip through—you should have about 5 oz. of coffee in the glass. (If it drips through too fast, there might not be enough coffee or it may be ground too coarsely. If it’s too slow, the grind could be too fine or the press too tight.)
3
Put the glass in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes. When it’s cool, remove and add 1 oz. condensed milk. Put about 1⁄4 cup of ice in a cocktail shaker—the bigger and denser the ice cubes, the better. Seal the shaker onto the glass, and shake 3–5 seconds.
4
Strain iced coffee into a highball glass filled with ice (denser and bigger cubes = better) and serve with a straw.
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