At dawn, alley 330/2 Phan Dinh Phung street is bustling with people and vehicles. One of the busiest places here is Mr. Manh's (51 years old, HCMC) filter coffee shop. Mr. Manh is the third generation in his family to continue the traditional profession of selling filter coffee. Up to now, the shop has been around for more than 70 years.

"I am the eldest son in the family. When my parents were old and weak, my younger brother and I took turns maintaining and developing the family's coffee shop. I sell in the morning and afternoon. My younger brother sells late at night," Mr. Manh confided.

Stepping inside the restaurant, diners feel as if they are stepping back in time. The room is carefully decorated with family photos by Mr. Manh and contains time-worn newspaper articles about the restaurant.

The brewing area of ​​Mr. Manh and his wife is just a small, simple counter. On the counter are placed the ingredients and tools for making filter coffee such as: coffee powder, a water tray, a few cloth filters, fresh milk and some spoons, cups, and crushed ice.

"This place has been a place of business since my grandmother, my parents and now me. The space is small, with many old pictures of the whole family hanging on it, and there is almost no place for customers to sit. Only later, when I had the means, did I build a new house, both to live in and to have space for customers to sit, more spacious and airy," Mr. Manh shared.

Customers come to the counter to order drinks, Mr. Manh quickly dips the racket into boiling water to clean it, then places the racket on top of the aluminum mug, adding just the right amount of ground coffee. Next, he skillfully pours hot water around the top of the racket, so that all the coffee powder is evenly soaked in the boiling water.

Just like that, wait for the coffee grounds to slowly settle into the cup, the residue remaining on the mesh. Within 3 to 5 minutes, Mr. Manh quickly lifts the filter up high and lets the coffee grounds remaining on the mesh flow into the cup, "skillfully" without spilling a single drop.

And then he adds sugar, condensed milk or fresh milk, and a little crushed ice or can leave it hot depending on the customer's preference. That is the way to create a cup of strong, fragrant coffee, the true taste of filter coffee of the old Saigon people.

“My family bought the coffee beans from Buon Ma Thuot. After getting them back, we soaked the coffee in a large barrel with butter, wine and salt, then roasted them until fragrant and then ground them,” Mr. Manh said.

"I use a mesh filter made of "8-gauge fabric", this type of fabric is not too thick but not too thin, in general, for me it is suitable for filtering coffee. Because if the fabric is too thick, it will be difficult to filter out all the original flavor of the coffee, but if it is too thin, the coffee will not be delicious, and the residue will easily become lumpy", Mr. Manh shared his experience. The mesh filter will be changed continuously after 5-7 rounds of coffee are brewed. The mesh filter should not be washed in regular soap but should be washed with a detergent similar to dishwashing liquid, with a detergent that is not too strong.

"If you wash it with soap, the coffee will lose its original aroma. After washing, you must rinse it with hot water several times before drying it and using it again," Mr. Manh shared.

According to Mr. Manh, the water used to make coffee must be at the right boiling point, not too hot or too cold.

"I will brew it as soon as the water boils. Because if it boils too much, the coffee will lose its original flavor, but if it is not boiling enough, the coffee will not be cooked enough to give a strong flavor. For decades, I have been brewing it like this and many customers are satisfied with it," Mr. Manh laughed.

The shop has 3 signature dishes: black coffee, milk coffee, and iced coffee, priced from 15,000 VND - 20,000 VND/cup.

"This place is my home so I don't have to spend money on rent. That's why I want to sell it a little cheaper so that everyone can drink it, from young to old. Sometimes when someone only has a few thousand left in their pocket and asks to buy coffee, I sell it too, without any regrets," Mr. Manh laughed heartily, sharing honestly.

Due to limited space, the restaurant has no place to park. Most customers park their motorbikes on both sides of the alley, or sit on the wall or saddle to enjoy and chat together before starting a busy day of work.

Ngoc Duy (born 2002, Go Vap) was at the shop on a weekend morning. "I really like the milk coffee at the shop, the coffee smell is strong and has a distinctive aroma. For coffee addicts like me, this is truly a rare place to enjoy this nostalgic coffee flavor," Duy shared.

Customers at Mr. Manh’s coffee shop are diverse, from young people, office workers to elderly laborers, all stopping by to order a cup of “dirt cheap” coffee in the heart of Ho Chi Minh City. The shop is crowded from dawn to midnight.

“Before going to work, I always stop by and order a cup of black coffee to stay awake. For workers like me, this price is reasonable, and the coffee has a moderate bitter taste, which is to my liking,” said a customer.

Mr. Manh said that when his grandmother first opened the shop, it was named after her, but later when it was passed down to her children and grandchildren, people started calling it Phan Dinh Phung filter coffee. And so this name has stuck with the shop until now.

"My youngest son is in 12th grade and he wants to learn how to make coffee with me and follow in his father's footsteps. I am secretly happy. I support my son in any career, but I am happier that he is passionate about the traditional profession," Mr. Manh said, smiling happily.

Hundreds of tourists huddled on the sidewalk, enjoying the super cheap filter coffee, the only one in Da Lat . Early in the morning, Da Lat is immersed in fog, the temperature is only 14 - 16 degrees Celsius. Many "brave" tourists ride motorbikes around the city center, around Hoa Binh area to experience filter coffee at the corner of the market, watching Da Lat wake up.

Vo Nhu Khanh