Vietnam-ease Caphe

Before it became a café, Vietnam-ease Càphê was a supper club in a basement. ‘We just wanted to know whether people would like this cuisine or not,’ says chef Trang Nguyen.

They did. Bookings grew. At one point, a family of 20 turned up at once. During the pandemic, they shifted to delivery out of her husband Dhruv’s parents’ house, with Vietnamese food being cooked alongside Punjabi meals. Staff recalled seeing fish sauce for the first time. Now, the space is more polished, but that early instinct remains.

The rice paper pizza is the one to order. The crispness and caramelised onions made me super happy. Don’t come back without trying this, and their very, very popular Bahn-Mi.

Their latest bar menu is also a breath of fresh air, in the sense that it doesn’t try to outdo other bars. The idea is straightforward – eight cocktails mapped across Vietnam, from north to south. But instead of chasing novelty or ‘fusion’, these drinks are rooted in the ingredients, smells, and references that already exist in Vietnamese food and drinking culture. Drinks are made with sake, soju, beer and white wine. The menu calls them memories in a glass and for once, that doesn’t feel like a throwaway line. 

Pho Real uses their in-house pho broth. Not a hint of it – the actual base. It’s savoury, a little confusing at first, but the warmth in it keeps bringing you back. Hanoi Old Quarter has soju and rose with fragrances of citrus and edible camphor. The taste is really like how a temple smells – you’ll have to try it to know what I’m talking about.

Imperial Hue goes in the opposite direction. Fish sauce, peanut, raw papaya pickle. The mix of chenin blanc and beer turns it into a shandy but it's the fish sauce that rounds it off. The raw papaya bite brings in the sourness that makes you wanna take another sip.

Hoi An Spice is the easiest of the lot. Fresh, citrusy, a slight kick. And then Da Lat Highland closes things out. Coffee, condensed milk foam, made with Robusta. Smooth, slightly sweet, almost like dessert. The best part is that you’re not dealing with strong pours that hit you after two sips.

Time Out tip: If you’re going with a group, book the private dining room.