# Cà phê trứng: Hanoi's egg coffee

> Cà phê trứng is Hanoi’s egg coffee: strong Vietnamese coffee topped with egg yolk whipped with sugar and condensed milk into a thick, sweet foam. It usually costs 35,000–60,000 VND. Order “Cho tôi một cà phê trứng nóng”, and drink it at the café – it’s served in a real cup.

- URL: https://eatgreenvietnam.com/guides/egg-coffee-hanoi
- Region: North Vietnam · City: Hanoi
- Published: 2026-09-28 · Last updated: 2026-09-30
- By: the Eat Green Vietnam team (https://eatgreenvietnam.com/about)

It sounds strange until you taste it. Then it tastes like tiramisu you drink with a spoon.

## At a glance

- **What it is:** Egg yolk whipped with sugar and condensed milk until thick and pale, spooned over a small cup of strong Vietnamese coffee.
- **Where:** Cafés across Hanoi’s Old Quarter; the drink is now found in other cities too.
- **Typical price:** Around 35,000–60,000 VND a cup.
- **Eat green:** Drink it sitting down. The hot version comes in a cup set in a bowl of hot water – no plastic needed.

## How to order

> “Cho tôi một cà phê trứng nóng.”

One hot egg coffee. Say **đá** instead of **nóng** for an iced version, and **không lấy ống hút** if it arrives with a straw.

## Where it came from

Egg coffee is credited to Nguyễn Văn Giảng, who worked as a bartender at the Metropole hotel in Hanoi and created the drink in 1946, using whipped egg in place of milk. His family still runs Café Giảng in the Old Quarter.

## How to drink it

Don’t stir straight away. Eat a few spoonfuls of the foam first, then mix it into the coffee underneath. The hot version is kept warm in a bowl of hot water – take your time.

## Try the family

Many cafés also serve egg cocoa, egg matcha or egg beer. If egg coffee is too strong for you, egg cocoa is a gentle start.

## Questions travellers ask

### What does egg coffee taste like?

Sweet, rich and creamy – often compared to tiramisu or custard – with strong coffee underneath.

### Is egg coffee safe to drink?

It is made with fresh egg yolk that is whipped rather than cooked. Busy, well-known cafés are the best choice; skip it if you avoid raw egg.

### Who invented egg coffee?

It is credited to Nguyễn Văn Giảng, a bartender at Hanoi’s Metropole hotel, in 1946. His family runs Café Giảng today.

### How much is egg coffee in Hanoi?

Around 35,000–60,000 VND a cup.

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Photo: David McKelvey / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0) – https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Egg_Coffee_(6923068614).jpg
Source: Eat Green Vietnam, https://eatgreenvietnam.com/guides/egg-coffee-hanoi. Prices are typical ranges and change often. You may quote and summarise with attribution and a link to the original page.