Egg Coffee (Cà Phê Trứng)
Strong, dark Vietnamese coffee topped with a cloud of whipped egg yolk and sweetened condensed milk, like a warm, boozy-looking custard floating on espresso. Stir it together as you drink for the full silky, bittersweet effect.
Servings
Ingredients
Nutrition
Per serving
Steps
Brew strong coffee
Set a filter (or a small French press/espresso maker) over each of two small heatproof glasses. Add half the coffee to each filter, pour in a little boiling water to wet the grounds, wait 30 seconds, then fill with the rest of the hot water and let it drip through slowly.
- 2 tbsp (15 g) ground coffee
- 150 ml boiling water
✅ Done when: each glass has about 2–3 tablespoons of dark, strong, concentrated coffee
Whisk yolks and condensed milk
In a small heatproof bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the condensed milk, butter and salt. Whisk hard and continuously, by hand or with an electric mixer, for about 5 minutes until the mixture turns pale, thick and roughly triples in volume.
- 2 egg yolks
- 3 tbsp (45 ml) condensed milk
- 1 tsp (5 g) butter
- 1 pinch salt
✅ Done when: the mixture is thick, pale and holds its shape briefly when you lift the whisk
Set it gently over heat
This is the trick that makes the foam safe and extra creamy: set the bowl over a pan of barely simmering water for 20–30 seconds at a time, whisking the whole time, then lift it off and keep whisking. Repeat this two or three times; never let the mixture sit still over the heat or it will scramble.
✅ Done when: the foam feels just slightly warm, looks glossy and thick like a soft custard, with no lumps
Sweeten the coffee base
Stir the remaining spoonful of condensed milk into the hot coffee in each glass, so the base underneath is already sweet and glossy before the foam goes on.
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) condensed milk
Spoon on the foam
Gently spoon the whipped egg mixture on top of the hot coffee in each glass, dividing it evenly; it is airy enough to float on the surface rather than sink in.
Serve warm
Dust the top with a little ground cinnamon or cocoa powder if you like. Serve right away with a small spoon, and tell people to stir everything together as they drink, so the bittersweet coffee and the creamy foam mix with every sip.
- to serve ground cinnamon or cocoa powder
Brew strong coffee
Set a filter (or a small French press/espresso maker) over each of two small heatproof glasses. Add half the coffee to each filter, pour in a little boiling water to wet the grounds, wait 30 seconds, then fill with the rest of the hot water and let it drip through slowly.
- 2 tbsp (15 g) ground coffee
- 150 ml boiling water
✅ Done when: each glass has about 2–3 tablespoons of dark, strong, concentrated coffee
Whisk yolks and condensed milk
In a small heatproof bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the condensed milk, butter and salt. Whisk hard and continuously, by hand or with an electric mixer, for about 5 minutes until the mixture turns pale, thick and roughly triples in volume.
- 2 egg yolks
- 3 tbsp (45 ml) condensed milk
- 1 tsp (5 g) butter
- 1 pinch salt
✅ Done when: the mixture is thick, pale and holds its shape briefly when you lift the whisk
Set it gently over heat
This is the trick that makes the foam safe and extra creamy: set the bowl over a pan of barely simmering water for 20–30 seconds at a time, whisking the whole time, then lift it off and keep whisking. Repeat this two or three times; never let the mixture sit still over the heat or it will scramble.
✅ Done when: the foam feels just slightly warm, looks glossy and thick like a soft custard, with no lumps
Sweeten the coffee base
Stir the remaining spoonful of condensed milk into the hot coffee in each glass, so the base underneath is already sweet and glossy before the foam goes on.
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) condensed milk
Spoon on the foam
Gently spoon the whipped egg mixture on top of the hot coffee in each glass, dividing it evenly; it is airy enough to float on the surface rather than sink in.
Serve warm
Dust the top with a little ground cinnamon or cocoa powder if you like. Serve right away with a small spoon, and tell people to stir everything together as they drink, so the bittersweet coffee and the creamy foam mix with every sip.
- to serve ground cinnamon or cocoa powder
The Story Behind the Dish
Egg coffee is said to have been created in Hanoi during a period when fresh milk was scarce, as a way to give coffee a rich, creamy top using whipped egg yolk and condensed milk instead. It became closely tied to one particular café in the Old Quarter, where generations of the same family have kept making it the same way.
From there it spread to coffee shops across the city and later across the country, often served in a small glass set inside a bowl of hot water to keep it warm as you drink.
⭐ Why It's Famous
The contrast between the strong, bitter coffee underneath and the sweet, airy egg foam on top makes it feel like dessert and coffee at once, and it's one of the dishes most associated with Hanoi's café culture.
💡 Fun Fact
Many Hanoi cafés still serve it in a glass sitting in a small bowl of hot water, so the foam stays soft and warm for as long as you want to linger over it.
Hanoi, Vietnam
21.03°N, 105.85°E
Related recipes
Comments (0)
No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!