FIRST LOOK: Cong Caphe opens first branch in the Philippines
Cong Caphe is finally in the Philippines!
Starting Sunday, March 16, coffee lovers can experience the rustic and vibrant vibe that the coffee brand has been loved for in different parts of the world. Its menu and interiors were inspired by the childhood memories of its founder, former performance artist Linh Dung, who grew up in the subsidy period of Vietnam from 1970s to 1980s.
In an interview with PhilSTAR L!fe, Cong Caphe PH owner Jali Yulangco said they were very intentional in replicating the Cong team's vision "as accurately as possible."
"For the whole store, the designers are from Vietnam. All the furniture are from Vietnam, even the picture frames. Linh Dung's dad was a mechanic, and he was used to repairing stuff. So, here, you can see old buckets turned into lamps, and more," she said. "We want to let the Filipino people experience it as authentically as possible."
Yulangco described the PH branch as "old, but with a modern twist" as it's located in a mall in the metro—unlike most Cong Caphe stores that are nestled in old buildings and houses.
"In Vietnam, every corner, you can get coffee. We decided to open at a mall because we wanted it to be accessible to a lot of people," she explained.
Cong Caphe PH has almost all the drinks on the menu of its Vietnam branches. "The drinks, down to the gram, are the same with the menu there. This is exactly how it is in Vietnam," she told L!fe. What they don't have are some of its fruit drinks, like ambarella fruit or Trái cóc, as they are local to the country.
Yulangco's top recommendations include the bac xiu (coffee with condensed milk and coconut cream, P150 hot and P165/P180 for iced), cot dua com xanh (coconut green rice smoothie, P230), and the sai gon tac xi muoi (saigon salted kumquat or fermented fruit with tonic water, P230).
They also have some merchandise as well as food offerings like pork banh mi (P250), beef satay banh mi (P260), lemongrass chicken banh mi (P250), among other munchies.
When asked how she would want people to feel the moment they step foot at Cong Caphe PH, Yulangco said, "Hopefully, they get a sense of what the coffee culture is like in Vietnam. It’s a place to really connect with your friends and family."
"That's exactly why we decided to bring Cong Caphe here. I had a family vacation in Vietnam one December, and in a span of seven days, we ended up going to a different Cong branch every day for four days because we loved it a lot. I hope Filipinos will, too, just as much."
Cong Caphe was founded in Hanoi in 2007. The vintage-themed café has since opened almost a hundred branches in different parts of Vietnam and the world, including South Korea, Canada, Malaysia, and Taiwan.
Its new PH branch is located at Level 2 of Gateway Mall 2.
