Ride to Le Beret
“Regulars of Le Beret would know who’s bike belongs to who, from the sound of their bike.”
I remember getting on my bike, turning the keys, strapping my helmet on and riding through the streets of Ha Noi. I had planned the night before that I would go to my favourite coffee shop, Le Beret, to have some time to myself and think back to the year 2020. Le Beret is a special place, one I hold close to my heart because of its simplicity and complexity. A coffee shop that has a small menu - the usual espresso coffees, Vietnamese ca phe sua da (phin coffee with milk) and ca phe den (phin coffee black), croissants and banana bread, and for the evening, coffee with an alcoholic twist.
Le Beret has this gravitational pull that draws all kinds of people. In the mornings, you’ll find office workers with their usual shirt and ties, the afternoon some students, generally young trendy people, but the evening is where Le Beret shines. Friends gather in small groups, one with a guitar and one singing (Vietnamese people love to sing wherever they can!) Some, if not most, a hot spot for the cafe racers and motorcycle enthusiasts. The wide main road is a one way street, so occasionally you would hear the throttle and feel the rumbling exhausts about to turn the corner. Regulars of Le Beret would know who’s bike belongs to who, from the sound of their bike. The owner, Phong, and fellow baristas are also bikers and combined with their passion and craft for coffee, it is like fuel to an engine. It is a small team, but they treat every customer as their own. Their desire to further their craft is second-to-none and it really shows in not only their drinks, but their hospitality.
It’s not only the coffee I remember, but the memories. During Tet holiday (Vietnam’s Lunar New Year), most people would go back to their hometowns, shops would be closed, street empty and quiet. Tet is a time of celebration and rest, normally for a week, and involves a lot of food and celebration. For the younger generation, Tet is fun for the first two-three days, then followed by restlessness because there isn’t much to do at home. Naturally, coffee shops would be the go-to spots and Le Beret was no different. The staff would open up and sometimes stay open past midnight. The evenings are the coolest time of the day, and the quiet streets are the perfect track for any motorcyclist. My friends and I would rock up on our bikes, park on the street and watch fireworks from the distance. Simply sharing stories about our dreams and what we want to do in our lifetime. Then move onto the topic of bikes and what modifications we plan to do next and test ride our bikes around the corner.
Coffee culture truly is as simple and complex as you want it to be, and that is its beauty. I look forward to visiting Vietnam again next month and through wiser and more experienced lenses, I hope to share more of their coffee culture.
