Vietnamese iced coffee with condensed milk, known as Cà Phê Sữa Đá: strong Phin coffee, sweetened condensed milk and plenty of ice, sweet and bitter at once.
Add 2-3 tbsp sweetened condensed milk directly to a glass or cup.
Place the Phin filter on the glass with the condensed milk and add 2-3 tbsp coffee grounds. Spread them evenly, pour about 1 cm of hot water on top and wait 20-30 seconds so the grounds open up.
Top up the filter with the rest of the hot water and put the lid on.
Let the coffee drip directly over the condensed milk for 4-5 minutes.
Stir the coffee and condensed milk together until well combined. Fill a second glass generously with ice cubes and pour the sweetened coffee over it.
Tip
For an extra creamy version, froth the coffee briefly with a milk frother before serving until it gets a light foam crown.
Cà Phê Sữa Đá is the best known Vietnamese coffee of all and sold on practically every street corner in Vietnam. The idea is simple: bold Robusta from the Phin filter meets sweetened condensed milk and lots of ice. Because Robusta has far more body than Arabica, it holds its own against the sweetness and the cold instead of disappearing. The result is sweet and bitter at the same time, very refreshing and with a serious amount of caffeine.
Historically because fresh milk was hard to get in Vietnam for a long time. The taste stuck: condensed milk is thicker and sweeter, it does not water down the strong coffee and it forms the typical layer at the bottom of the glass.
Pure Robusta or a blend with a high Robusta share. Both bring enough power to stay clearly tasteable next to condensed milk and ice. Pure Arabica tends to feel too restrained in this preparation.
You control that with the amount of condensed milk. Two tablespoons is the standard, one makes it noticeably more bitter. Stir and taste first, then adjust the sweetness before you add the ice.
The coffee brews well ahead of time and keeps in the fridge, ideally already stirred together with the condensed milk. Add the ice only just before serving, otherwise the drink waters down and loses its punch.
In Vietnam a tall, narrow glass is typical so the layers of condensed milk and coffee show. Volume matters more than shape: plan for around 300 ml so there is room for plenty of ice alongside the coffee and milk.
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