A lazy evening by the lake.

After a recommendation from my cousin Charlie, and being admonished by the house lady, Mrs. Lan about my choice of coffee, I headed out to have some Trung Nguyên coffee. What better place than Cà Phê Trung Nguyên?

So I ambled down the road a ways, walked upstairs, sat at a small table, all by itself on a little balcony, and ordered a cup of coffee, black and hot. The waitress was surprised by my order, asking repeatedly if I wanted ice or milk. I smiled and said, "Không, cà phê đen."

A few minutes later, I was presented with a phim nhôm resting atop a small espresso-sized cup, resting inside a bowl of hot water. The phim nhôm is an aluminum pour over pot, and the bowl of water keeps the coffee hot. Very neat! It was good. Strong! It also has aromatic notes of chocolate. The fortitude masked much of the complexity that I picked up after diluting the last few sips. while I'd give it a solid recommend, my favorite, so far, is still the Trí Dũng.

The  bánh sô-cô-la, or chocolate cake, was quite good. The cake was very moist, soft, and airy. It came with yogurt, which is smooth and delicious, and a smattering of passion fruit which lent a nice bit of tartness.