Vietnam is the world's second-largest coffee producer and boasts an inventive coffee culture. It took raw egg and added it to coffee, then did the same with condensed milk, coconut cream and salt. Matcha should have struggled, but it has thrived. The market is growing at over 20% annually, outpacing regional neighbours. More than ten specialty cafés have opened in Ho Chi Minh City alone, while major chains like Highlands, Phuc Long, Katinat, The Coffee House and Trung Nguyen have all adopted it. Vietnamese cafés are not just importing Japanese formats; they are rebuilding them with a local touch.
What Vietnam Does Differently
Three factors separate this scene from its neighbours.
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It remixes: Coconut matcha lattes are popular here, just like coconut coffee.
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Local formats: The slow bar, a single-cup, barista-led format, has been adapted for matcha. It is unique in the region.
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Local growth: Vietnam now has its own matcha industry in Bao Loc.
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Matcha Spots |
Locations |
What you should know |
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1. Nagocha, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City |
Hanoi: 38 Quang An st., Tay Ho Hanoi: B1, HanoiCentre, 175 Nguyen Thai Hoc HCMC: 6B Le Lai, Ben Thanh, District 1 HCMC: L3 Floor, Vincom Landmark 81 HCMC: G Floor, Thiso Mall Sala, Thu Thiem HCMC: G Floor, The Hallmark tower HCMC: 2nd Floor, Saigon Marina IFC Tower |
The anchor of the scene. Two-storey shophouses in Hanoi and HCMC offer tatami seating and traditional preparation. They serve both usucha and koicha, a rarity in Southeast Asia. |
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2. Darklight.lab, Hanoi |
103 ngõ 31 Phố Trương Hán Siêu, Cửa Nam, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội, Vietnam |
They serve matcha in wine glasses at varying intensities. It sounds gimmicky, but it works. It forces you to appreciate the tea rather than drinking on autopilot. |
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3. Artisan Matcha Slow Bar, Hanoi |
Ngõ 5 Đ. Nguyễn Văn Cừ, Bồ Đề, Hà Nội 100000, Vietnam |
A complete departure from chain culture. It is one cup at a time, made by someone eager to discuss the tea. It is a quiet, meditative experience. |
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4. The Matcha Tokyo, Hanoi Old Quarter |
34 P. Hàng Gai, Phường, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội 100000, Vietnam |
The benchmark for high-end, imported matcha. Use it as a control sample for the market. Being open until midnight makes it a great after-dinner stop. |
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5. Japanit Matcha & Coffee House, Ho Chi Minh City |
130 Trần Hưng Đạo, Bến Thành, Hồ Chí Minh 700000, Vietnam |
Built for the reality that Vietnamese drinkers are not switching from coffee to matcha; they are adding it to their repertoire. It serves excellent ceremonial-grade matcha alongside Vietnamese coffee. |
Buy the Vietnamese One: Doi Dep from Bao Loc
Bao Loc, in Lam Dong province, is the production hub. With its mist and basaltic soil, conditions are perfect. Since the late 2010s, local producers have adopted Japanese shade-cultivation. Doi Dep pioneered the market, pairing local gardens with Japanese equipment and technical guidance. It is cheaper than imported alternatives and widely available.
Four More Worth Knowing
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Between Us (272 Lý Tự Trọng, District 1, HCMC). Consistently named among the city's best, and central enough to slot into any District 1 afternoon.
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Matcha Vibe (HCMC). The affordable pick, and it sells ceremonial-grade powder as well as drinks, so it doubles as your souvenir stop.
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Fuku Coffee & Matcha (06 Yên Thế, Văn Miếu, Ba Đình, Hà Nội). Near the Temple of Literature, and another coffee-and-matcha hybrid rather than a purist tea room.
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Noveri. An early adopter of the coconut matcha latte, which is the single most Vietnamese thing on this page. Coconut water and matcha should not work together. It does.
And if you are nowhere near any of these: Highlands Coffee, Phuc Long, Katinat, The Coffee House, and Trung Nguyen, all serve matcha now, and they are everywhere. It will be sweetened and not ceremonial grade, but it will be perfectly pleasant, and it costs a fraction of the specialists' price. There is no shame in the chain option.
So Where Should You Start?
Start with what you want. Go to Nagocha for traditional koicha, Darklight.lab for the experience, and The Matcha Tokyo as a benchmark. Buy a tin of Doi Dep as a souvenir.
Before You Go
Addresses and hours were checked in August 2026, but this is the fastest-moving scene in the series, with new specialists opening constantly and a few of the smaller ones not publishing a fixed address at all. Check Instagram the day before, particularly for Artisan Matcha Slow Bar. Bao Loc is a four-hour trip from Ho Chi Minh City, so treat Doi Dep as a product to buy rather than a day out unless you are already heading to Lam Dong.
Companion pieces cover the top matcha spots in Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand. In the meantime, try a local's guide to Thailand's best independent markets, or, if you want the slower version of a city trip, our guide to slow-living neighbourhoods runs on the same instinct. Happy sipping.
