PXL: Cafes for Study & Work

We did not come to play

Phan Xích Long street is a great, walkable destination for both food and drinks, and in a limited series of posts I’ll be taking a closer look at this street and the immediate surroundings.

Over the course of the 21st century Phan Xích Long has gone from kind of a dingy area to one of the biggest draws for high-end restaurants in the area, concentrated along this street in a way that no other district really has. For food, you’ll find everything from big chains - steakhouses, Thai, hotpot, Japanese, dimsum, traditional Vietnamese - to smaller independent shops that mostly serve the locals that live here with home-style Vietnamese foods, from soups and rice to vegetarian and snack foods.

Cafes run the gamut from big chains to smaller indie spots, and there’s really something for everyone here. South of this street lies a grid of roads that house a number of the smaller establishments, while north of the street is largely residential and a tangle of alleyways, with a few great restaurants and cafes thrown in. There’s something to see everywhere you go.

To visualize it, here’s a little map of the stretch of street I’m talking about (as well as a little glimpse into how I track the places I have reviewed/want to go - ignore the mess please!). As you can see, it’s not a big area - you can walk it inside 30 minutes at a leisurely pace. But along the way is a treasure trove of places to eat and drink:

Enjoy as we jump into one of HCMC’s most interesting, busiest, and most concentrated neighborhoods!

The22 Coffee

Hours: M: 7am-10pm; T: 7am-7pm; W/TH/F: 7am-10pm; SAT/SUN: 7am-11pm

Address: 22 Hoa Cau, Phường 7, Phú Nhuận

https://maps.app.goo.gl/esN4eahSunPUKyNXA

For a stellar cup of coffee, really look no further than The22. They do an excellent job and although they have very frustrating hours (always double check google maps!), you really can’t go wrong with a cup of joe here. It’s not big but that’s not a bad thing. A bunch of cafes in this area do not open quite so early, so if you’re up and about by 7am, drop in and check it out.

The space is crisp and modern, and the owner is delightful and very kind. This is a great place for settling in for a few hours of focus.

Thành Coffee

Hours: OPEN 24 HOURS

Address: 1 Nhiêu Tứ, Phường 7, Phú Nhuận

https://maps.app.goo.gl/Si9tgkxC8jPyKUHm9

This cafe is huge, but unique.

First of all, this is the most crowded I have ever seen a cafe, and we went on a weekday afternoon. NO CHILDREN ALLOWED - love it. The tables are pretty close together and aisles are filled with a mess of laptop charging cables and extension cords - watch your step. Regardless, it’s super duper quiet. It’s great for concentration.

Those things aside, they have good drinks and a nice variety of pastries, although I thought the canelé was so-so - the outside should have been caramelized but was pretty soft (…what a stupid complaint, really).

AnMiên

Hours: 7am-10:30pm

Address: 29-31 Hoa Mai, Phường 2, Phú Nhuận

https://maps.app.goo.gl/DA8dPQt7UtVjLRXQ9

This is a more traditional, conservative feeling cafe with a lovely, well-designed and dimly lit wooden interior and great drinks. The chairs are a bit uncomfortable after a few hours, but that’s just an excellent excuse to get up and find another cafe - goodness knows they’re as common as weeds in this area.

I loved the black coffee (no sugar, as usual) and if you bring in your own cup you can get a zero-waste discount. Not much, but hey - makes you feel good and saves them a cup.

Stay tuned for my next PXL post, which will cover some affordable and delicious smaller restaurants in the area (in addition to the few I’ve already covered in other posts)!

Happy exploring and if you’ve got your own recommendations I’m dying to hear them!

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