We are now at the third episode of our series, in which HYPEANDHYPER’s editor Réka Vikárius guides us into her favorite cafe, Cāphê by Hai Nam.
How would you introduce Cāphê by Hai Nam?
Vo Son Hai returned to Budapest after a few years of traveling and working as a flight attendant, where soon everything fell into place and with his brother Vo Son Nam he called to life the Vietnamese cafe Cāphê by Hai Nam. To Hai, it was always coffee that served as a safe point between two trips, and so it soon became a passion of his: this love is echoed in the cafe’s atmosphere, too, combining Vietnamese traditions with a novel perspective.
What’s best in Cāphê is that they indeed thought of everyone: in addition to lighter, more fruity new-wave coffee, one can also ask for traditional dark roasted coffee, but there’s also a hand-brewed filter coffee option as well as a caffeine-free version. They also place particular emphasis on composing their menu by taking into consideration the eating habits of different continents. It is not only the place and the selection that is extraordinary, the staff also forms a creative community: in addition to talented baristas, the team is made up of photographers, artists, musicians and even martial arts performers.
Why is this your favorite place?
What I like about Cāphê is that here I am always welcomed by a cozy atmosphere: if I drop by for a coffee early in the morning or late in the afternoon, I not only get a good coffee, but a nice conversation and a few kind words, too. I was raised in a small town, and so it made me extremely happy to find a place in Budapest where I can always meet friendly people: I found this feeling here, in Cāphê. I am glad that this place could come to life amidst the pandemic.
What’s your favorite product, what would you recommend here?
Cāphê’s repertoire expands periodically, by now one can find a true brunch place on Budapest’s Bartók Béla Road. In addition to the fantastic cardamom and pudding rolls and other bakery products, the Bánh mi sandwich is one of their specialties, but one can also find various Vietnamese hot dishes here, such as the caramelized pork with sticky rice or yellow curry chicken with coconut milk.
My absolute favorite is the caphe phin sua dá, that is the Vietnamese coffee with condensed milk, which is always great with a slice of banana bread, but I have also purchased dried tea leaves for home use and coffee, too. Another thing worth highlighting is that one can also get giftware here, including the eco-friendly Huskee Cup, filter coffee equipment, canvas totes and illustrated wooden postcards.
Address: 1114 Budapest, Bartók Béla Road 35. (halfway between Gárdonyi Square and Móricz Zsigmond Square)
Photos: Milán Rácmolnár
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