Review: A free ticket to Vietnam with Phuc Long’s Coffee and Tea

Famous Vietnamese coffee brand Phuc Long’s Coffee & Tea reached its destination in the most populous Vietnamese territory in the United States: Little Saigon, California. It wasn’t enough to be the fifth largest cafe in East Asia; Phuc Long continued to spread its popularity across the West, opening its first location in the United States in 2021 on Main Street in Garden Grove, California.

The location on Main Street across from Costco gave Phuc Long proximity to the Vietnamese people, considering Garden Grove is considered one of the cities with the highest Vietnamese population in the United States.

Phuc Long is not just a cafe, but a place where a strong sense of Vietnamese culture is alive. Many Vietnamese meet up with friends and enjoy the delicious drinks of their home country or just to be productive at work. There is no age restriction to become a verified Phuc Long customer as every Vietnamese is welcome at the cafe. Other ethnic groups are also welcome to experience Vietnam and learn more about it.

Architecture & Design

The spacious cafe is decorated with many trees, creating a green space with a relaxed and cozy atmosphere. Some green plants are placed in every corner to create an airy atmosphere and help customers escape the outside heat as soon as they enter Phuc Long. The ceiling adds to the greenery as its vines look perfect with the bright string lights.

Bamboo tables and stools give the cafe a Vietnamese touch as the bamboo tree has significant meaning. Bamboo represents the vitality of Vietnam and its people. It symbolizes that Vietnam can never be destroyed, but continues to develop and grow every day.

As you further enter Phuc Long, you will see a large painting on the wall to the right. The painting was beautifully painted with images of Vietnamese farmers harvesting coffee, an essential ingredient that plays a crucial role in the distinctive taste of Phuc Long coffee.

PHUC LONG MILK TEA | $6.95

Your visit to Phuc Long is not confirmed if you have not tried its most famous drink: Phuc Long Milk Tea. The drink combines perfectly with all toppings on the menu. I ordered it from Boba.

The taste of the tea is so intense that you can feel it with the first sip. The milk content in the drink was low so that it would not overpower the taste of the Phuc Long signature tea. This made the drink not too milky, but rather highly caffeinated, which is not recommended for children.

The milk tea is overall fresh and can wake you up and keep you alert. This is an excellent drink for office workers as they need a lot of energy to get through the long work day.

Phuc Long did a fantastic job making their boba, they completely stole my heart. The boba was so chewy, just like the taste of the gummy bears from my childhood. They were neither too sweet nor too plain, but had an extremely addictive taste.

I gave it a 7/10 and wouldn’t buy it again as I couldn’t sleep at night after drinking it. But I would definitely order the boba again, with a different drink and less caffeine.

MIXED COCONUT COFFEE | $6.25

The gradual color change of the drink as I stirred it with my straw was the most beautiful thing I’d seen all day.

Organization is the key to success and was the key to success with this drink. A thick layer of white whipped cream is placed on top, underneath two layers of white milk and brown coffee, creating an ombré effect. When these two layers are mixed, the brown color of the coffee does not disappear but remains true to itself, both outside the color and inside the flavor it gives.

The clear coconut scent spread in the air and made me pause for a moment to close my eyes and immerse myself in the warm coconut scent like on summer days.

The coffee wasn’t too sweet, but rather creamy. The strong taste of the coffee was not drowned out by the milk, even when stirred. Phuc Long gets a bonus point for making its signature coffee and tea with such a clean taste.

I gave it an 8.5/10 and would buy it again if I need something to keep me awake during the day.

TIRAMISU CAKE | $3.95

The moistness of the cake was the first thing I felt on the first try. The cake layers were super soft – mixed with some bitterness from the cocoa powder is the best combination. It was so creamy that you wanted to close your eyes and enjoy the feeling.

The only thing this cake was downgraded for was its cream cheese. It was more like cream without the “cheese” as the cheese flavor was nowhere to be found in the cake.

I would give the cake a 7/10 as it was a good dessert to have with the drinks, but it wasn’t so excellent that it was a “must try Phuc Long” one.

Phuc Long’s Coffee and Tea in Little Saigon is a great place for Vietnamese Americans to visit and relive many memories of their motherland in a cafe. The strong sense of Vietnamese culture through the decorations, the drinks and even the music played can have a great impact on remembering their origins.

Related