TacoCat's TrEats #43: Teatime at L'Usine ☕

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Hey Steemit!

I'm not really much of a coffee drinker, but since I just started my new Travel Vietnam series, I was reminded of the famous Vietnamese coffee, and that our friend actually brought us on a coffee tour during our recent trip to Ho Chi Minh City!

One of the places we went to was a fancy cafe called L'Usine, which I am happy to share today!

This cafe was actually located just down the street from where we were staying; Roseland Sweet Hotel. Initially I thought it was just a small single-storey coffee shop, but I was very surprised when we went inside.

The interior looked so nice and classy, unlike any other coffee shop and cafe I've been to (which tbh is not that many). The overall design had this very eclectic feel to it, and there was even a lift that went up several floors!

Source: tripadvisor.com.sg

Each floor had it's own unique space to it; with different furniture configurations, so you can freely choose what kind of seating arrangements you'd like; provided that there's space of course, unless you made reservations.

Source: oivietnam.com

Unfortuntately, we didn't make any reservations, so we had to settle for a bar table-like area. It was still really nice though.

L'Usine features quite a substantial menu; from all-day breakfasts and Asian meals to western mains and burgers, as well as a desserts and drinks. We were still pretty full from our hotel brunch, so Sean and I just ordered a drink and a snack to share. We decided to try some of the Chef's Recommendations - Royal Vietnamese Iced Coffee and Fried Banana with Coconut Ice Cream.

We didn't have to wait long before our order arrived. And as is cafe-style, it looked really good!

This was the Royal Vietnamese Iced Coffee:

The coffee was pretty good; it was sort of like coffee ice blended, but it wasn't too bitter. I think they added condensed milk (like the usual classic Vietnamese iced coffee), but it wasn't too sweet either. It was topped with fresh coffee grounds, which were bitter when you ate them of course, but they provided some contrast to the ice blended coffee. Overall, it was pretty nice!

And this was the Fried Banana with Coconut Ice Cream:

The fried banana tasted exactly like what we expected; pisang goreng - a snack made of banana or plantain, covered in batter and deep fried in hot cooking oil. It is popular in many Southeast Asian countries, including Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, the Philippines, and Thailand.

The only difference I would say between this cafe version of pisang goreng is that the batter wasn't as thick, and the caramel sauce made it way too sweet for my taste. But the coconut ice cream was a nice match for it.

Not only is L'Usine a swanky coffee shop, it also has an in-store fashion boutique, showcasing global fashion trends that might appeal to Vietnamese locals and tourists alike.

Source: silverkris.com

Originally founed in 2009, L’Usine has been a pioneer of contemporary Saigon chic, reinterpreting the classic colonial heritage of Vietnam’s cosmopolitan capital to deliver a unique and international customer experience. Inspired by the timeless elegance and enterprising industry of the Indochina era, L'Usine's founders have designed a space that is more than just a fashion boutique, café and evening bistro; it celebrates modern Vietnamese creativity.

I'm sure there's a pretty deep vision they had in amalgamating the contemporary Saigon design with modern European elements, and they did an amazing job! Everything in the cafe is very instagrammable; from the interior to the food.

Source: enlightenedfoodie.com

L'Usine has 6 outlets in Ho Chi Minh City, with each outlet being slightly different in design, but the overall aesthetic is quite consistent. I read that one of their stores at Le Loi was converted from an old warehouse/workshop, so that's pretty cool. If you're looking for a nice trendy place to drink coffee and dodge the heat in Ho Chi Minh, definitely check out L'Usine!

Source: insidevietnam.travel