Saturday, May 29, 2010

Sleepless cafés in Saigon

LookAtVietnam - Vietnam has ca phe coc, meaning cafes on the sidewalk or in front of offices, which only open from morning until noon. Saigon has ca phe bui or ca phe bet, where customers can sit on the ground.


 A ca phe bui in HCM City.
Pham Ngu Lao road, which is called Pho Tay (street for foreigners), has a dozen ca phe bui to serve travelers.

A ca phe bui can be a plastic bag containing various things from bottles of green tea, plastic cups, straws and some kinds of soft drink, which is hung on the street. Customers serve themselves by taking a plastic cup and choosing their drink. Another ca phe bui is equipped with a spongy box and a plastic bag.

Tam, 27, an original Saigonese opens his ca phe bui at the foot of a tree on Le Lai road. This ca phe bui is taken care of by four family members, consisting of Tam, his wife, his sister and his mother. His family lives in a 15 square meter apartment in an alley. more on lookatvietnam>>

No comments: