KOK Coffee - Ha Noi - Vietnam

A week ago I opened my eyes in Saigon; today I awoke, like most mornings, by the exotic aroma of a  freshly brewed cup of coffee and the golden sunshine pouring into my bedroom from the azure sky.   My Dad has been making his “Sleeping Beauty” her first cuppa every day now for 60 years and it’s still the highlight of her day.

“I like my coffee black, my beer from Germany, wine from Burgundy, the darker, the better. I like my heroes complicated and brooding, James Dean in oiled leather, leaning on a motorcycle. You know the colour. ("Ode to Chocolate")” 
― Barbara Crooker, More

A few Saturday’s ago I had the pleasure of scooting around Hanoi on a Vintage Vespa enjoying the drive around the lake and stopping off at the Boutique Coffee House of Ashley Yang, who selects the best coffee beans from all over the world.   Here raw beans are selected, roasted, mixed and packaged for clients.

As I slipped off my Vespa I was assaulted by the rich, dark, earthy aroma of Coffee, pure bliss. We were shown around the studio, a beautiful space, sparsely furnished as here coffee is the star. Huge hessian bags filled with coffee beans line the walls, in another corner there’s a huge red, brass and steel monster, the roaster I presume.  Ashley’s partner, a coffee aficionado, will passionately select, mix, toast, grind and brew you the perfect cup of coffee. Nothing is taken lightly, this is art at work and these are masters at their craft.  We were treated to three cups of various coffees all done in his unique way using different methods. It was like watching a alchemist at work. What a privilege it was and we were under his spell. I drink my coffee with milk and slightly sweet, but here I tasted coffee in its raw form and I loved it, like drinking a glass of Côtes de Provence, every drop has to be savoured.  It would've been an insult to gulp or down this precious elixir so we sipped with reverence

We selected a Vietnamese, Son La Premium coffee and an Ethiopian, Yiragacheffee Premium coffee. We opted for the beans as we enjoy grinding our own brew. Ashley treated us to samples of her one cup coffee bags, the contents of which are also individually selected by the client, her choice for us was the Arabica coffee from Son La, Vietnam, which is cultivated in the limited higher elevations of the northern provinces. The coffee tends to have a light fruity aroma, softer taste and lower acidity that characterizes with the smooth body.   No artificial flavourings are added to any of the coffees. This packaging is perfect for travelling, just pop a bag into a cup, cover with boiled water, brew and voila you have the perfect pick me up.  In Vietnam an Espresso sized shot is poured which is popularly drunk with the addition of condensed milk, sounds crazy but tastes delicious!   For iced coffee just add ice blocks in a tall glass.  

KOK Coffee Roasting House has been recognized as a qualified specialty roaster by The Roasters Guild of Specialty Coffee Association of America!

This is how Ashley describes her product: “A Vietnam-based Coffee Roasting House certified with SCAA, is providing the daily fresh roasted beans with an affordable price and excellent quality”

My first “crush” at school was a boy whose pick-up line was “I like my coffee like my women, black, strong and bitter” he was 16! Needless to say the romance didn’t get off the ground, I was none of those things... typical.

To Contact ASHLEY YANG:

KOK Customer Services: +84-914368655

Email: [email protected]