Ca phe Phin - Vietnamese coffee & tea, bubble tea house, bakery. — Restaurant in Nassau Bay

On a recent visit to the Webster/Clear Lake area, I made it a point to visit Ca Phê Phin. I am a lover of Vietnamese cuisine and this place has two of my favorites which is bánh mì and cà phê sữa đá.

I rolled up and there was a crowd of people out front chilling, drinking coffee, smoking and taking photos, which I thought was really cool. I’m always glad to pull up to a place and see people enjoying themselves.

I walked in and, the vibe of this place blew me away. Whoever decorated this small shop used every inch of what they had to bring it to life. Everything in here except maybe the seating shouted Vietnamese culture. I just wanted to walk around and look at the books, paintings and other decorations.

Ordering was straightforward. The attendant was patient but direct. I ordered the classic Vietnamese bánh mì, which is essentially their version of bánh mì đặc biệt. I also ordered the Pink Salt Vietnamese Coffee.

The bánh mì was pretty good. It wasn’t as packed as I would normally expect but it wasn’t egregious. I had a question about putting the patê on the side but was told they couldn’t do it. No worries, I love patê, so I was going to eat it either way but I did think it was odd that they couldn’t make one without it already spread on the bánh mì. I ate the bánh mì, patê and all and I thought it was really good. I’ve had a large number of bánh mì of all types and places. This one was not bad at all.

I don’t know why I do this but usually when I go to a new Vietnamese coffee shop, I stick either ca phê sữa đá before getting anything else there. This time I ventured out and ordered a Pink Salt Vietnamese Coffee. Maybe because I had been on a ca phê muối trip lately. I thought this was going to be a ca phê muối and maybe I should have asked more questions. I tasted only the slightest hint of salt. To my knowledge, my sodium levels are okay but if they were high, this definitely helped balance it out. The drink was still good but I didn’t taste the salt. If anything it tasted sweeter than expected as the bitter coffee taste I’m accustomed to did not come through either. All in all, the drink was good but not what I expected. The ice was a bit heavy as well.

This place is very cool. You can sit here and socialize or study and get a drink or quick snack. The vibe is very casual and laid back. I think I’ll return soon for a ca phê sữa đá and enjoy...

I really enjoyed the coffee at Ca Phe Phin! Do keep in mind that they specialize in different preparations of Vietnamese Coffee specifically. So don't expect to find your Macchiatos and Cappuccinos here. I tried the Phin Love Ca Phe House Special (medium strong coffee, delicately sweet, with milk) and it was delicious. It was already sweetened so you didn't have to add anything to it. It was creamy and smooth and sweeter than i'm normally used to in regular coffee, but if you've ever had Cafe Sua Da at any Vietnamese establishment, you'll know that coffee is pretty sweet since they use condensed milk. I also got to try the Herbal Ca Phe which is their low caffeine coffee with cream. This particular drink also had nuts in it, which might seem strange, but its totally delicious with this drink. And this particular drink is recommended served hot.

The cafe is small and cozy with an Asian style decor. They also serve tea, smoothies, and have snacks and desserts. The wait staff is friendly and informative and the establishment is clean. It's a little hard to spot off of the main road (Nasa Rd 1) since they're kind of off to the side of the shopping strip, but they're adjacent from the Space Center and next to the Akimi Sushi restaurant.

I need to come back when I'm in the area to try their other...

You may be intimidated by the look of Ca Phe Phin from the outside because of its high class looking sign and intricate menu, but once you enter the establishment you are immediately put at ease with the very friendly staff and chilled out music that resonates down into your bones.

The menu is vast but the two girls will help you decide, you just have to tell them what you like, i.e. coffee/tea hot or iced.

Tonight we experienced Lotus Tea, Red Tea with Coffee Jelly and a Coffee Float. The Lotus Tea was very Light and Bright and had a sweet finish. The Red Tea had a great deep spice to it and the texture of the jelly was a great marriage. The star of the night however was the Coffee Float, well presented and executed, A very strong coffee with ice-cream and cream on top.

For dessert we had Banana Cake and a Coffee Caramel Flan, Both were outrageously delicious and almost as good as the Coffee's themselves.

Next time do yourself a favor don't be shy and...