BINON CACAO CHOCOLATE SHOP & CAFE - Farm to Bar Chocolate - — Restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City

This is not a review on their food or services, rather on their business practice.

Binon Cacao’s business practices raise serious concerns. Their pricing system lacks transparency and consistency. They provide price quotes online ($8.2 for 500g of pure cacao powder which is Vietnamese market rate) but when I visit the store, the prices is up to three times the quoted amount. When questioned, they dismiss previous quotes as outdated, even if they were given recently. They did apologize though but I could not trust the genuinity of their apology.

This kind of pricing inconsistency suggests a potential dual pricing system, possibly targeting tourists or walk-in customers.

Am I being unfair? Possibly but through this review, I also hopes to raise awareness for tourists who wish to purchase local products to verify the price...

I bought the chocolate at Muji once and I liked the brand very much. That’s why I really want to visit their store as they seem to have many interesting sweet options. However, my first experience was really bad. The staff was on the phone from the moment I walked in so he didn’t communicate with me at all. I didn’t want to interrupt him so I just pointed at what I wanted. Then, he was still on the phone while making the drink. I ordered a binon chocolate drink which basically was melted chocolate with fresh milk. However, the chocolate was not melted properly so basically I was drinking fresh milk on top of the half melted chocolate all separated, which was very difficult to drink through a grass straw and its taste was...

This is one of the cafés I highly recomend. Although the space isn’t very large, it brings me cozy and relaxing. The staff here are also extremely friendly and attentive, so I always feel comfortable whenever I’m working while enjoying my favorite cup of cacao.

Another plus point, besides the quality and service, is actually the restroom. It might sound a bit ridiculous, but I rarely find cafés in Ho Chi Minh City with restrooms that are clean and pleasant enough, so I really value that.

By the way, I accidently saw another review criticizing the grass straws... Honestly, I don’t understand why?! I find them eco-friendly, safe for health, and they don’t really affect the taste...