Cafe du Monde - Umeda

There's nothing like the bittersweet taste of an icy Vietnamese coffee after a hot meal. It's my absolute favorite, any time of day. The caffeine keeps me up watching Youtube until 4 A.M., but that's okay - there are plenty of videos of cats diving into soda boxes to keep me entertained.

The first thing that worried me about moving to the far east was whether or not I'd be able to have this drug-like elixir when I needed it. That, and the 3000 calorie Chipotle burrito.

The concept of "Vietnamese Coffee" does seem to exist in Japan. However, the one I tried in a chain cafe was just a watery cup of.... I don't know. But it wasn't even good coffee. So I did some research and discovered that there was an actual Cafe du Monde coffee shop right here in Osaka.

Vietnamese coffee is made using a specific coffee drip, condensed milk, and a very strong, espresso-like coffee. The brand that seems to be used everywhere in the states is Cafe du Monde's "Coffee and Chicory" from New Orleans.

*I found this photo online.*

So when I saw that I could get this brand within a 20-minute walk from my house, I was ecstatic! Hubby and I went to check out the cafe today, and though they did not sell Vietnamese coffee, they had plenty of other drinks and of course, their special French beignets! Soft, warm, powdery sweet.

Hubby got the Iced Premium Cafe Au Lait, which was very milky, and I got the regular coffee (size M). We got a side of strawberry jam for the beignets, which cost a little extra. All were very good and the black coffee was not super watered down like most of the coffee I've had here so far. The beignets were not too sweet as the only sweetness came from the powdered sugar on top. I would definitely go back for the coffee.

You'll find that people in Japan tend to drink coffee more often as a hobby than as a part of the daily routine as many do in the U.S. Since Asians are not traditionally coffee drinkers, the coffee will be much less bold than it is in other parts of the world. Personally, I like my coffee mild, but not watered down. The only exception is when I have my bold Vietnamese iced coffee; And Cafe du Monde is THE coffee for that.

*Tip: When you order drinks or food sizes in Japan, they usually don't say "small," "medium," or "large." Instead, you want to say, "S size," "M size," or "L size."

Cafe du Monde - Umeda, Osaka City

カフェ・デュ・モンド茶屋町ショップ

Address: 6-25 Chayamachi, Kita Ward, Osaka, Osaka Prefecture 530-0013, Japan

Phone: 06-6372-5015

Hours: 7:30 ~ 23:00