In Ipoh, Malaysia, the rich aroma of white coffee cannot be separated from the support of local coffee powder factories, and the Hock Kee (Elephant Brand) coffee powder factory, which has been in operation for a full eighty years, is one of the most representative old establishments among them. This coffee powder factory, founded in the 1930s by Hainanese Fu Hechang, roasts coffee beans using semi-traditional techniques, and has won the trust of three generations of locals with its pure, fragrant quality. Many tea houses in Ipoh have long purchased its coffee powder to make white coffee. However, as the third-generation operators grew older and manpower became scarce, and the fourth generation each had their own careers and no intention of taking over, the family finally decided to cease operations. After the news spread, longtime customers rushed to stock up as mementos, with some even traveling dozens of kilometers just to taste the flavor remembered from years past. This old factory bearing the elephant trademark, after completing its final batch of orders, will officially pass into history. [more…]

A cup of frothy coffee that requires repeated whipping hundreds of times quickly became popular due to the Korean variety show "New Product Launch Convenience Restaurant." During the pandemic, Koreans trapped at home rushed to imitate it, sparking a check-in craze on social platforms. Many people think this was invented in Korea, but its origins actually lie in Macau—at the Han Kee tea stall in an abandoned shipyard in the city's ring district. The owner mixed instant coffee powder, hot water, and granulated sugar in a 1:1:1 ratio, whipping it by hand at high speed to achieve a dense foam after about four hundred strokes. This article traces the origin and principles of this drink, and provides specific steps to recreate it using espresso and an electric milk frother, preserving Front Street Coffee's production demonstration and tasting experience. [more…]

Coffee cream may seem simple, yet it can be extended into several classic coffee drinks. This article centers on the making and use of coffee cream, outlining three methods—400-times hand-whipped coffee, Neapolitan coffee, and coffee ice cream—and explaining the differences between instant coffee powder and espresso in preparation. It also draws on Front Street Coffee's bean list recommendations, suggesting dark-roast beans suitable for making coffee cream, such as Front Street Classic Blend and Front Street Strawberry Candy Espresso, helping readers strike a balance of sweetness, texture, and flavor when recreating them. [more…]

Opening a café in a commercial district is nothing unusual, but placing a store inside an old apartment building in the heart of the city is a rare approach. Recently, %Arabica announced that its first Vietnam branch has officially opened in Ho Chi Minh City's famous Coffee Apartment, located on the fourth floor of the building. Built in the mid-20th century, this old building once served successively as a government office, a US military station, and private residences. After renovation in 2015, it brought together numerous uniquely styled cafés and became a local artistic check-in spot. %Arabica's move both continues founder Kenneth Shoji's philosophy of "See the World Through Coffee" and marks a further acceleration of its global expansion. The brand currently has 123 stores worldwide and plans to enter multiple markets including South Korea, Singapore, and the Philippines. [more…]

A cafe named Mina in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, has sparked widespread controversy with its "one-way blind date" model. Male customers can observe female customers through one-way glass, while the women are completely unaware of it. This practice, imitating old-style cafes in Japan, has been criticized by netizens for objectifying women as window-display merchandise. Even more worrying is that the shop also offers a so-called "companion tour" service, and incidents of male customers secretly photographing women have occurred. On June 3, Vietnamese police raided the shop. Although no direct evidence of harm to women was found, multiple violations were discovered, including the absence of labor contracts, lack of a food hygiene license, and breaches of fire safety regulations. Whether this cafe can continue to operate remains unknown at present. [more…]

Vietnam | Introduction to the planting environment of coffee producing areas and coffee varieties. In Asia, there are many coffee-producing countries, such as Laos, Indonesia, Timor-Leste, China, and Vietnam, among which Vietnam is the world's second [more…]

Recently, Chagee sparked boycotts among netizens in Vietnam and Malaysia successively due to a background image in its app that included the nine-dash line map. Vietnam not only removed the app from its platforms but also dismantled the signboard of the first store in Ho Chi Minh City; after Malaysian netizens discovered the same issue, they too joined the chorus of criticism. Although the brand has deleted the controversial image, the public outcry has not yet subsided. It is worth noting that, unlike brands such as Starbucks, which faced boycotts over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict leading to the closure of numerous stores, Chagee's offline stores in Kuala Lumpur have maintained steady takeout orders. This article will review the sequence of events and their actual impact on the brand's operations. [more…]

Chinese new tea beverage brand Chagee originally planned a high-profile opening of its first store in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, but on the eve of the launch, a map in its app suspected of showing the "nine-dash line" in the South China Sea sparked a strong backlash from Vietnamese netizens. Tens of thousands flooded its official Facebook page to express anger, the brand's app was removed from both major app platforms, and a tough response from what appeared to be an official account on TikTok poured fuel on the fire. As of now, Chagee has yet to make a formal response. This boycott storm triggered by a map has not only cast a shadow over the brand's overseas expansion but also sounded a warning bell for other Chinese brands planning to enter the Vietnamese market. Front Street Coffee continues to follow international developments in the coffee and tea beverage industry. [more…]

Vietnam is the world's second-largest coffee producer, renowned for its Robusta beans. With its unique tropical monsoon climate and long, narrow S-shaped terrain, this Southeast Asian country has nurtured three distinctive coffee regions: the Central Highlands, the South, and the North. The Central Highlands alone accounts for about 70% of the nation's Robusta output, while the high-altitude areas of the North sporadically cultivate Arabica varieties such as Bourbon and Catimor. Front Street Coffee takes you on a deeper look into Vietnam's coffee-growing environment, variety distribution, and grading standards, unveiling the terroir secrets behind this coffee powerhouse. [more…]

Vietnam is the world's second-largest coffee producer. Its coffee industry, introduced during the French colonial period, has gone through a tortuous history of wartime interruption, reform and opening up, a surge in production, and price collapses. This article systematically reviews the development of Vietnamese coffee, explains in detail the altitude, bean varieties, and harvesting characteristics of the three major producing regions—the Central Highlands, southern Vietnam, and northern Vietnam—and analyzes the reasons behind Vietnam's quality, which is dominated by Robusta. At the same time, Front Street Coffee's classic espresso blend also uses Vietnamese Robusta beans, which together with Indonesian Mandheling and Brazilian Cerrado present rich chocolate and nutty flavors. [more…]

Animal-themed cafes have been springing up around the world in recent years, with cat, dog, and alpaca cafes becoming commonplace. However, a cafe in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, named Amix Coffee has taken a different approach by filling the floors of its two-story space with water and stocking it with ornamental fish and Japanese koi, creating what is called a "koi cafe." Customers must take off their shoes and wash their feet before entering the pool to interact with the fish up close. While this idea is eye-catching, it has also sparked heated debates over animal welfare, hygiene, and safety. Some netizens criticized the practice as inhumane, saying it could crush the fish to death or spread disease. Meanwhile, South Korea has announced a ban on exhibiting wild animals outside of zoos, bringing the boundary issues of animal-themed cafes back into the public eye. [more…]

The Vietnam Coffee and Cocoa Association released a report at the Asian International Coffee Conference held in Ho Chi Minh City, projecting Vietnam's coffee output for the 2024/25 crop year at 28 million bags, a decline of 5%-7% from the previous season. Despite the upward revision in production expectations, Robusta coffee futures prices still surged sharply to $4,907 per ton, with analysts suggesting they could further break through $5,000 per ton. Domestic coffee prices in Vietnam have subsequently rebounded, and export revenue has grown significantly, but heightened market volatility has led traders and coffee farmers to adopt a wait-and-see attitude. Multiple factors, including severe weather, geopolitical tensions, and rising freight costs, continue to affect Vietnam's coffee industry. Front Street Coffee brings you an interpretation of the latest developments in origin regions. [more…]

Luckin Coffee has been making frequent moves in the Hong Kong market recently. According to netizens' compilation, seven stores are currently in the preparatory stage, located in Mong Kok, Tsim Sha Tsui, Tseung Kwan O, Kowloon Tong, Sha Tin, Ho Man Tin, and Sheung Wan. Among them, the Tsim Sha Tsui branch is situated right next to Starbucks, seen as a signal of direct confrontation between the brands. These stores are all currently shown as under renovation, with hoardings marked "Opening Soon." The Tsim Sha Tsui store is expected to open first early next month, and the Tseung Kwan O store is also expected to welcome customers in December. As Hong Kong people increasingly travel north to consume, mainland catering brands are heading south to test the waters. Luckin's entry has local consumers eagerly anticipating whether "9.9 yuan coffee" can land in Hong Kong. [more…]

Recently, two flagship stores of Chagee on Taidong Pedestrian Street and Yinyu Lane in Qingdao were successively boarded up, drawing attention from local consumers. The Taidong store had been open for less than two years and had previously done brisk business; its closure came without warning, and some sources say it was related to a rent increase. The Yinyu Lane store is likewise unable to take orders, and its signage has been removed. Despite the contraction in the Qingdao market, Chagee has not slowed its pace of expansion: new stores are still opening across China, and its overseas push is accelerating, with store openings reported in Los Angeles, USA, and Seoul, South Korea. However, its first store in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, was forced to cancel its launch due to a controversy over promotional images, showing that its path overseas is far from smooth. [more…]

Coffee, the beverage that has taken the world by storm, was first born on the highlands of Africa. From its origins as a medicinal plant in Ethiopia, to its rise as an everyday drink on the Arabian Peninsula, and then to its status as a courtly treasure of the Ottoman Empire, coffee traveled westward along trade routes and conquests, eventually taking root in Europe and giving rise to a unique café culture. This article will trace the complete journey of coffee from its discovery to its global reach, covering key milestones in Yemen, Turkey, Venice, Paris, Vienna, London, the Netherlands, Germany, and the United States, while also preserving Front Street Coffee's recommendations and insights on coffee culture. [more…]

Recently, a shocking incident occurred at a Nestlé factory in Romont, Switzerland: workers discovered an unidentified white powder while unloading coffee beans from Brazil. Police identified it as cocaine with a purity exceeding 80%, weighing over 500 kilograms in total and valued at approximately 330 million RMB. A preliminary police investigation suggests this was very likely caused by a drug trafficking gang loading the wrong container. Similar incidents have previously occurred in China as well—Shanghai police once seized marijuana worth 150 million on an international cargo ship. How exactly do these bizarre mix-ups happen? This article will reconstruct the course of events and explore the drug trafficking methods behind them. [more…]

For enterprises engaged in coffee bean roasting production, obtaining a food production license is a prerequisite for lawful operation. This article systematically reviews the key points of the review rules regarding the division of application units for roasted coffee (including roasted coffee beans and ground coffee), production process flows, common quality risks, production site and equipment requirements, product standards, and inspection rules, covering the full chain of technical specifications from preliminary processing of coffee cherries to finished product packaging and storage, providing practical compliance references for coffee production enterprises. Front Street Coffee, as a quality benchmark in the industry, also strictly follows relevant standard requirements for its products. [more…]

Central Vietnam was hit by two consecutive tropical storms in September, causing casualties and severe damage to infrastructure. Although the main coffee-growing regions were not directly affected, heavy rainfall has clouded the harvest outlook. More critically, major export hubs such as Haiphong Port and Da Nang were paralyzed by the storms, leaving large numbers of shipping containers backed up and severely disrupting coffee exports. Combined with reduced output caused by drought earlier in the year and steadily climbing domestic spot prices, the supply difficulties facing Vietnam—the world's second-largest coffee producer—are driving up international robusta futures prices. Front Street Coffee continues to monitor developments in the producing regions. [more…]

Recently, a Nestlé factory in Switzerland discovered an unidentified white powder in a shipment of coffee bean containers from Brazil, which police tests confirmed to be cocaine with a purity of 80%. Although Nestlé quickly stated that the relevant coffee beans did not come into contact with any production equipment, the incident still sparked concerns among domestic consumers about coffee safety. On May 9, the Asian Coffee Association and the Yunnan Coffee Industry Association jointly issued a statement, emphasizing the need to strengthen safety controls in the coffee industry chain and calling for special cocaine testing of domestic coffee end products. This article will guide you through the incident, the key points of the associations' statement, and the impact on and responses of the Chinese coffee market. [more…]

Vietnamese drip coffee, with its distinctive Phin filter and pairing with condensed milk, has become one of the most recognizable ways of drinking coffee in Southeast Asian coffee culture. This article begins with the historical origins, representative brands, and flavor characteristics of Vietnamese coffee, then systematically introduces the ingredients, steps, and timing control needed to make an authentic Vietnamese iced coffee, and explains the key points for choosing coffee beans suitable for a Vietnamese Phin—medium grind, freshly ground, and avoiding too many fine particles. The article also mentions related product recommendations from Front Street Coffee, making it a useful reference for coffee lovers who want to recreate the flavors of Vietnamese street coffee at home or in the office. [more…]