If you have ever passed by Trich Sai street by the West Lake at night, you will surely be attracted by a tea shop with a name that is both strange and familiar: Phê La. 😀As someone who has written more than 2,000 reviews about coffee shops and restaurants on Hive Blog, I thought I had tasted enough flavors from many places, but that evening, when I stepped into Phê La Trich Sai branch, I was still surprised🙄
That night Hanoi was a bit cold, the wind blew gently from the lake, the atmosphere was very pleasant. I chose Phê La because I had heard about it for a long time, but never had the chance to visit. As soon as I stepped in, I felt this place was different: not too elaborate in decoration, but every detail evokes a modern, minimalist feeling, and very “highland tea” vibe. From the signboard to the lighting, the table and chair arrangement, everything had its own color and brand. Maybe that's why among thousands of other tea brands out there, Phê La still grows strongly and opens more branches.
Phê La is not just a tea shop. Here, they create their own "style" in each drink, especially the Oolong tea line – a specialty from Da Lat highland. Even the way they categorize the menu shows careful investment: from Syphon, Moka Pot, French Press, Cold Brew to original coffee lines.
That evening, I ordered a Matcha Coco Latte and an espresso made from Colombia & Ethiopia beans. Matcha Coco Latte here smells gentle, slightly fatty from coconut, rich in real matcha, not the diluted powder type. When drinking, the matcha flavor clings to the tongue, the aftertaste is mildly sweet and smooth. It can be said that this is one of the most worth-trying matcha cups in Hanoi. With a price of 3 dollars, this is a super quality drink with completely natural ingredients, no powder or flavoring, in general, you get what you pay for. Just trying once and I’m still impressed with this tea, maybe that's why even though the price is super expensive compared to the average Vietnamese income, I still see Phê La always crowded and creating a favorite storm that many young people in Vietnam always mention.
The espresso cup was... exactly my style: strong, fragrant from Colombian beans mixed with fruity aroma from Ethiopia. You can immediately recognize that the barista understands coffee, not making it casually. The flavor is clean, neat, and leaves a good aftertaste after drinking.
Another thing that surprised me was the cake. Few tea shops in Hanoi pay attention to cakes like Phê La. Here, you can find European cakes like Red Velvet, passion fruit mousse, Letao Cheese Cake, Savory Sponge Cake,...
If you are used to popular drink prices, you will find that prices at Phê La are a bit higher. For example:
Phê size milk tea (medium): 55,000 VND
La size milk tea (large): 70,000 VND
Takeaway bottled tea lines also range from 4-5 USD (100,000 – 125,000 VND) for a 500ml bottle. Including:
- Oolong milk tea
- Jasmine oolong milk tea
- Broken rice tea
- Orchid tea
- B’Lao smoky tea
- Matcha Coco Latte
- Oolong cold brew
- Da Lat tea
- Dinh Phu Van tea,...
Note that takeaway products do not come with ice or cup. But actually, that doesn't reduce their value because the tea quality is very good. These are really worth buying to give as gifts or store in the fridge
In my personal opinion, Phê La stands out thanks to its meticulousness in every experience. From space, menu, service, to the way they design takeaway products, all create the feeling of a brand with a clear orientation. Not chasing quantity, not trying to be cheap to please the mass market, Phê La chooses the mid-high segment and does well in that segment. You see, many tea shops often choose the cheap market and have menus with over 100 types of tea but none are really delicious or have a unique personality, so sooner or later they close. I think Phê La does very well here, they are good at marketing, I appreciate their consistency and investment. I heard young people talk about Phê La a lot, it seems like if you haven't drunk Phê La, you’ll feel “outdated” Lol
Young people in Hanoi are already familiar with Taiwanese milk tea, but Phê La is like a new breeze – Vietnamese tea, modern style, and flavor rich in local characteristics. It's not hard to understand why in just a few short years, Phê La has appeared in many prime locations and is always crowded.
Next time, I will come back during the day to try more cold teas and other cakes. Besides, I also want to buy some bottled tea to take home, especially the oolong cold brew to store in the fridge when needed. It can be said that Phê La is not just a coffee shop, but a place that makes people feel comfortable, cared for, and a little “highland” in the middle of the city.
If you need a place to chill with a quality cup of tea, watching West Lake sparkling with lights at night, then I think you should try coming to Phê La. You’ll understand why I spent this whole long article just to talk about a cup of tea and such a beautiful evening.