Cong Caphe at 1 Utama, PJ – Yummy Vietnamese cuisine (Pork free)

by TheFoodBunny MalaysiaMarch 24, 2023March 24, 2023

Banh Mi with Condensed Milk

This dish we got served as a starter and it sure was delicious. It was a winning combination of a good, textured banh mi and sweet condensed milk. If you are a fan of Texas Chicken’s Honey Butter Biscuits, then you’d like this too. It was similar but different. Solely biting into it, I could not tell that the sweetness came from condensed milk. It did not taste like it and they somehow managed to find the perfect amount needed to provide some sweetness but at the same time not be overwhelming. Basically, what I was served was a banh mi that was crispy and crumbly on the outside, soft on the inside with a middle that was buttery sweet. I liked it.

Next, we learned about the coffee making technique. Using Vietnam sourced Robusta beans, good quality coffee is acquired through the Blooming technique. The utilization of the phin filter, unique to Vietnamese coffee was introduced.

Put in the coffee powder into phin filter

Pour hot water, just untill powder is fully covered

Pouring hot water onto the coffee powder, just enough to cover it and then using the filter to sort of flatten it so that air pockets can be removed – this process is referred to as Blooming.

After waiting for 20 seconds, then fill the filter till the top with more hot water.

Coffee is ready once the dripping ends

The end result was a strong cup of coffee. It was flavorful – bitter with an underlying taste of sweetness.

Chicken Ham Banh Mi & Chicken Rendang Banh Mi

The Banh Mi served at Cong Caphe was delicious. I have a love hate relationship with this particular dish. Why? It’s the bread. The few times I’ve had a banh mi, it was so big and crumbly, with little filling, all I tasted was the bread. It broke apart so easily, almost like biscuit texture. It made no sense. The size of the bread is bigger than what a normal human mouth can take, no matter how far it stretches. Then, when you squash it in hopes of making it smaller to fit your mouth, it crumbles and breaks apart. Haiyaaaaaaa.

Good thing I did not have this problem here. While it was crumbly on the outside, the inside was soft and dense. This meant that when i squashed/flatten it in order to make it smaller, it did not break apart. This made it alot easier to bite into. The chicken ham itself was thick in size, tasted like pepper chicken. Soft and chewy in texture. Together with a generous portion of pickled carrots, it made up one yummy Vietnamese Sandwich.

The Chicken Rendang Banh Mi is a Ramadan Special. Unlike the Chicken Ham that is available all year long, this dish is only up for grabs during this special month.

This has to be my favorite banh mi. It was my first time trying rendang with Vietnamese bread but it sure was delicious. Just imagine crunchy, flaky baguette with soft, dense interior and a whole lot of chicken rendang filling. Ooooo my. Sedapppppp 👌👌👌 This certainly was one Ramadan Special that I enjoyed. The rendang gravy itself was awesome. It hit all the right spots – not too spicy, plenty of flavor. The chicken was soft and tender. The banh mi as a whole was da’ bomb.

Coconut Milk Shake with Coffee

Coconut milk and coffee … huh? The only kind of milk I’ve had with my coffee so far is cows milk. It has never crossed my mind to use ‘santan’ but now, after I’ve tried it, I can certainly feel the appeal. Unlike the usual milk, coconut milk provides a milky sweetness to the coffee. Then, add in their secret ingredient – their very own, Vietnam sourced sweet condensed coconut creamer….yummy!

For those of you who are not a fan of strong, potent coffee, then this drink would be perfect for you. It is a ‘toned down’ version of a coffee, you’d still be able to taste the coffee but at the same time, the rich,smooth, sweet flavors of coconut milk was evident too. Although contrasting in taste, it complimented each other well. I liked it. The drink was not too sweet and it provided me with a pleasant taste.

Bac Xiu

Now this drink, also known as Coconut Coffee, is for coffee lovers. In terms of strength, it was strong. The kind with an underlying bitter taste. Again, sweet condensed coconut milk is used here but milder than the shake. Here, you’d taste strong coffee with underlying taste of coconut milk.

All in all, I had a good experience at Cong Caphe 1 Utama. The drinks were good, food was delicious. I certainly am a fan of their Banh Mi and Coconut Coffee. I look forward to dropping by soon for another taste.