In the Ben Thanh area of District 1 in Ho Chi Minh City, the listening bar "CỘI," which brought Japan's jazz kissa culture to Saigon, is drawing attention. It holds jazz, funk, and soul live performances Thursday through Sunday, and during the times without live music it plays vinyl records through vacuum-tube amplifiers. Its high Google review rating of 4.5 points (over 455 reviews) speaks to the quality of the experience.
What is CỘI: the lineage of the jazz kissa
"Kissa" derives from the Japanese "kissaten (café)." The jazz kissa, born in Tokyo in 1929, spread nationwide along with the postwar reception of Western culture, and at its peak there were about 600 within Japan. In these spaces specialized in "listening" to jazz records on high-quality audio equipment, customers refrained from conversation, and concentrating on the music was the manner. Even now about 400 remain within Japan.
CỘI is a shop that reinterpreted this culture in Saigon's context. The shop name, meaning "root" and "origin" in Vietnamese, carries the will to return to the roots of music.
Space and acoustics: the sound played by vintage equipment
The interior is unified with warm indirect lighting, vintage wooden furniture, and displays of record jackets. On the wall shelves, vinyl records and CDs the owner collected around the world are lined up by genre. The playback equipment employs hi-fi-oriented speakers and vacuum-tube amplifiers, filling the space with the warm analog-specific sound you can't get from digital streaming.
In reviews, there are many comments mentioning the high sound quality. Seats are divided between reservation customers and general customers, and since the indoor seats fill up early, advance reservation is recommended.
Live performances and music programs
It holds jazz-centered live performances Thursday through Sunday. With a setlist that also incorporates funk and soul, it widens the door to those beyond pure jazz fans. Special events inviting guest artists are also held irregularly. During times without live music, records chosen by the owner play as background music, and it has a dual nature functioning as a café by day and a cocktail bar by night.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Live days | Thursday to Sunday |
| Music genres | Jazz, funk, soul |
| Playback equipment | Vinyl records plus vacuum-tube amplifier plus hi-fi speakers |
| Number of records | Collected by the owner in various countries (on the scale of several hundred) |
| Special events | Live performances inviting guest artists (irregular) |
Drink menu: from daytime coffee to nighttime cocktails
By day, a café menu centered on smooth coffee. By night, it switches to craft cocktails, and the bartender carefully finishes classic cocktails such as the June Bug (sweet candy-like flavor) and the B52 shot. Review ratings for drink quality are also high, and the synergy of music and drink establishes CỘI's experience.
Local voices: the reality of 455 reviews and 4.5 points
Music fans: "I didn't think you could have a listening experience of this quality in Ho Chi Minh City. The Sunday live is at a level I want to go to every week."
Japanese residents: "A strange sensation of tasting the air of Shinjuku or Shimokitazawa jazz kissas in Saigon. But there are many young Vietnamese customers, so there's no fustiness."
Travelers: "I went without a reservation and there were no seats, so I was shown to the balcony. Even so the sound was plenty good, but next time I'll definitely reserve."
Impact on Japanese travelers
For travelers who know Japan's jazz kissa culture, it becomes a rare experience of encountering its reinterpretation overseas. Conversely, for the younger generation who don't know jazz kissas, it should appear fresh as a Vietnam-born "listening bar." With long hours from noon to 1 a.m., you can also make two visits: dropping in for coffee between sightseeing and returning at night for cocktails and live music. The location within walking distance of Ben Thanh Market is convenient for travelers too.
Ripple effect on the industry: listening bars are expanding in Asia
Tokyo's listening-bar culture jumped to Bangkok, Seoul, Taipei, and Singapore entering the 2020s, and "shops for listening to music" are increasing in Asian cities. CỘI is one shop that put down roots in Saigon amid that flow. Vietnam has an existing live-music culture, and as a result of the jazz kissa's "quiet listening" fusing with Vietnam's "live fever," a unique format switching between live and listening was born.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Shop name | CỘI |
| Address | 77-79 Lý Tự Trọng, Phường Bến Thành, Quận 1, TP.HCM |
| Hours | Mon–Sat 12:00 to 1:00 / Sun 9:00 to 1:00 |
| Phone | +84 833 167 332 |
| Budget guide | Coffee 60,000 to 90,000 VND (about 360 to 540 yen) / cocktails 150,000 to 250,000 VND (about 900 to 1,500 yen) |
| Google reviews | 4.5/5.0 (over 455 reviews) |
| Nearest landmark | About 5 minutes' walk from Ben Thanh Market |
| Reservations | Advance reservation required especially on weekends (Instagram DM or phone) |
Summary
CỘI is a shop that updated Japan-born jazz kissa culture with Saigon's sensibility. The warm sound of vinyl records, live music Thursday through Sunday, from daytime coffee to nighttime cocktails: in one shop, the three of "listening," "drinking," and "spending time" come together. Since it's within walking distance of Ben Thanh Market, it's worth keeping in mind as a nighttime option for a Ho Chi Minh City trip.
Related reading
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- Hanoi West Lake's "Workshop14" wins at Asia’s 50 Best Bars
- 10 shops that revived French-colonial apartments and old merchant houses as cafés
- District 1 rooftop "LuLi’s Skyview Bar"
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