Vietnam's coffee king, Trung Nguyên. Le Hoang Diep Thao, its co-founder and also called the “Queen of Coffee,” launched King Coffee with her own hands. Built around premium Robusta, it's a brand that carries a woman entrepreneur's story, sending “Made in Vietnam” coffee out to the world.
| Genre | Coffee |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2016 |
| Origin | Vietnam |
| Coverage area | Ho Chi Minh City・Hanoi・Da Nang・Hai Phong |
| Number of locations | 50 locations |
| Signature menu | A cup of premium Robusta blend is the signature specialty |
| Official site | https://kingcoffee.vn/ |
What is King Coffee? Vietnamese coffee with which a woman entrepreneur takes on the world
The founding story
King Coffee is a coffee brand launched in 2016 by Le Hoang Diep Thao. She co-founded Trung Nguyên in 1996 and was long involved in its management. After parting ways with Trung Nguyên founder Đặng Lê Nguyên Vũ, she brought King Coffee into the world as her own brand.
With parent company Trung Nguyên International (TNI) as its base, King Coffee expanded overseas in a short time. Entering many countries and regions—the US, South Korea, China, Singapore—it grew into an international brand delivering Vietnamese coffee to the global market. The founder's own entrepreneurial story is a major face of the brand.
Why it draws attention
King Coffee's concept is to offer Vietnam's traditional coffee in a modern, approachable form. Built around the powerful flavor of premium Robusta, it balances a contemporary café experience with international expansion.
Its franchises offer several models—Luxury, Premium, Express—designed to roll out tailored to location and clientele. Along with the brand story of “King,” which bears the founder's name, it's often told as a tale of a woman entrepreneur's challenge.
King Coffee's signature menu and flavors
The menu spans widely, centered on traditional Vietnamese-style coffee and extending to arranged drinks and food. The retail of instant and roasted beans is rich too, suited as a souvenir.
Premium Robusta coffee
The signature is coffee made with top-grade Robusta beans. With a powerful bitterness and a deep, chocolate-like body, you can authentically savor a rich Vietnamese-style cup. Enjoy it in standard ways like cà phê sữa đá (iced with condensed milk) or Black Iced.
Egg coffee and arranged drinks
Including the Hanoi specialty egg coffee, there are plenty of arranged drinks—caramel macchiato, café latte, americano. Beyond coffee, there's a range of food like banh mi, pho, and pastries, and many outlets are easy to drop into for a light meal.
Other popular drinks
| Drink | Characteristics |
|---|---|
| Premium Robusta coffee | The signature, with powerful bitterness and body made with top-grade Robusta |
| Cà phê sữa đá | Iced coffee with condensed milk. A Vietnamese staple |
| Egg coffee | A mellow, deeply rich cup of whipped egg yolk and condensed milk |
| Café latte / macchiato | A modern arranged drink combined with milk |
Cups that win over reviewers
We have rounded up the well-reviewed items that come up again and again in travel and food-site reviews (focusing on dishes praised across multiple reviews).
| Menu | Why reviewers rate it |
|---|---|
| Cà phê sữa đá | A staple cup that the brand itself recommends as a Vietnamese-style iced coffee with condensed milk. |
| Coconut coffee | A menu item praised in shop reviews as delicious alongside the salted coffee and egg coffee. |
| Salted coffee | An unusual coffee mentioned in patrons' reviews as delicious and affordable. |
King Coffee's locations and tips for stopping by
Scale and coverage area
It operates 50 outlets centered on Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Da Nang, and Hai Phong. It has also entered the US, South Korea, China, and elsewhere, beloved in overseas Vietnamese communities too. With outlets in major malls and airports, awareness among tourists is spreading.
At home and abroad it foregrounds “premium coffee from Vietnam,” and along with its outlets it's expanding the distribution network for instant and roasted beans.
Main cities where you can enjoy this store:Ho Chi Minh City・Hanoi・Da Nang・Hai Phong. You can check each city's tourist information from its city page.
The atmosphere at King Coffee and how to spend your time
Features of the interior and design
An upscale interior based on red and black, with an atmosphere suited to business meetings and calm breaks. It's put together classically with leather sofas and wooden tables. Many outlets have Wi-Fi and power, making longer stays easy too.
Outlet scale and furnishings differ by franchise model, ranging from spacious large stores to small takeout-focused shops.
Wi-Fi, power outlets, and how easy it is to linger
Many outlets have Wi-Fi and power, and you'll see people using them for meetings or work. While it's easy to settle in and spend time in a calm space, some locations bustle with tourists and takeout customers, so if you want to relax, choose your time.
King Coffee's price guide and payment
| Menu | Price guide |
|---|---|
| Premium coffee | 65,000–85,000 dong (about 450–580 yen) |
| Latte | 55,000-75,000 VND (about 380-520 yen) |
| One bag of instant | 50,000–150,000 dong (about 340–1,000 yen) |
On the slightly higher side befitting a premium line, but easy to reach compared with a Japanese café. Many outlets accept cards and QR payments in addition to cash.
Prices can change by store and season. Check the latest at the counter or on the official menu.
King Coffee takeout and souvenirs
There's a rich souvenir-oriented retail of “TNI King Coffee” 3-in-1 instant and premium roasted beans. You'll also spot King Coffee products at duty-free shops in Vietnam's international airports, but the selection is often richer at the outlets.
King Coffee: map, access, and ordering tips
It has multiple outlets in Ho Chi Minh City, introduced in easy-to-reach locations from the center, such as along Nguyen Tat Thanh Street.
Vietnamese phrases for ordering
Here are the basic phrases that come in handy locally. Pointing works, but adding a word makes ordering smoother.
| Vietnamese | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Cho tôi một … | One [drink], please |
| nóng / đá | Hot / iced |
| ít đường | Less sweet |
| không đường | No sugar |
| ít đá | Less ice |
| mang đi | Takeout |
| ở đây | For here |
| tính tiền | The check, please |
You can check the latest menu, prices, hours, and store listOfficial sitehere.
What to know before visiting King Coffee
How to enjoy it smartly
Visiting after learning founder Le Hoang Diep Thao's story makes a single cup of coffee taste richer as a woman entrepreneur's tale.
If you're after souvenirs, the selection is richer at the outlets than at airport duty-free. From instant to roasted beans, choose by purpose.
Points to note
Premium Robusta has a strong bitterness, so adjust the amount of milk or sweetness to your taste when ordering.
Offered menu and store atmosphere differ by franchise model. If you have something in mind, confirming the store type is reassuring.
📖 For the history, background, and ways to enjoy King Coffee, see our feature column “More about King Coffee.”
🗺️ If you also want to compare it with other cafés,Vietnam's 30 Popular Cafés: A Thorough Comparison Guidelets you browse from a single list.
Frequently asked questions
- What makes King Coffee distinctive?
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A brand launched in 2016 by Trung Nguyên co-founder Le Hoang Diep Thao. Built around premium Robusta, it's international, expanding to the US, South Korea, China, and elsewhere.
- How does it differ from Trung Nguyên?
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It's a brand the founder launched independently, differentiating with a premium Robusta line and global expansion.
- What is the signature menu item?
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Premium coffee made with top-grade Robusta. Distinguished by powerful bitterness and a chocolate-like body.
- Where are the outlets?
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50 outlets centered on Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Da Nang, and Hai Phong. It has also entered the US, South Korea, China, and elsewhere.
- What about instant coffee as a souvenir?
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“TNI King Coffee” 3-in-1 instant and roasted beans are the staples. You can buy them at outlets and airport duty-free shops.
