As you walk the streets of Ho Chi Minh City, there's a café whose refined dark-brown exterior draws you in until you stop in your tracks. That'sKatinat Saigon Kafe. This café chain, where local youth line up day after day, is now one of Vietnam's most energetic coffee brands. Salt coffee with a salty cream finish, vividly colored fruit teas, and photogenic spaces. For Japanese travelers, it's the finest single spot to experience the "now" of Vietnamese coffee culture.
1. A fast-growing café born from Saigon's main street
Knowing the origin of the name Katinat greatly deepens this brand's dimension. "Katinat" refers to "Rue Catinat," which ran through the center of Ho Chi Minh City during French rule. This street, corresponding to present-day Dong Khoi street, was a main street symbolizing Saigon, lined with colonial architecture. In 2016, Katinat Saigon Kafe opened its first store on that Dong Khoi street.
From its founding, Katinat has held up an "urbane, refined Vietnamese coffee experience," targeting young urban consumers. Its approach of fusing modern interiors and inventive menus with the traditional café culture of drinking on Vietnam's streets gained support, and it rapidly expanded its store count centered on Ho Chi Minh City. As of September 2025, it has grown to operate about 114 stores nationwide.
In April 2024, it carried out a large-scale rebranding. It changed the brand name from "Katinat Saigon Kafe" to "Katinat Coffee & Tea House" and refreshed its slogan to "JOURNEY TO EXPLORE NEW TASTES." This was not a mere name change but a strategic pivot with an eye on expansion into nine provinces and cities beyond Ho Chi Minh City. By dropping the geographically limiting name "Saigon" and pushing the twin pillars of coffee and tea to the fore, it solidified its foundation as a nationwide brand. Plans for overseas expansion to Bangkok, Thailand have also been reported, and its growth knows no bounds.
2. Don't Miss These! Recommended Menu
Katinat's menu is wide-ranging — coffee, tea, fruit drinks, and smoothies. The price range of 35,000 to 69,000 VND (about 210 to 420 yen) is more affordable than Starbucks while offering a notch higher quality than local street cafés. Here we introduce three categories we especially want Japanese travelers to try.
① Signature menu: Salt coffee (Ca Phe Muoi Kem)
The absolute must in talking about Katinat is the "salt coffee (Ca Phe Muoi Kem)." It's a cup topping Vietnamese Robusta coffee with fluffy, salty cream, characterized by a distinctive flavor where bitterness, sweetness, and saltiness form a trinity. The price runs 45,000 to 55,000 VND (about 270 to 330 yen) as a guide.
The "salt × coffee" combination is unfamiliar in Japan, but the salt cream mellowly envelops the coffee's bitterness, leaving a faint saltiness on the finish. In hot Ho Chi Minh City, ordering it iced is recommended. Savoring the cream and coffee separately at first, then mixing them partway, lets you enjoy the change in flavor. Salt coffee became a boom across Vietnam, but Katinat's is well regarded for the balance of the cream's texture and the salt level.
② SNS-worthy: The fruit drink series
One reason Katinat won explosive popularity centered on young women is its fruit drink series. Among them, the signature peach tea (Tra Dao) is popular enough to be praised by local fans as "the best peach tea." Packed with fresh peach flesh, its restrained sweetness and refreshing taste make you forget Vietnam's heat. The price is around 55,000 to 65,000 VND (about 330 to 390 yen).
Beyond that, the lineup includes drinks generously using tropical fruits like mango, passion fruit, and lychee. The colorful visuals layered in clear cups are a classic for SNS. Seasonal limited-menu items appear frequently, so be sure to check the new-product posters at the counter when you visit. It's a perfect choice for those who dislike coffee or are with children too.
③ An evolved form of Vietnamese coffee: Katinat milk coffee
The royal road of Vietnamese coffee is "ca phe sua da (Ca Phe Sua Da)," that is, iced coffee with condensed milk. At Katinat, they offer "milk coffee" based on this traditional style but with their own arrangement added. The price is reasonable at 40,000 to 52,000 VND (about 240 to 310 yen).
The rich sweet-bitterness born from deeply roasting Vietnamese Robusta beans and combining them with the richness of condensed milk is a taste experience entirely different from a Japanese café latte. Katinat is particular about bean quality too, carefully selecting locally grown coffee beans. For those new to Vietnamese coffee, starting with this cup is recommended. Stirring from the bottom with a straw to thoroughly mix the condensed milk and coffee before drinking is the Vietnamese way.
3. A refined space: the appeal of the store design
What sets Katinat apart from other Vietnamese café chains is its store design. The color scheme based on dark brown and deep blue running through the whole brand gives off a sense of luxury, and it's interesting that each store adopts a different design concept.
For example, the Vo Thi Sau street store in District 3, Ho Chi Minh City makes use of a building renovated from a former kindergarten, splendidly fusing a classical French colonial exterior with a modern interior. Meanwhile, the Riverside store in Thu Duc City is a large store with about 200 seats, an open space spreading out with a view of the Saigon River from the terrace seats. Opening at the end of 2024, this store drew attention with an appearance like a mansion.
Common to many stores is second-floor and terrace seating. Especially at the Dong Khoi street and Nguyen Hue street stores, you can gaze at Ho Chi Minh City's lively streetscape from the window seats on the second floor. The time savoring salt coffee while looking down at the main street where bikes come and go is sure to be etched deep in your travel memories. With Wi-Fi throughout and plenty of power outlets, the environment is ideal for a break between travels or posting photos to SNS.
4. A Practical Guide for Japanese Tourists
To enjoy Katinat more comfortably, we've compiled practical information useful for Japanese travelers.
Recommended stores
For your first Katinat experience, the Dong Khoi street store is recommended. It's the brand's birthplace, and being located in the heart of the sightseeing area, access is excellent too. The location looking down at the street from second-floor seats lets you fully enjoy the Ho Chi Minh City-like scenery. The stores around Nguyen Hue street (Walking Street) are also worth visiting alongside the evening light-up.
Hours
Many stores are open 6:30 to 23:00, usable from a morning coffee to an evening dessert time. However, it may differ slightly by store, so checking Google Maps in advance is a safe bet.
Ordering tips
The menu has English notation, so even Japanese people rarely struggle to order. Staff also understand basic English. If you're unsure, say "Salt Coffee, Ice, please" and the signature iced salt coffee will come out. Sizes are basically the two of M and L, and for a first time the M size is plenty of volume. Some stores can't adjust the sweetness, but saying "Less sugar" often gets them to accommodate.
Payment methods
Besides cash, many stores accept major credit cards (Visa/Mastercard) and QR-code payment. However, small stores may be cash only, so also prepare Vietnamese dong in cash.
To avoid the crowds
Weekend afternoons are extremely crowded with young Vietnamese people. If you want to spend time calmly, weekday mornings or before 3 p.m. are the targets. Seats may be full at popular stores, so visit with time to spare.
5. Summary
Katinat Coffee & Tea House is a brand embodying the evolution of Vietnam's café culture. A name deriving from Catinat street of the French colonial era, rapid growth to about 114 stores across Vietnam, and a new challenge through the 2024 rebranding. Its unique signature menu of salt coffee and the refined space design that differs by store make for a precious experience where tourists can feel "the now of Vietnam."
The price range of 35,000 to 69,000 VND (about 210 to 420 yen) is affordable too, requiring nowhere near the outlay of Starbucks. When you visit Ho Chi Minh City, be sure to sit in the second-floor seats at the birthplace store on Dong Khoi street and have a salt coffee while watching the waves of bikes. That alone should let you savor the air of Saigon that guidebooks don't carry.
🗺️ For Katinat Saigon Kafe's basic information, signature menu, map, and reviews, seeShop guide (card)where we've put it all together.
🗺️ 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.
