{"id":2703,"date":"2026-05-12T18:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-12T09:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vietnam-gift.com\/?post_type=news&#038;p=2703"},"modified":"2026-08-02T08:11:40","modified_gmt":"2026-08-01T23:11:40","slug":"hcmc-dessert-cafes","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/vietnam-gift.com\/en\/news\/hcmc-dessert-cafes\/","title":{"rendered":"Ho Chi Minh City's dessert caf\u00e9s are evolving | souffl\u00e9 pancakes, keto gelato, plant-based sweets"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Ho Chi Minh City\u2019s dessert caf\u00e9s have entered a new phase. \u201cSugar Daddy Eatery\u201d serving Japanese-style souffle pancakes, \u201cAfrocado\u201d with avocado-based keto gelato, \u201cLa Creme\u201d making use of Vietnamese ingredients with Danish technique, and \u201cRawberry\u201d with 100% plant-based raw sweets. Here we\u2019ve organized the noteworthy shops carefully selected by whatsnewasia for Japanese travelers.<\/p>\n<h2>Reading the dessert caf\u00e9 scene through four currents<\/h2>\n<p>Ho Chi Minh City\u2019s dessert caf\u00e9s are no longer mere sweets shops. Four currents intersect\u2014health consciousness, the adoption of overseas techniques, plant-based, and the rediscovery of local ingredients\u2014and previously unseen types of shops are being born one after another.<\/p>\n<h3>Current 1: health-oriented gelato<\/h3>\n<p>Afrocado touts \u201cguilt-free gelato\u201d and rolls out avocado-based keto-friendly flavors. Finished with French artisan technique, it also prepares several vegan-friendly flavors. Its shop in the Da Kao area (District 1) has many repeat customers, centered on health-conscious expats.<\/p>\n<h3>Current 2: an influx of overseas patissier techniques<\/h3>\n<p>Sugar Daddy Eatery draws popularity with a combination of Japanese-style souffle pancakes and gelato. It offers truffle-mushroom flavor and bacon flavor, and even nuoc mam (fish sauce) flavored gelato, pushing the boundary of \u201csweet \u00d7 salty.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>La Creme, based on Danish gelato technique, converts Vietnam\u2019s food culture straight into flavors, such as Saigon pho flavor and egg coffee flavor.<\/p>\n<h3>Current 3: the full-scale arrival of plant-based<\/h3>\n<p>Rawberry is a raw-sweets specialty shop that\u2019s 100% plant-derived and gluten-free. Based in Thao Dien, District 2, its representative menu items are salted-caramel chocolate cake and triple-chocolate mini cake. It sticks to a route that uses no animal ingredients at all and compromises on neither looks nor taste.<\/p>\n<h2>A comparison table of noteworthy dessert caf\u00e9s<\/h2>\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Shop name<\/th>\n<th>Area<\/th>\n<th>Concept<\/th>\n<th>Signature menu<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Afrocado<\/td>\n<td>Da Kao, Quan 1<\/td>\n<td>Keto-friendly gelato<\/td>\n<td>Various avocado gelatos<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Sugar Daddy Eatery<\/td>\n<td>Cau Kho, Quan 1<\/td>\n<td>Japanese-style souffle pancakes \u00d7 gelato<\/td>\n<td>Truffle gelato, nuoc mam flavor<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>La Creme<\/td>\n<td>Pho Duc Chinh, Quan 1<\/td>\n<td>Danish technique \u00d7 Vietnamese ingredients<\/td>\n<td>Saigon pho flavor, egg coffee flavor<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Rawberry<\/td>\n<td>Thao Dien, Quan 2<\/td>\n<td>100% plant-based raw sweets<\/td>\n<td>Salted-caramel chocolate<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Robin Mouquet<\/td>\n<td>Le Duan, Quan 1<\/td>\n<td>French sweets by Vietnam\u2019s best patissier<\/td>\n<td>Mille-feuille, pistachio croissant<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>BINGO Artisanal<\/td>\n<td>Bui Vien, Quan 1<\/td>\n<td>Handmade binh \u00d7 tofu pudding<\/td>\n<td>Mango and purple-rice binh<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Hoo Gelato<\/td>\n<td>Huynh Thuc Khang, Quan 1<\/td>\n<td>Low-sugar gelato<\/td>\n<td>Pistachio, sea-salt caramel<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Scoopy Ice Cream<\/td>\n<td>Nguyen Trai, Quan 1<\/td>\n<td>Alcohol-infused gelato<\/td>\n<td>Whiskey almond, sherry lady<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h2>Local voices<\/h2>\n<p>The evolution of dessert caf\u00e9s has also become a big talking point on social media.<\/p>\n<h3>Reactions from residents and travelers<\/h3>\n<p>About La Creme\u2019s Saigon pho flavored gelato, there are many posts on TripAdvisor along the lines of \u201cthe taste of pho turned straight into ice cream. It even reproduces the flavor of cilantro\u2014I was shocked\u201d (paraphrased).<\/p>\n<p>As for Sugar Daddy Eatery\u2019s nuoc mam gelato, \u201cAt first I recoiled, but once I ate it, it\u2019s close to salted caramel. The sweet-salty is addictive\u201d (paraphrased)\u2014people who take on the challenge and end up hooked keep appearing.<\/p>\n<p>About Rawberry, voices stand out like \u201cI heard it was plant-derived and had low expectations, but the texture is no different from ordinary cake. If anything, the light aftertaste is to my liking\u201d (paraphrased).<\/p>\n<h3>The food industry\u2019s perspective<\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/vietnam-gift.com\/en\/news\/pier-dessert-hcmc\/\">Ho Chi Minh City\u2019s Pier Dessert<\/a>created a buzz with the rarity of \u201creservation-only \u00d7 limited to 10 people,\u201d whereas the group of shops introduced this time is taking root as \u201cdessert caf\u00e9s for everyday use.\u201d Afrocado and Hoo Gelato in particular have been worked into expats\u2019 routines as a light dessert after lunch.<\/p>\n<h2>A guide for Japanese travelers<\/h2>\n<p>Caf\u00e9-hopping among Ho Chi Minh City\u2019s dessert caf\u00e9s has the advantage of being easy to slot in between meals. Since they\u2019re concentrated in the District 1 area, if you go La Creme \u2192 Afrocado \u2192 Sugar Daddy Eatery after lunch, three shops take about two hours.<\/p>\n<h3>A price comparison with Japan<\/h3>\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Menu<\/th>\n<th>Ho Chi Minh City price<\/th>\n<th>Reference price in Japan<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Gelato (double)<\/td>\n<td>65,000 &#8211; 85,000 VND\uff08\u7d04390 &#8211; 510\u5186\uff09<\/td>\n<td>500 &#8211; 800 yen<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Souffle pancake<\/td>\n<td>89,000 &#8211; 120,000 VND\uff08\u7d04530 &#8211; 720\u5186\uff09<\/td>\n<td>1,200 &#8211; 1,800 yen<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Plant-based cake<\/td>\n<td>75,000 &#8211; 95,000 VND\uff08\u7d04450 &#8211; 570\u5186\uff09<\/td>\n<td>800 &#8211; 1,200 yen<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>Compared with Japan, it\u2019s 30\u201350% cheaper. Souffle pancakes in particular are near half the price of famous Japanese shops, with quality that\u2019s no less.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/vietnam-gift.com\/en\/news\/danang-thirdwave-coffee\/\">Da Nang\u2019s third-wave coffee<\/a>Combining it, it\u2019s also fun to build a caf\u00e9-and-dessert route across south-central Vietnam.<\/p>\n<h2>Ripple effects on the industry<\/h2>\n<p>Ho Chi Minh City\u2019s dessert caf\u00e9 market is branching in three directions.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The gastronomy route of \u201chigh price \u00d7 reservation-only\u201d (like Pier Dessert)<\/li>\n<li>The healthy route of \u201ceveryday use \u00d7 health-oriented\u201d (Afrocado, Rawberry)<\/li>\n<li>The viral route of \u201csocial-media-photogenic \u00d7 surprising flavors\u201d (La Creme, Sugar Daddy)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>This branching closely resembles Tokyo\u2019s sweets market. Cases of Japanese patissiers expanding into Vietnam are also increasing, and Robin Mouquet\u2019s success\u2014as shown by the recognition of \u201cVietnam\u2019s best patissier\u201d (selected by Tatler 2025)\u2014means that a soil has formed in which skilled foreign patissiers are highly valued in Vietnam.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/vietnam-gift.com\/en\/news\/urban-brews-rmit\/\">Urban Brews RMIT branch<\/a>While university-campus caf\u00e9s like this capture the student market with \u201ccoffee + light meals,\u201d dessert-focused venues bring in a somewhat older age group (mid-20s to 40s) and expats.<\/p>\n<h2>Practical information table<\/h2>\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Shop name<\/th>\n<th>Address<\/th>\n<th>Hours<\/th>\n<th>Price range<\/th>\n<th>Access<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Afrocado<\/td>\n<td>31 Dinh Tien Hoang, Da Kao, Quan 1<\/td>\n<td>10:00 &#8211; 22:00<\/td>\n<td>55,000 &#8211; 85,000 VND<\/td>\n<td>5 minutes by Grab from Ben Thanh Market<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Sugar Daddy Eatery<\/td>\n<td>345\/29 Tran Hung Dao, Cau Kho, Quan 1<\/td>\n<td>10:00 &#8211; 22:00<\/td>\n<td>65,000 &#8211; 120,000 VND<\/td>\n<td>8 minutes on foot from Bui Vien Street<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>La Creme<\/td>\n<td>84 Pho Duc Chinh, Quan 1<\/td>\n<td>10:00 &#8211; 22:00<\/td>\n<td>55,000 &#8211; 80,000 VND<\/td>\n<td>10 minutes on foot from Ben Thanh Market<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Rawberry<\/td>\n<td>52 Do Quang, Thao Dien, Quan 2<\/td>\n<td>9:00 &#8211; 21:00<\/td>\n<td>75,000 &#8211; 120,000 VND<\/td>\n<td>Central Thao Dien, 15 minutes by Grab<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Robin Mouquet<\/td>\n<td>17 Le Duan, Quan 1<\/td>\n<td>8:00 &#8211; 20:00<\/td>\n<td>80,000 &#8211; 150,000 VND<\/td>\n<td>5 minutes on foot from the Independence Palace<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>BINGO Artisanal<\/td>\n<td>189Bis Bui Vien, Quan 1<\/td>\n<td>11:00 &#8211; 23:00<\/td>\n<td>45,000 &#8211; 75,000 VND<\/td>\n<td>Along Bui Vien Street<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Hoo Gelato<\/td>\n<td>47 Huynh Thuc Khang, Quan 1<\/td>\n<td>10:00 &#8211; 22:00<\/td>\n<td>50,000 &#8211; 75,000 VND<\/td>\n<td>8 minutes on foot from Ben Thanh Market<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Scoopy Ice Cream<\/td>\n<td>7\/12 Nguyen Trai, Quan 1<\/td>\n<td>12:00 &#8211; 22:00<\/td>\n<td>55,000 &#8211; 80,000 VND<\/td>\n<td>7 minutes on foot from Ben Thanh Market<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h2>Summary<\/h2>\n<p>Ho Chi Minh City\u2019s dessert caf\u00e9s have ended the era of merely \u201ccheap and sweet\u201d and entered a new stage where health orientation, plant-based, and overseas patissier techniques blend together. For Japanese travelers, it\u2019s a chance to experience quality equal to or better than Tokyo\u2019s sweets shops at near half the price. On your next trip to Ho Chi Minh City, work not just meals but dessert time into your plans.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u30db\u30fc\u30c1\u30df\u30f3\u306e\u30c7\u30b6\u30fc\u30c8\u30ab\u30d5\u30a7\u304c\u65b0\u3057\u3044\u30d5\u30a7\u30fc\u30ba\u306b\u5165\u3063\u305f\u3002\u65e5\u672c\u5f0f\u30b9\u30d5\u30ec\u30d1\u30f3\u30b1\u30fc\u30ad\u3092\u51fa\u3059\u300cSugar Daddy Ea [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"swell_btn_cv_data":"","ssp_meta_description":"\u30db\u30fc\u30c1\u30df\u30f3\u3067\u8a71\u984c\u306e\u30c7\u30b6\u30fc\u30c8\u30ab\u30d5\u30a78\u8ed2\u3092\u53b3\u9078\u3002Sugar Daddy\u306e\u30b9\u30d5\u30ec\u30d1\u30f3\u30b1\u30fc\u30ad\u3001Afrocado\u306e\u30b1\u30c8\u30b8\u30a7\u30e9\u30fc\u30c8\u3001Rawberry\u306e100%\u690d\u7269\u83d3\u5b50\u306a\u3069\u4f4f\u6240\u30fb\u4fa1\u683c\u3064\u304d\u3067\u7d39\u4ecb\u3002","ssp_meta_keyword":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17,426],"tags":[286,23,30],"purpose":[],"keyword":[],"location":[],"class_list":["post-2703","news","type-news","status-publish","hentry","category-cafe","category-gourmet","tag-286","tag-cafe","tag-hochiminh"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vietnam-gift.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/2703","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vietnam-gift.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vietnam-gift.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/news"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vietnam-gift.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vietnam-gift.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2703"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/vietnam-gift.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/2703\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4371,"href":"https:\/\/vietnam-gift.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/2703\/revisions\/4371"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vietnam-gift.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2703"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vietnam-gift.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2703"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vietnam-gift.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2703"},{"taxonomy":"purpose","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vietnam-gift.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/purpose?post=2703"},{"taxonomy":"keyword","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vietnam-gift.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/keyword?post=2703"},{"taxonomy":"location","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vietnam-gift.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/location?post=2703"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}