Hanoi is, as I've already mentioned, an utterly charming city, and one of these many charms is it's rich cafe culture. I'm not talking about the (often lovely) kind of cafe aimed towards foreign tourists; but rather the countless unfussy establishments that cater to the local's seemingly unquenchable thirst for coffee and tea, both hot and cold.

I've been hugely enjoying this cafe culture over the past week, especially when with my great friend Karin, who was also in Hanoi until just the other day. The cafes we've been frequenting are not the sort of places to linger on one's own with a book or a newspaper, but they are perfect for a quick drink and chat with a buddy.

One particular joint Karin and I went to several times was a rather characterful place near the apartment where we were staying. This area, far away from the touristy centre, was nonetheless full of great eateries, and at midday the streets were full and bustling with office workers on their lunch break. Karin and I would often come to this area for a breakfast bowl of pho or bun, followed by a glass of this cafe's excellent coffee - black for Karin, white for me.

I actually don't usually drink coffee, but the way there serve it here in Vietnam, ice-cold and with a generous dollop of sweet condensed milk, turns it closer to chocolate milk-shake than espresso - which, luckily, suits me all the better.

104 Ngoc Khanh
Ba Dinh district
Hanoi