REVIEW | At Georgetown's Voi Cà Phê, Black Garlic Belongs in a Latte

Seattle has always been at the forefront of what's novel in the world of caffeinated morning beverages. But one of these "trends" is less trendy and more of a movement by café owners to share the non-Western coffee cultures they grew up in.

Along Georgetown's main drag, Voi Cà Phê sits at the corner of Airport Way and 13th Avenue. It's a small walk-up window without indoor seating, but there are public benches where people can enjoy their coffee and bánh mì.

The Vietnamese café opened in 2022, founded by the husband-and-wife duo Khôi Phùng and Hiền Đặng. Đặng's mom is the head chef.

"I was a barista at an independent Seattle coffee shop for a number of years," Đặng said. "I realized that there wasn't a lot of Asian coffee representation at that coffee shop."

Growing up, Đặng's family ran a small café off Martin Luther King Jr. Way where they offered coffee and bánh mì made by her mom, just like they do now at Voi Cà Phê. Her husband's family also ran a café in Saigon, where he grew up. His family still owns a coffee farm.

"It grows at lower elevation than the standard arabica bean that you see everywhere in the U.S.," said Đặng, explaining the nuance of the Vietnamese coffee bean. "It also grows in hotter climates and is more exposed to pests. Because of that, the plant has evolved to have more caffeine."