Case 01
A Vietnamese professional living in Tanjong Pagar, visiting for the first time after seeing a TikTok reel.
Challenge
She had tried three Vietnamese cafes in Singapore and found all of them using espresso machines with Vietnamese-branded syrup — nothing tasted like the ca phe sua da she grew up with in Ho Chi Minh City.
Approach
She reserved a corner table for a Saturday afternoon, ordered a cà phê sữa đá and a bánh mì, and asked the counter staff to adjust the condensed milk ratio to her preference.
Outcome
She became a weekly regular within a month, and brought her mother on the next visit — describing it as 'the first cup in Singapore that tasted like it was made for me, not for throughput'.
Case 02
A Singapore-born coffee drinker from Tiong Bahru, drawn in by Instagram photography of the cafe interior.
Challenge
He was curious about Vietnamese coffee culture but felt self-conscious ordering in a space that felt like it was only for the Vietnamese diaspora — he wanted to feel initiated, not like a tourist.
Approach
The counter staff walked him through the phin process unprompted, explained the robusta origin, and suggested starting with a cà phê sữa đá before moving to a black phin on his next visit.
Outcome
He left a five-star review noting the 'quiet room and zero pressure' and returned the following week with two colleagues from his office in the CBD.
Case 03
A small Vietnamese cultural association in Singapore organising a Tet gathering for 15 members.
Challenge
They needed a venue that felt authentically Vietnamese — not a hotel function room or a chain cafe with a Vietnamese menu bolted on — for a two-hour afternoon gathering with food and coffee.
Approach
Cafe Góc Phố arranged a whole-cafe private booking with a curated set menu of phin coffee, a tasting flight of two robusta origins, and a bánh mì and street dessert spread prepared in advance.
Outcome
The event ran to time, every guest received a phin-brewed cup made individually, and the association booked a second gathering for the following quarter.