Sip Café, a new Vietnamese shop specializing in coffee and banh mi, just opened in City Square Shopping Center. The café features classic Vietnamese flavors in its sandwiches and drinks, but also incorporates several unique options, according to business owner Anh Dang.
“I wanted to be a little different,” she says. “We’re going to expand on Vietnamese cuisine and want to incorporate other flavors you normally wouldn’t find in other Vietnamese restaurants.”
The coffee menu includes lattes in flavors like crème brulee, tiramisu and egg cream. Dang encourages customers to try the latter, which is topped with egg foam and cocoa powder.
“We’re specializing in Vietnamese coffee; it’s a very strong, robust coffee,” Dang says. “One of our specialties is the egg cream latte. The foam is made of egg yolks; it’s like a custard cream.
“You can find it all over Vietnam,” she adds. “It’s getting pretty popular on the Mainland too, but not here (in Hawaiʻi) yet.”
The café’s matcha is ceremonial-grade and is sourced from Japan, according to Dang. Choose from drinks like matcha lattes and hojicha lattes ($6-$7 each), along with tiramisu hojicha lattes ($6.50-$7.50) and matcha Einspanner ($6.50-$7.50).
The café’s matcha Einspanner is expected to be a customer favorite, according to Dang, who says it comes topped with the café’s housemade vanilla sweet cream.
The café also serves fresh pastries, like chocolate chip and blueberry scones ($3 to $6, depending on the item).
Banh mi sandwiches feature toasted baguettes with a variety of fillings, including fresh cilantro, mayo and crisp, pickled veggies.
Classic banh mi sandwiches include the roast pork ($13) and the Saigon Classic ($13). The latter features Vietnamese cold cuts, pork floss, pate and mayo.
Unique banh mi sandwiches include the pastrami ($13) and pho dip ($17). The latter is a meaty option that comprises braised beef brisket and is paired with a savory pho broth for dipping.
CONTACT
Sip Café
1199 Dillingham Blvd. Ste. C104, Honolulu
Instagram: @sipcafehnl
Open 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesdays to Sundays, closed Mondays
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Kelli Shiroma Braiotta can be reached at kelli@alohastatedaily.com.
