By Kim Ly & Brian Pham
DaVien is an independently-owned, small cafe located in the heart of Little Saigon. All of its items are either heavily influenced by or originate from Vietnam and other parts of Asia like South Korea and Japan. From sweet Korean shaved ice known as bingsoo to sweet and savory Japanese brick toast to creamy Vietnamese coffee, DaVien has something for everyone to enjoy.
Ube Coffee | $5.50
DaVien’s ube coffee is a perfect mix of bitter and sweet; those who enjoy darker coffee but are craving a bit of sugar will definitely enjoy this drink. Upon the first sip, you’re hit with the flavor of ube. The more you drink, the more the ube is mixed in with the coffee, and eventually, by the end of the drink, the main flavor is the coffee.
The coffee beans that DaVien uses are imported straight from Vietnam, giving the ube coffee (as well as their other coffees) its darker roast flavor. Overall, those with darker roast preferences will find the ube coffee a nice mix of sweet and bitter.
Durian Ice Cream Coffee | $6.95
The Durian Ice Cream Coffee is a Vietnamese iced coffee with a scoop of durian ice cream at the top. As mentioned before, the coffee beans used to make this drink are imported straight from Vietnam, giving it a strong coffee flavor.
The durian ice cream at the top is a nice sweet touch to the bitter coffee at the bottom. It’s both creamy and it also doesn’t have an overpowering taste.
The ice cream comes as a separate scoop on the top of the coffee rather than being blended in, which leaves it as an option to mix the ice cream in or eat it side by side with the coffee.
While this combination might seem weird at first it is a great twist on traditional Vietnamese coffee that is worth a try for any durian and Vietnamese coffee lover.
Caramel Flan Coffee | $6.50
Similar to DaVien’s ube and durian ice cream coffee, the caramel flan coffee is made using dark roast beans imported from the highlands of Vietnam. As a result, the coffee is quite bitter. The flan on top gives it a hint of sweetness, albeit, not much, but it provides a bit of contrast to the strong roast.
The foam makes it a bit lighter and airy, though, it doesn’t really change the flavor of the drink that much. Overall, this drink is best for those who enjoy bitter coffee but want to try something a bit more interesting and unique.
Cheese Salted Egg Toast | $8.00
The cheese salted egg toast is one out of two savory toasts on DaVien’s menu. It consists of pork floss, salted egg, cheese and butter. Despite it being one of the more “savory” toasts, there are hints of sweetness to it due to the cheese.
Furthermore, it has quite an interesting texture due to the pork floss being chewy whereas the toast is quite crunchy. It’s definitely not enough to be a whole meal, but for those who want a simple snack and aren’t interested in desserts, this toast is a perfect option.
Brown Sugar Boba Toast | $8.50
The brown sugar boba toast consists of half and half, brown sugar boba and a flan on top of perfectly crispy toast. This toast is perfect for those with a sweet tooth as it is extremely sweet.
The toast is soaked with a brown sugar syrup and is decorated with a mountain of half and half. The boba and flan come in a separate plastic cup on the side that allows you to assemble the toast yourself. The boba and flan by themselves aren’t that sweet, rather, it’s the toast that’s bringing the majority of the sugar to the dish; the more you eat, the more overloaded you are with sugar.
This toast is perfectly balanced out with one of their coffees which are all more bitter-leaning. For those who love sugary desserts, this toast would be perfect for your sweet tooth.
Mango Tango Toast | $8.50
The Mango Tango Toast is a perfectly crispy piece of toast with cream, mango and mango ice cream on the top.
If you’re looking for a dessert that’s not too sweet, then this is the toast is for you. The cream and ice cream at the top add a hint of sweetness rather than drenching the entire toast with sugar. In addition, the mangos are fresh and not overly sweet as well.
Whether you’re more of a sugary and sweet type of person or prefer something more on the bitter side, DaVien has a large selection of desserts and drinks that’ll satisfy all of your cravings.
In addition to all the desserts, DaVien has a nice modern aesthetic that is both calm and relaxing. The back of the store, which is decorated with some statues and leaves, is a great background for a quick picture while you wait for your food.
DaVien is open for dine-in, takeout and delivery from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Sundays through Thursday and from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
