Cà phê Đỗ-Phủ, cơm tấm Đại-Hàn

Cà phê Đỗ-Phủ, cơm tấm Đại-Hàn is a heritage café on Đặng Dung, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City. The venue occupies a two-story wooden townhouse dating back to the 1940s. During the Vietnam War, the building functioned as a secret base for Saigon Ranger commandos. Hero of the Armed Forces Trần Văn Lai oversaw the covert courier network from this address.

The kitchen prepares classic Saigon broken rice with grilled pork chops, egg meatloaf, and shredded pork skin. Plates accompany house kimchi, reflecting the culinary habits of Korean troops who frequented the shop in the 1960s. The beverage counter brews traditional cloth-filter coffee with sweetened condensed milk and French Bretel butter. Staff also serve fried dough crullers alongside hot glasses of drip coffee.

Trần Vũ Bình, the founder’s son, restored the interior to preserve its revolutionary history. Visitors view vintage wooden furniture, antique rotary phones, and period propaganda materials throughout the rooms. Upstairs floorboards and closets conceal original trapdoors and secret escape tunnels. These hidden architectural compartments protected couriers, wartime currency, and classified messages.

The café operates as both an everyday dining spot and an official historical stop. Wooden tables fill the ground level, while steep stairs lead up to the museum space. The building sits on a quiet street north of Tân Định Market. Guests experience preserved mid-century southern Vietnamese architecture during their meal.