Shilla Monogram Da Nang Coffee Class ☕️ Review

The coffee class at Shilla Monogram Da Nang is an experience program held at the resort's activity studio. You can personally learn about the origin and brewing methods of local Vietnamese coffee. ☕️

The main highlights include coffee brewing using Vietnam's traditional Phin filter, plus a hands-on experience making popular local coffees like egg coffee, salt coffee, and coconut coffee. The price is 250,000 VND per person (about 13,000 KRW), and advance booking at least 24 hours ahead is recommended for smooth operation. The venue is either the resort's activity studio or Bistro M restaurant.

In the coffee class, I learned about the types and processing methods of Vietnamese coffee, from the origin region of the beans. There were three types of beans prepared in total, centered around the rich and nutty Robusta, along with the smooth and mild Arabica, and several cups along with the traditional Vietnamese phin filter were set up, so it was easy to learn. The class was conducted in English, but the experience itself wasn't difficult, and the kind explanations made it easy to follow along.

I usually like a nutty, non-sour flavor, so I really liked the Robusta aroma — while people who enjoy coffee with more acidity seemed to prefer Arabica more. The brewing process is also super easy! Just put a spoonful of coffee grounds into the coffee pin and pour hot water over it — that's it! Just wait a little while for the delicious coffee to drip down~

I made Vietnamese iced coffee with condensed milk (Cafe Sua Da) using freshly brewed coffee. It's a combination of strong coffee and sweet condensed milk, and Cafe Sua Da will be familiar since it's a coffee you drink a lot while traveling in Da Nang. Controlling the amount of condensed milk is important! If you add too much, the sweetness becomes too strong and ruins the coffee flavor, so adjust it to just the right amount, then pour in the coffee brewed with a phin filter and it's done. I stirred it well until the condensed milk settled at the bottom fully dissolved, then added ice to make a cool iced Cafe Sua Da, and when the strong coffee met the sweet condensed milk, it was truly delicious😋

And one more thing! If you shake up the Americano really well, it gets foamy — and coffee with that foam tastes richer and goes down smoother than a regular Americano, almost like sipping a premium coffee. Kind of like the Aerocano that came out recently! If you're someone who brews coffee at home, try shaking it up to make yourself a creamy Americano ^^

In summary, since what I learned were the basics—Americano and condensed milk coffee—it felt a bit lacking in specialness. I think it would be much better if unique experiences that you can only learn in Vietnam, like egg coffee, salt coffee, or coconut coffee, were added. The basics are fine, but experiences with a strong local flavor would leave a much more lasting impression 😁