Foodie Friday: Coffees Across Asia
Celebrate Asian Pacific American Heritage Month 2025 with our calendar of live events, recommendations, and on-demand content!
Dive into cuisines and culinary traditions across Houston's Asian and Asian American communities! In our Foodie Fridays, Asia Society Texas' team shares favorite foods, traditions from diverse backgrounds, and more — stay hungry!
Meet Rayén Torres and Phuong Ha
Rayén Torres is the Guest Services Manager at Asia Society Texas. She moved from Argentina to Houston three years ago and fell in love with the Bayou City's vibrant diversity and cultural life. In her free time, she enjoys reading at cozy cafes, learning languages, and exploring foods and drinks from around the world.
Phuong Ha is the Associate Director of Education and Outreach at Asia Society Texas. She grew up in the Alief area and loves supporting local businesses. In her free time, she enjoys binge-reading romantic comedies at home, finding a nice cafe to write in, and occasionally baking sweet treats for loved ones.
Why we're focusing on Asian coffees
As colleagues and caffeine enthusiasts, we enjoy bonding over coffee runs and inspirational conversations about culture and community. In this opportunity, we want to share insights on some of our favorite coffee-related traditions. We invite you to learn about our recommendations and give some of the beverages a try!
Phuong: My mother has always half-joked that coffee runs through our blood. It's a half-joke because, as Vietnamese Americans, we take our coffee very seriously. I've woken up to the smell of coffee for as long as I can remember. Now that I'm older, I've come to appreciate the origins of Vietnamese coffee and how it brings people together. My interest in coffee has expanded to many other delicious Asian coffees. I frequently find myself taste-testing new drinks in local Houston cafes and trying new recipes regularly.
Rayén: I have a Lebanese background through my mother. Although my family didn't actively preserve the cultural heritage, food, drinks, and music represent a bridge to my ancestors for me. In Arab culture, coffee can be tied to hospitality. To me, coffee symbolizes the warmth and connection of a family gathering, a special moment with a friend, or a quiet encounter with myself.
I love trying all sorts of coffees. However, Arabic and Turkish are two of my favorites. I am a big enthusiast of intense flavors and a huge fan of cardamom! So, it's no wonder why Arabic coffee's spicy tones and bitterness appeal to my palate, as well as the strength of Turkish coffee. Both are different in flavor, roasting, grinding, preparation, and other elements like adding sugar or not, but both are fascinating in their own way. There are so many varieties of Arab coffee, so if you enjoy novelty like I do, you will never get bored!
What we're currently enjoying
Phuong: My latest discovery, and now one of my favorite beverages, is cà phê muối, a Vietnamese salt coffee. This coffee was created in 2010 in Hue, a historic city in central Vietnam, and has become trendy lately because of its unique flavor and the balance of sweetness and bitterness. I particularly like the sweet and salty combination. Here's just one recipe you can try at home!
Rayén: I always enjoy trying Arabic and Turkish coffee in restaurants or while traveling, and I recently discovered the beauty of brewing these coffees myself. I love the ritual of preparing the drink and using my rakweh (a long-handled pot). The YouTube channel Middle Eats has been very helpful in my journey of exploring the history and meaning of Middle Eastern coffees and learning how to prepare them on my own.
What we find ourselves returning to again and again
Phuong: I am always returning to cà phê sữa đa (Vietnamese iced coffee). Cà phê sữa đa is delicious, strong, and easy to make at home. What I love most about this beverage is that it's meant to be enjoyed slowly as the ice melts because the coffee flavor is so strong. You just need water, coffee grounds, and condensed milk to make your own Vietnamese iced coffee, and you can use a Vietnamese phin — the vessel to brew the coffee — which can be found in most local Asian markets. Many folks prefer dark, roasted coffee and chicory like Cafe Du Monde's. If you need a shortcut, you can try a frozen concentrate from Lee's Sandwiches from Costco.
Rayén: Turkish coffee is relatively quicker to compare than Arabic coffee, so it has become my go-to for a quick pick-me-up. I deeply enjoy its intense, bitter, earthy taste and thick texture. Phoenicia Foods has a recipe you can try at home!
Coffee shops and cafes that we're looking forward to visiting
Phuong: Houston has great Vietnamese cafe options. I am particularly eager to try Rang Coffee and The Artisan 360. Beyond Houston, I'm very curious about Vietnam's vibrant and growing cafe culture. Vietnam is home to thousands of cafes of different sizes and shapes, with plenty of aesthetic and trendy options to visit, from global brands to national independent coffee shops.
Rayén: As I am relatively new to Houston, I have been working on a bucket list of restaurants and cafes I wish to visit to try Turkish and Arabic coffees — including Mazajj Organic Yemeni Coffee, Qamaria Yemeni Coffee Co., La Pasha Lounge and Grill, and more! I'm also fascinated by how coffee culture continues to grow in the Middle East, creating a vibrant economy around it and leading to innovation by blending tradition with new trends.
Flavors and coffee experiences that excite us
Phuong: I am excited about the many coffee syrup options available nowadays. Many of them use familiar Vietnamese ingredients like pandan or even corn milk! Baristas are taking creative liberty to create accessible flavors and brand new drinks, and social media has also contributed to amplifying new trends and showcaisng diverse ways of enjoying and enhancing your coffee experience.
Rayén: I am excited about the variety of places in Houston where I can buy coffee beans and delicacies to pair with them. I am especially keen to try some beans and treats from The Golden Roastery. Something else that excites me about this coffee journey is continuing to learn about histories and traditions. Arabic coffee's history is rich and storied, with origins tracing to Ethiopia and later Yemen, eventually spreading across the Arab world. Culturally, coffee is a symbol of generosity — it's even recognized by UNESCO on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, highlighting its role in Arab societies.
Our wildcard recommendations
Phuong: Vietnamese coffee jelly! Thạch rau câu cà phê sữa is a refreshing, not-too-sweet agar jelly dessert.
Rayén: There are so many great options that it is very hard to recommend a place. There are also so many coffee bean varieties and preparations, so I encourage exploring with curiosity! Experiencing different types of Middle Eastern coffees is a whole adventure. My strongest recommendation is to try preparing it yourself. Preparation is an amazing ritual and process, and you will enjoy it so much more after dedicating time to it.
About APAH Month at Asia Society Texas
Beginning in 2021, Asia Society Texas has celebrated Asian Pacific American Heritage Month with the Houston community and beyond through a curated calendar of events for 31 ways to celebrate over the 31 days of May. Spotlighting the traditions, talents, and contributions of Asians and Asian Americans, the calendar highlights the month's key Asia Society programming, providing a platform to showcase local artists, performers, educators, and leaders who contribute to the vibrant, multicultural tapestry of Houston while also featuring staff recommendations for our favorite music, books, movies, and more by Asian and Asian American creatives.
At Asia Society Texas, APAH Month is an opportunity to celebrate and honor Asians and Asian Americans and to uplift their stories to a broader audience as part of our goal to inspire our larger community to better understand one another through culture, conversation, and connection. For information about sponsoring APAH Month and other projects like this one, please contact Saleena Jafry at [email protected] or 713.496.9939.
Presenting Sponsor of APAH Month at Asia Society Texas
Sponsors of APAH Month
Comcast
CITGO
APAH Month 2025 Calendar
Digital Calendar Interactive/Printable PDF
Past APAH Month Calendars
2024: Highlights | Details
2023: Highlights | Details
2022: Highlights | Details
2021: Details
About Asia Society Texas
Asia Society Texas believes in the strength and beauty of diverse perspectives and people. As an educational institution, we advance cultural exchange by celebrating the vibrant diversity of Asia, inspiring empathy, and fostering a better understanding of our interconnected world. Spanning the fields of arts, business, culture, education, and policy, our programming is rooted in the educational and cultural development of our community — trusting in the power of art, dialogue, and ideas to combat bias and build a more inclusive society.
