What is bac xiu?
Bac xiu is Saigon’s gentler answer to Vietnamese iced coffee: a drink where condensed milk takes the lead and coffee offers just a quiet suggestion of itself. Pale gold in color, sweet and creamy in taste, with only the faintest bitterness to remind you there’s coffee in the glass at all. Think of ca phe sua da as a bold jazz solo, and bac xiu as the same melody played softly on a rainy afternoon. Same soul, completely different feeling.
The story behind the name
Bac xiu is a phonetic adaptation from Cantonese, meaning “a little bit” or “just a small amount”, a direct nod to the tiny portion of coffee in each glass. The drink was born in Cholon, Saigon’s historic Chinatown district, among the Chinese-Vietnamese community who ran coffee shops through generations. They wanted the ritual of coffee: the warmth, the aroma, the morning pause, without the intensity that came with it.
Over time, bac xiu drifted out of Cholon’s shophouses and into the wider city. It became the drink of people who loved coffee but whose stomachs didn’t. Of mothers who wanted something warm but gentle. Of anyone who craved one more glass without the racing heart that came after.
Bac xiu isn’t a lesser version of coffee. It’s a different relationship with it entirely: intimate, unhurried, kind.
Bac xiu vs ca phe sua da: what’s the difference?
Both drinks use a phin drip filter and sweetened condensed milk. Both are deeply Saigonese. But the experience they deliver couldn’t be more different.
| Bac xiu | Ca phe sua da | |
|---|---|---|
| Dominant element | Mostly condensed milk | Mostly coffee |
| Color | Pale cream-gold | Deep brown |
| Taste | Sweet, milky, coffee as a whisper | Bold, rich, lightly bitter |
| Caffeine | Noticeably lower | Higher |
| Best for | Afternoons, sensitive stomachs, first-timers | Mornings, needing a jolt |
| Feeling | Gentle, comforting | Energizing, sharp |
At 7 Kafe, we serve both. And we sometimes say: choose ca phe sua da when you need the world to wait for you, choose bac xiu when you need to rest inside of it for a while.
How to make traditional bac xiu
Bac xiu requires no special equipment and no barista training. Only the right ratio and a willingness to slow down.
Ingredients (1 glass):
- 2–3 tablespoons ground coffee (for phin brewing)
- 3–4 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk
- Hot water (just off the boil)
- Ice cubes (for the iced version)
Steps:
- Add condensed milk to the glass first. This is the key move. Use more than you think you need. Bac xiu should be generous with the sweetness.
- Brew your phin: Add coffee grounds to the filter, press lightly, pour around 30ml of hot water to bloom, then fill to brew. Cover and wait 5–7 minutes.
- Let the coffee drip slowly into the milk. Watch the dark thread of coffee meet the pale milk. Stir gently when done.
- Add ice for the classic iced version, or drink it warm to appreciate the full fragrance of condensed milk and coffee together.
The secret is patience. Bac xiu is not a drink you rush. The slow drip of the phin is part of the ritual. The moment before the first sip is almost as good as the sip itself.
Variations worth knowing
Bac xiu has evolved with the city around it. Today you’ll find several expressions of the same gentle idea:
Bac xiu da is the classic iced version. Cold, refreshing, made for Saigon’s relentless heat. This is what most people mean when they order bac xiu.
Bac xiu nong is served hot, no ice. The condensed milk blooms in warmth and the coffee scent rises gently. Perfect for the rare cool morning or a slow evening indoors.
Bac xiu kem is a modern variation topped with a layer of lightly salted cream. The contrast between the sweet coffee milk below and the savory cream above makes each sip a small discovery.
Cold brew bac xiu uses cold-brewed coffee in place of the phin for a smoother, less acidic base. The ratio still favors milk, just with a silkier coffee foundation.
At 7 Kafe, we keep it traditional: a small aluminum phin, sweetened condensed milk, clear ice. No flourishes, no shortcuts. Because sometimes the most authentic version is also the best.
Bac xiu as a Saigon memory
Every city has a drink that carries its emotional memory. In Saigon, bac xiu is that drink for a quieter generation.
Picture a grandmother sitting on the front step of a narrow alley house, the city not yet awake, holding a glass of bac xiu still warm in her hands. Not ca phe den, not ca phe sua da. Bac xiu, because she wanted the morning ritual without the bitterness. Or two old friends at a corner table, each with a glass of iced bac xiu, talking about nothing important. Just present. Just there.
Bac xiu doesn’t demand a special occasion. It asks only that you sit down, take a breath, and let the city pass by for a few minutes. In a place as fast and loud as Saigon, that’s no small thing.
The city changes constantly. Old alleys give way to new towers, familiar shophouses become parking lots. But bac xiu remains. Sweet, pale, unhurried. A thread connecting the Saigon of memory to the Saigon of now.
Where to try bac xiu in Saigon
7 Kafe is tucked into a quiet corner of Binh Thanh district at 180/79 Nguyen Huu Canh, a neighborhood cafe shaped by the same slow-living philosophy that makes bac xiu worth drinking in the first place.
We brew bac xiu the traditional way: phin filter, condensed milk, time. No espresso machines, no shortcuts. Open daily from 7:00 AM to 10:00 PM.
Come in the morning to ease into the day. Come in the afternoon to pause in the middle of it. Come in the evening to let it go gently.
At 7 Kafe, time slows down, and so does the coffee.
Frequently asked questions about bac xiu
What is bac xiu?
Bac xiu is Saigon’s traditional milk-forward coffee drink where condensed milk takes center stage and coffee plays a supporting role. The name comes from Cantonese, meaning “a little bit”, referring to the small amount of coffee in the glass. It’s sweeter, creamier, and far gentler than standard Vietnamese iced coffee, making it ideal for people who want the ritual of coffee without the intensity.
What is the difference between bac xiu and ca phe sua da?
Ca phe sua da (Vietnamese iced coffee) is coffee-forward: strong, dark, and bold, with condensed milk to soften the bitterness. Bac xiu reverses the ratio entirely: mostly condensed milk with just a whisper of drip coffee for aroma and color. The result is lighter in color, sweeter in taste, and significantly lower in caffeine. Both are authentically Saigonese; they just speak different emotional languages.
Is bac xiu high in caffeine?
No. Bac xiu contains noticeably less caffeine than ca phe sua da because the coffee-to-milk ratio is reversed. This makes it a popular choice for people sensitive to caffeine, those who want to enjoy coffee in the afternoon without disrupting sleep, or anyone new to Vietnamese coffee who wants to start gently.
Can I make bac xiu at home?
Yes, and it’s straightforward. You need a phin filter, ground coffee, sweetened condensed milk, and hot water. The key is using more condensed milk than you would for ca phe sua da, roughly 3–4 tablespoons, and brewing a smaller amount of coffee. Let the phin drip slowly, stir gently, add ice, and you have bac xiu at home. The patience required is part of the recipe.