Cafe Bobo

Cafe Bobo is a Vietnamese cafe located in the San Antonio district of Oakland.

They serve cafe de, which is a dark roasted Vietnamese coffee that is drip brewed. They also serve cafe sue, which is cafe de that is poured on top of sweetened condensed milk. The sweetened condensed milk softens the strong bitter flavor associated with dark roasted coffees without reducing the kick of energy associated with the high caffeine content in Vietnamese style coffee drinks. Coffee drinks can be served da, which is Vietnamese for iced, or nong, which is the Vietnamese word for hot.

Both ways are delicious, and will give you the boost you need to get through the day. Cafe sue da is the most popular Vietnamese coffee drink. The condensed milk and coffee are added to a glass before being carefully stirred together. This ensure that the sweetened condensed milk is completely dissolved. Ice is then added to the cup before it is shaken to cool and blend the beverage.

Coffee is deeply engraved in the daily lives of people who reside in Vietnam. It is common to see people of all ages spending large portions of their day at coffee houses having conversations or playing games with friends, family, and neighbors. Cafe Bobo brings the cultural authenticity of the Vietnamese cafe to East Oakland. On a weekend morning, it is not unusual to see locals hanging out with each other both inside of the coffee shop, and out front. The inside is clean and dimly lit, with plenty of tables for studying, working, or hanging out with a group of friends. There is an abundance of live plants in the building, as well as lovely Asian artwork. They also have a television that is usually playing music videos at a low volume.

Street parking is free and generally easy to find in this area. Cafe Bobo does not accept credit cards. If you forget to grab cash ahead of time, there is an ATM at El Valle Carniceria & Fruteria right across the street.