Vietnamese coffee culture comes to Des Moines

How it started: Co-owner Jennifer Ly said she and her aunt, Kiera Nguyen, wanted to re-create the outdoor cafe culture common in Saigon, where locals sit outside and take in the city, Ly tells Axios.

State of play: Saigon Day imports its coffee beans directly from Vietnam, and uses robusta beans, which produce a stronger, more intense flavor than beans typically used in American or European coffee.

• Instead of cream and sugar, Vietnamese coffee is sweetened with condensed milk, giving it a caramel-like sweetness and creaminess, Ly said.
• Coffee is brewed through a drip filter called a phin.

The menu: Drinks include cà phê sữa đá, a classic Vietnamese coffee, as well as variations of it, like a banana cream or ube ($6.50).

• They also have milk and fruit teas ($6.50), and matcha lattes ($7.50), including a creme brulee and strawberry variations.
• Pastries and cookies are handmade by the pair, including an ube cloud bun ($5) and cream cheese rangoon pastries.

If you go: 9am-7pm Friday-Monday, and 9am-5pm Tuesday and Thursday. Closed Wednesdays.

• 8421 University Blvd., Suite E, Clive