Hanoi people favour new cafe model: Coffee fields

The cafe shop is built with palm leaf-roofed huts located on a rice field, about 1,800 m2 wide in the middle of the fields of Chuong My district.

Ms. Tram Anh, the owner, said she was impressed with the cafe model in the middle of rice fields in Hoi An, Can Tho. After cycling with her friends to Tram Mountain, Chuong My district, seeing the sunset shining bright red on the golden rice fields, Ms. Tram Anh has decided to open a cafe shop here.

"Life in the capital is too fast and bustling. So I want to create a place for people to relax and breathe in the scent of the countryside," the shop owner said.

From the beginning of June until now, every day the cafe shop attracts about 100 customers, and on weekends up to 400-500 customers come to enjoy coffee and admire the harvest countryside.

Carrying painting tools, Minh Anh, a 25-years-old girl, traveled more than 20 km from Ba Dinh district just to sit and draw in the middle of the field. The girl said this was the first time she smelled ripe rice and was lucky enough to witness farmers harvesting.

"I have sat here drawing for more than 5 hours from afternoon until sunset. The view was so beautiful that I didn't want to leave," Minh Anh said.

Nguyen Thanh Trung (black shirt), 24 years old, in Chuong My district, Hanoi chose to sit in the corner to admire the whole field. Visiting the shop a few times, Trung said he felt healed when sitting and confiding with friends in this peaceful space.

"My house is more than 10km from the shop. I'm familiar with the countryside, but I have never thought there would be a place to drink coffee in the middle of a field like this," said the 24-year-old man.

Mrs. Le Thuy Oanh, in Ha Dong district, and her two grandchildren visited the rice field coffee on the weekend. She said this is a place  where she wants her children to experience during their summer vacation, breathing fresh air in the countryside.

Mrs. Oanh's granddaughter was excited when she saw the rice being harvested for the first time. “The grandchildren also bought some rice flowers to bring home to decorate. Coming here, the children can also experience finding crabs, catching snails, and flying kites with the villagers," she said.

A group of customers cycled from inner Hanoi to the cafe to rest and take souvenir photos. "Before, in Chuong My, we only went to explore Tram Mountain, but now we have a new place to stay, where we can have drinks and enjoy the beautiful scenery," one person in the group shared.

After harvesting, part of the rice is sold to customers as souvenirs, and the rest is brought home for threshing.

According to the owner, for customers who miss the ripe rice season, they can come during the flood season, when sowing rice seedlings and young rice. "The space at night is decorated with sparkling lights, and sometimes there is music, which also attracts customers to stay," the owner said.