THIS IS FOR MẸ: Coffee and Culture with Phin

In this Q&A with Phin founder, Bao Nguyen, Jess Boyd delves into the poetry, passion and proverbs behind the coffee shop that creates community and caffeinated comfort in Seattle’s Little Saigon. Find Phin online or on Instagram.

Inspired by Ocean’s Vuong’s letter to his mother in the New York Timesthis is for mẹ lives online as a borderless mailbox for Asian identified people to share stories rooted in mothers, motherhood, motherlands, mother-tongues and family.

What is your favourite Vietnamese proverb, and which Phin offering would it manifest as?

The proverb coming up today is: Cái nết đánh chết cái đẹp (sụbstance outshines appearance). This proverb would manifest as cà phê sữa.

It’s hard for me to imagine what would make this already perfect drink better besides improving the quality of the ingredients and techniques. Any superficial re-makes with fancy foams or colorful creams seem to only dilute the time-tested substance of ca phê sữa that generations have enjoyed and continue to enjoy. Don’t make it better, make it well!

If you could drink your cà phê sữa with anyone from Vietnamese history, who would it be and what would you want to speak to them about?

Bà Huyện Thanh Quan, real name Nguyễn Thị Hinh.

BHTQ’s famous poem Qua Đèo Ngang has been a beloved companion over the past few years during which I experienced similar instances of profound awe and longing for Viet Nam. During BHTQ’s life (1805 – 1848), the French colonial project in Vietnam solidified its roots and inevitable outcomes and I wonder what BHTQ thought of that. 

If you could serve up a book alongside soda sữa hột gà, what book would you pair it with and why?

At Phin we have a children’s book called Toad is the Uncle of Heaven by Jeanne M. Lee which recounts the Vietnamese folktale about how the lowly Toad came to control the rain after a long period of intense heat and drought.

The egg yolk in this drink represents the Sun, but it is also a super refreshing drink on a hot day! This drink is also based on my mom’s recipe from my childhood, when I also absorbed these folktales.

What’s your favourite piece of art or adornment that lives on the shelves at Phin?

Incense holder. I don’t know if it’s my “favorite” but it is certainly the object I interact with most. We have a bàn thờ where we cúng on a regular basis. To me, lighting incense is acknowledging the presence of the ethereal beings in our lives (gods, spirits, ancestors, etc.) and inviting them to be with us. We light incense at Phin to say that they are welcome to be here.

When you make coffee, which song most frequently plays in your head?

“Tháng Tư Là Lời Nói Dối Của Em” performed by Hà Anh Tuấn.

I’m clearly not alone in liking this hugely popular Vietnamese ballad. The grand orchestral background, the slow thumping bass, the beautiful lyrics, and the expert vocals all make this song a fine companion to phin brewing!

Which Vietnamese poem would you pair with the smell of fresh pandan?

“You bring out the Vietnamese in me” by Bao Phi.

This poem always gets me so pumped to be Viet. Fresh pandan waffles definitely bring out the Vietnamese in me!

When people come to Phin for the first time, what is the soundtrack that you want to accompany their experience?

“Fragile Beauty” by Nguyên Lê & Hương Thanh.

Nguyên Lê (Lê Thành Nguyên) is a Vietnamese French jazz musician and composer. Hương Thanh is a Vietnamese singer trained in the traditional style of cải lương.

This album blends together different musical traditions to create a product that is truly greater than the sum of its parts. As someone who grew up with both traditional Vietnamese music styles and those I encountered in the U.S., this soundtrack resonates with my multicultural experience and tastes in a way that’s hard to describe.

Phin is designed with similar intentions and aspirations. This coffee shop is our attempt at blending the old and the new without adulterating or diluting the best of what each has to offer.


Contributor’s Bio

Bao Nguyen was born and raised in Saigon before immigrating to Seattle, WA where he has lived since the mid-90s. Far from a trained writer, Bao instead plays around with words like a child experiments with Lego bricks. Every now and then, he manages to make something neat.

 

Jess Boyd (she/her) is a Vietnamese Jewish Londoner who parents, writes, edits and researches from Seattle. She hasn’t slept well in almost two years, and her drink of choice is Red Boat Fish Sauce. Jess is recovering from White feminism and learning to soften, love, parent and make home/community with pride. Jess speaks questionable Vietnamese, Thai, Isaan, Laotian, French and Spanish. Her bà ngoại thinks her Vietnamese accent is hilarious. Jess is the founder of this is for mẹ, a multimedia storytelling platform focused on motherhood, motherlands, mother-tongues and family

 

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