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<\/p>\nThe Vietnamese robusta coffee bean, a more-caffeinated cousin of the ubiquitous arabica bean, features heavily in Say Coffee House\u2019s beverage program.<\/p>\n
The new coffee house soft opens today, aiming to bring Vietnamese coffee culture and style to the Grand Central District of St. Petersburg. The shop will import 100% robusta beans from Vietnam.<\/p>\n
Say offers \u201ctraditional Vietnamese brewing methods, but with a modern twist,\u201d owner Haley Huynh said by phone Tuesday.<\/p>\n
In Vietnamese, \u201csay\u201d means to be drunk, or to have drunk too much caffeine or had too much coffee, she said.<\/p>\n
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The shop\u2019s focus is on the slow phin method of brewing coffee, which involves ground coffee dripped through a metal phin filter, creating a concentrated brew with a bold taste. The aluminum drip brewer used with this method is most associated with Vietnamese iced coffee that\u2019s typically served with condensed milk.<\/p>\n
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The coffee house serves an assortment of coffee, matcha and tea drinks topped with cold foams like egg, ube and banana cream. The shop has an espresso machine to make lattes and other Western coffee staples, too, and offers items like the Marble Drip with condensed milk, espresso and milk.<\/p>\n
Look for items like Matcha Einspanner (sweet cream foam), Egg Cream Coffee and Salted Cream Honey Green Tea on the menu.<\/p>\n
After making trips to Saigon in Vietnam and noticing the growth of the vibrant coffee culture there, Huynh and her business partner Huy Howanted to bring that cafe culture to St. Petersburg, she said.<\/p>\n
Huynh also owns a boba shop in Pinellas Park called Sip Tea Boba.<\/p>\n
Huynh said that in Vietnam people like to sit outside at coffee shops, in an open environment in low-slung chairs where they can chat or work \u2014 and \u201cthat\u2019s exactly what we\u2019re bringing here.\u201d<\/p>\n
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2414 Central Ave., St. Petersburg. @saycoffeehouse<\/a>.<\/p>\n We\u2019d love to know where you go for Vietnamese coffee. Tell us in the comments.<\/p>\n \u2022 \u2022 \u2022<\/p>\n Meet the Food Hub<\/a>, a team of Times journalists dedicated to covering Tampa Bay\u2019s dining scene. You can support our work through our journalism fund<\/a>.<\/p>\n Want food news weekly in your inbox? Sign up for our newsletter<\/a>.<\/p>\n Top 50 Restaurants: Check out our food critic\u2019s list<\/a> of the area\u2019s best spots.<\/p>\n Follow our updates on the local restaurant landscape on Instagram at @tampabaytimesfood<\/a>.<\/p>\n