Four entries
The alley, the yellow room, the egg-coffee ritual, and the people-watching balcony — written from the usual seat.
Nº 1 The 119/5 alley
The 119/5 Yersin alley is so narrow you'd almost walk past it — that's part of the game. Turn in, climb the narrow stairs to the 2nd floor, and the door opens. No loud signage, no flashy facade: just the smell of egg coffee leading the way.
Nº 2 The yellow room
Yellow-painted walls, low wooden stools, warm lamplight. On the walls: wartime black-and-white photos and pottery — a miniature Hanoi in the middle of Saigon. At the back, a quiet reading nook on the mezzanine, for afternoons meant to linger.
Nº 3 The egg-coffee ritual
The egg coffee here is praised as "properly northern": silky whipped egg cream, just sweet enough, no eggy smell. The hot cup arrives nested in a bowl of warm water — stir the cream in before drinking. Beside it, crisp little sugar cookies baked from the leftover egg whites after the yolks are separated — a touch only Little HaNoi has.
Nº 4 The people-watching balcony
The best seat in the house: the balcony looking down over the alley and the street. Sit here with a hot egg coffee and watch Saigon move below — it's why people come back, and why this journal is written from the balcony.