Trung Nguyen E-Coffee

Since 1996, Trung Nguyen has cemented itself as one of Vietnam’s leading coffee brands, initially selling coffee beans and grounds that have become staples at Vietnamese grocery stores – and top picks for making the country’s famously strong Cafe Sua Da coffee at home. In late 2023, the first two U.S. Trung Nguyen coffee shops opened almost simultaneously in Orange County: a simpler shop called Trung Nguyen E-Coffee materialized in Santa Ana next to Hue Kitchen, while a somewhat more deluxe version called Trung Nguyen Legend arrived in Westminster.

Trung Nguyen E-Coffee is part of a “zero-fee franchise” initiative from the coffee company, designed to quickly spread thousands of Trung Nguyen shops across Vietnam and elsewhere. As compared with the Legend location, which offers elaborate tableside brewing of multiple tiers of high-end Vietnamese coffee, the E-Coffee shop’s menu focuses on several sorts of drinks – classic espressos, phin drips, specialty coffees topped with flavored creams, specialty lattes mixed with milk, and a handful of teas. (Patrons can also access small cups of complimentary water and iced tea at the ordering counter.) Sets of two hot buttered Banh Mi Que mini-sandwiches with pork are also available, delicious, and discounted if ordered with coffee.