Vietnamese Iced Coffee NZ: What It Is, Where to Get It, and How to Make It at Home

If you've ever had coffee in Vietnam, chances are it came over ice, sweet, dark, and impossibly smooth. That drink has a name: ca phe sua da. And if you've been searching for it in New Zealand, you've found the right place.

We're May Coffee Crew, New Zealand's first specialty Vietnamese coffee brand, and we've been bringing authentic ca phe sua da to Kiwis since 2024. Here's everything you need to know about Vietnamese iced coffee in NZ: what it is, why it tastes so different, where to find it, and how to make it yourself at home.

What is Vietnamese iced coffee (ca phe sua da)?

Ca phe sua da (pronounced "ca feh sua ya") literally translates to "iced milk coffee" in Vietnamese. It's made with strong, dark-roasted Robusta coffee brewed through a traditional Vietnamese phin filter, mixed with sweetened condensed milk, and poured over ice.

The result is something completely different to your standard iced latte. It's bold and intensely flavoured from the Robusta beans, sweet and silky from the condensed milk, and cold and refreshing over ice. The condensed milk isn't just for sweetness, it acts as a creamer too, giving the drink its signature thick, velvety texture.

It's been Vietnam's most-loved coffee drink for over a century, and it's finally having its moment in New Zealand.

Why does it taste so different to regular iced coffee?

Two reasons: the beans and the brewing method.

Most coffee in NZ is made with Arabica beans, lighter, more acidic, and fruity. Vietnamese coffee is traditionally made with Robusta, which has nearly double the caffeine, a bolder and more intense flavour, and a natural chocolatey bitterness that stands up perfectly to condensed milk and ice. Where Arabica can taste thin or watery over ice, Robusta holds its own.

The phin filter also plays a role. It brews slowly, producing a concentrated drip coffee with more body than espresso and none of the bitterness that comes from high-pressure extraction. The result is smooth, rich, and strong in all the right ways.

Where to buy Vietnamese iced coffee in NZ

Our award-winning Condensed Milk Iced Coffee, an NZ Artisan Awards winner, is available ready-to-drink in cans at over 30 stockists across Auckland and Wellington, including Farro Fresh, New World, PAK'nSAVE, and FreshChoice. Find your nearest store on our Stockists page.

Prefer to order online? We ship nationwide across New Zealand with free shipping on orders over $80.

How to make ca phe sua da at home

Making Vietnamese iced coffee at home is easier than you think. All you need is a Vietnamese phin filter, some 100% Robusta coffee, sweetened condensed milk, and ice.

What you need:

• 2 tablespoons of Buffalo Robusta, ground to a medium-fine grind
• 1 Vietnamese phin filter
• 2 to 3 tablespoons of sweetened condensed milk
• 100ml of hot water (just off the boil)
• A glass full of ice

How to make it:

1. Add condensed milk to the bottom of your glass and fill with ice.
2. Place the phin filter on top of the glass. Add your coffee grounds and press the filter insert down gently.
3. Pour a small amount of hot water over the grounds and wait 30 seconds to let the coffee bloom.
4. Fill the phin with the remaining hot water and place the lid on top.
5. Wait 4 to 5 minutes for the coffee to drip through slowly.
6. Once fully dripped, stir well and enjoy.

For a full step-by-step guide with tips on grind size and water temperature, check out our How to Brew Vietnamese Coffee with a Phin Filter guide.

Why Robusta makes the difference

Most ready-to-drink iced coffees in NZ use Arabica or a blend, which can taste watery or overly sweet once diluted over ice. Our Condensed Milk Iced Coffee is made with 100% Vietnamese Robusta, the same beans that have powered Vietnamese coffee culture for generations. It's bolder, smoother over ice, and has a natural depth of flavour that you simply can't replicate with Arabica.

Not ready to commit to a can? The Triplet Sampler lets you try Buffalo Robusta alongside our Honeymoon Blend and Sunshine Arabica, so you can taste the difference for yourself.

The NZ Vietnamese coffee scene

Vietnamese coffee culture is growing fast in New Zealand, driven largely by the Vietnamese diaspora community and Kiwis returning from holidays in Vietnam who can't find what they're looking for locally. May Coffee Crew was built to fix exactly that: a Kiwi-Vietnamese family business bringing direct-trade Vietnamese coffee to New Zealand without compromise.

If you're new to Vietnamese coffee, ca phe sua da is the perfect place to start. Grab a can from your local Farro Fresh or New World, or order online and have it delivered to your door.