HO CHI MINH CITY | The Cocoa Project is a bean to bar chocolatier and cafe that opened in March this year, and has been building a word of mouth reputation amongst Ho Chi Minh City’s chocolate lovers as the place to go for the good stuff.
The Cocoa Project was co-founded by ex management consultant Khanh-Linh Lê, who gave up the day job to follow her passion for chocolate. Khanh-Linh moved to Vietnam from France, to combine her Parisian upbringing and Vietnamese heritage, and create chocolate that’s uniquely Vietnamese.
Unlike other Vietnamese chocolate brands, the Cocoa Project is about creating a culture of chocolate appreciation in Vietnam, and is tailored towards Vietnamese people in Vietnam. It’s about changing the conversation, and showing locals that high quality chocolate can be accessible, and 100% Vietnamese. That’s not to say that visitors aren’t welcome too! I spent some time chatting with Khanh-Linh while at the Coco Project, and her passion and joy with what she’s trying to achieve with the Cocoa Project shines through.
Vietnam is home to several regions that are perfect for growing cocoa beans, with the unique terroir of each region leading to distinctive flavours. The chocolate here is about more than just infusing local flavours and ingredients, and the result is delicious. I’m particularly fond of the Bên Tre 81% dark chocolate and roasted coconut bar. Aussies, think next level Coconut Rough.
Along with the bar and truffle range, the cafe also offers a range of chocolate and coffee drinks, cakes and snacks. The signature classic dark chocolate (iced or hot) is fantastic, as is the almond chocolate mousse cake, and the salted 60 day chocolate chip cookie.
The Cocoa Project
143 Nguyen Dinh Chieu Street
District 3
Ho Chi Minh City
Vietnam
Telephone: +84 2838 299 188
E-mail: [email protected]
Website
Open
Mon – Fri: 7:00am to 8:00pm
Sat – Sun: 8:00am to 8:00pm