Vietnamese Cafe Em Coffee House Opens in Mira Mesa | Eater San Diego

"Opening Monday, November 18, this new cafe in the Mesa Town Center complex in Mira Mesa was conceived by Nick Truong, who also runs multiple San Diego outposts of bubble tea chain Ding Tea. Born in Vietnam and raised in the U.S., Truong and his wife Li, who frequent cafes together during their trips back to Vietnam, named the shop after a term of endearment in Vietnamese. Using coffee and espresso beans sourced from Vietnam exclusively, the menu includes classic beverages like cà phê sữa đá (Vietnamese iced coffee) and bạc xỉu (which has a higher proportion of milk); the coffee, brewed in a phin filter, is also the basis for creations such as the Trufflemisu—topped with a ladyfinger and white chocolate truffle cream—the CocoUbe made with coconut ube cream and toasted coconut, and the Tropical Tonic that mixes espresso, tonic water, and fresh fruit. It will also offer matcha and milk tea drinks, flights featuring smaller tasters of signature concoctions, and pastries and other desserts like mochi waffles. Truong, who is already planning to open a second location as part of Zion Market’s redevelopment in Kearny Mesa, tells Eater that he is looking to expand the cafe to other areas in San Diego including UTC, Fashion Valley, and Mission Valley." - Candice Woo