Lee H.
Google
Update: I’ve been living in Đà Lạt for 9 months now, and there are a few places that have become regular haunts for me. Two of them stand out, and one of them is One More Cafe. Here’s why:
1. The food. Despite the best will in the world, you can only go ‘native’ and eat local food a certain number of times a week (“pho with vo” is my favourite breakfast); every now and then your body and brain crave foods we grew up with as children. That sense of familiarity, that sense of understood geography of the taste buds; the psychological warmth of ‘home’ as we understood it.
2. The music on the playlist. Not doof-doof, not intrusive, not Western songs voiced by VN men and women, not spineless muzak designed to appeal to those who want their music bland and unobtrusive. No, the music at OMC is music from the West, the music we grew up with, the music that inspires so many memories that it is like being kissed by your flame for the first time, over and over again.
3. The seating. No little red plastic stools that test the very limits of your knees. Instead, comfortable chairs you can relax into and exhale with ease and release. The sort of chairs your grandparents could afford but your parents never could.
4. The staff. Wonderful, smart, funny students who genuinely love being helpful. Ask them questions, they will be ever so happy to tell you about their country and life. They never intrude, but they never forget a face either. Respect goes a long way, and a smile is the quickest way to generate it.
5. Lorelle. The owner. As a professional people-watcher, I delight in watching Lorelle move about her day. Her staff hang on her every word, not out of fear but out of respect and desire to inhale her loveliness. She sits quietly at her table, staring into her laptop, but if a guest catches her eye—perhaps looking confused—she will go over and chat. This is absabloodylutely not ‘performative conversation’, it is relational. You want performative interactions? Go to HCMC or Nha Trang—you are a wallet on legs there. But here, in OMC and in Đà Lạt generally, you are welcome as a newcomer and potential friend. Want a tangible example of her magic? Every Christmas Lorelle hosts a Christmas dinner for the team, and this year I was blessed to be Santa. Every one of the team here were singing, dancing, laughing, cracking jokes, being happy (a Đà Lạt speciality). Such a wonderful vibe—and each year they put on a ‘thing’ where they perform as a team. The love and joy in that room has to be experienced to be believed. She has steadfastly built and shaped that culture. Brava.
6. Pookie, the Killer Attack Dog. The Most Magnificent Marketing Machine I have ever met. She WILL break your heart when it is time for you to leave, guaranteed. Every new friend at OMC thinks Pookie is there to entertain us. We regulars know that we are there to entertain Pookie.
Does Lorelle pay me to write all this? No.
Do I get free food or drink? Also, no.
Would I accept it if it were offered. Also, no.
*******
For *this* expat at least, OMC is an oasis and a "welcome home." Fabulous food with an ever-changing Specials board, wonderful staff who go out of their way to welcome you and make you feel special. A wonderful owner, Lorelle, who understands what life can be like for a foreigner—sometimes you just need to see a face that reminds you of your own country, even as you fall deeper and deeper in love with the Vietnamese and their country.
And then there's Pookie. Pookie tells me she is a 'killer attack dog', but everyone treats her like the gorgeous minature poodle she is. She loves nothing more than cuddling up on your lap and falling asleep. She will break your heart, trust me :)
