A taste of the Central Highlands

      Visitors and locals in Ho Chi Minh City can now get a flavor for the Central Highlands without ever leaving the city.
The Siu Black Café, located near the city’s Tan Son Nhat International Airport, is owned and operated by the vivacious female singer of the same name.
Black, a renowned staple of the local entertainment scene for the past 20 years, is known for her powerful voice and distinctive performing style. The 41-year-old singer has also acted in several films and served as a judge on Vietnam Idol for the past two seasons.
From the décor to the staff, the Siu Black Café, located at 23 Cuu Long Street, Tan Binh District, features a Central Highlands style. The employees are mainly Bana ethnic people and wear traditional costumes. Most are from Pleitonghia Village in Daklak Province where Black grew up.
The café is spacious and features an outdoor seating area. A patio is adorned with a system of water wheels and wooden statues of people. The indoor area displays several masks, gongs, shields and costumes of different ethnic groups.
Customers can sip coffee and may even be treated to a story from Black herself about a collection of items in the café from the K’ho, Ede and Bana ethnic communities.
Aside from the Highlands ambience, a range of delicious beverages are also available at Siu Black Café. Strong black coffee is one fixture on the menu, made from locally roasted beans and perfect for caffeine addicts who enjoy a strong brew.
Another drink is Konreng, a traditional drink of the ethnic Highlanders. The main ingredient is the juice of rung sau (a type of fruit). Black says rung sau trees grow naturally in her village and people throughout the Central Highlands now grow it around their houses. The fruit itself has an acrid taste, but once mixed with the juice of other fruit, the beverage takes on a unique, delicious flavor.
Black says that in the near future she also will begin holding ‘music nights’ featuring live performances at the café.