Soda sữa hột gà

By Naomi Bishop, Seattle Refined

The old saying about New York’s classic beverage, the egg cream, is that it contains neither egg nor cream. The Vietnamese drink soda sữa hột gà is what you might actually think an egg cream would be, if you didn’t grow up on the chocolate syrup, milk, and soda water concoction of New York.

Ben Thanh makes a mean soda sữa hột gà, a non-alcoholic beverage that’s the perfect pair for pho. (Image: Naomi Bishop / Seattle Refined)

Seattle’s a pho town. Everyone has their favorite spot for a bowl of hot noodle soup, and everyone has their favorite selection of meats and condiments to add in, but does anyone have a favorite beverage to pair with it? The soda sữa hột gà is ready to stake a claim to that role.

In soda sữa hột gà, egg yolk is beaten with condensed milk until fluffy, then topped off with soda water. It’s a cool, refreshing drink with a funky, savory edge to it. The richness of the egg yolk mixed with the sweet milk gives it the texture of a custard, which is then loosened up by the bubbles of the soda water. The soda also cuts through the thickness of the egg and milk, allowing the complexity of egg yolk flavor room to play with the milk’s sweetness.