Milo is a drink that has been around for a long time and is associated with the childhood of many generations. Back when Milo was a powdered milk version stored in thick glass jars that my family still uses to preserve spices. Until Milo came out in a convenient small box, Milo was a companion on the way to school.
Until now, I still love that flavor, the flavor reminds me of my childhood. I love the feeling of holding a cup of hot, fragrant Milo in my hand, slowly enjoying it on winter days in the North. Or a cool cup of Milo to cool down on summer days. Although there are many types of drinks created and imported from other countries, to me Milo is still very special.
A cart selling Milo dip in an old apartment building
Although I have enjoyed this drink for a long time, it was not until I moved to Ho Chi Minh City to live and work that I had the opportunity to experience another variation of Milo, which is Milo dam. In Ho Chi Minh City, people call Milo dam cacao dam. I learned about this food through an information page, looking at the extremely attractive pictures of Milo dam, I told myself that I must definitely enjoy this dish.
In Ho Chi Minh City, people call Milo ice cream cacao ice cream. Photo: Saigoneer
On a rainy afternoon in Saigon, I went to the old apartment building at 42 Ton That Thiep, Ben Nghe Ward to enjoy Milo dam. Located in the middle of a busy street, the apartment building exudes an old look, an image that we often see in movies about the 80s and 90s of the 20th century. Along the old stairs, I found the Milo dam shop. The shop has a simple but very familiar appearance, including a small counter, a few plastic tables arranged along the corridor of the apartment building, on the balcony railing, the shop owner placed jars containing ingredients for making Milo dam and pre-mixed Milo cups. That space reminded me of my student days hanging out at cafes with friends.
The shop space brings a cozy, intimate feeling.
I ordered a special milo smoothie with a giant flan. The ingredients of this milo smoothie are very diverse, including: condensed milk, milo powder, shaved ice, cocoa powder and many toppings such as apple coconut jelly, cereal grains, fruit jelly, coconut jelly, peach coconut jelly, peach jelly, coconut lychee jelly. The bottom part of the glass is a rich-flavored pre-mixed milo milk covered with a thin layer of Milo powder on top. Next is shaved ice, covered with a layer of cocoa sauce combined with fresh milk, followed by jellies and tapioca pearls. Next is a thin layer of Milo powder and then a giant, extremely attractive flan.
The first thing that impressed me was the flan portion which was bigger than any other shop I had ever eaten at. After trying a piece of cake, I was quickly captivated by the unique flavor that was unlike any other shop. When eaten with crushed milo and the jelly and tapioca pearls in the cup, it was even more wonderful.
Visiting the shop during rush hour, it was raining so there were fewer customers than usual, customers mainly came to buy to take home. This was also an opportunity for me to fully enjoy the quiet, nostalgic space of an old apartment building. The more I ate, the more I was attracted by the unique flavor when there was a blend of toppings such as jelly, chewy brown sugar pearls mixed with milo powder and cocoa mixture according to the shop's secret recipe. The taste of Milo is very rich, the aftertaste is a bit bitter but still very sweet.
Uncle Dung, owner of Milo shop
Mr. Dung, 50 years old, owner of Milo salad shop, shared: “My shop has been in business for 8 years, has never changed location and only has one facility. The recipe for making Milo salad is also created by the shop. The flan is homemade, large in size and has a unique flavor. In addition to Milo salad, the shop also has many other types of drinks such as: Peach salad, honey lime tea, strawberry yogurt, peach, blueberry, strawberry soda, peach, blueberry...
Depending on the customer's preferences, the shop will increase or decrease the number of toppings." The shop operates from 9am to 9:30pm every day, including holidays. Especially on holidays, the shop owner does not increase the price. Uncle Dung shared that the shop is most crowded from around 3pm onwards. Not only do I love the shop's Milo salad, the taste of which evokes childhood memories, I also love a space that does not need elaborate decoration but is still full of nostalgia.
