A cup of ca phe trung, or Vietnamese egg coffee, is topped with a dense, custardlike foam layered over strong, dark coffee. The foam is made by whipping egg yolks with condensed milk and sugar. (Chrissy Yates/Stars and Stripes)
Last July, Khanh Linh Vu-Holwegner posted an invitation in a local Facebook group to the grand opening of Fee & Tee, a Vietnamese-style coffee shop in Kaiserslautern.
People most commonly associate Vietnam with strong, sweet iced coffee made with condensed milk, known as ca phe sua da.
But Fee & Tee serves a much wider variety of traditional drinks, including ca phe trung, or egg coffee, which I hadn’t had since visiting Vietnam in January 2024.
At the grand opening, I met Vu-Holwegner as well as her husband and co-owner, Jacob Holwegner, an American service member stationed at Ramstein Air Base.
It turns out that both Vu-Holwegner and my favorite drink have Hanoi origins. Her family is from the city’s Old Quarter, and egg coffee originated at a hotel about a 20-minute walk away.
The drink is widely believed to have been invented in 1946 by Nguyen Van Giang, a bartender at Hanoi’s Metropole Hotel during a dairy shortage linked to the First Indochina War.
Giang replaced milk with whisked egg yolk, creating the drink’s signature creamy topping. It’s served in a small cup, with the dense, custardlike foam floating on top of the dark, chocolatey bitterness of the robusta bean coffee common in Vietnam.
The resulting flavor is reminiscent of tiramisu. I like eating all the foam, then knocking back the coffee in the bottom like it’s a shot of espresso.
A pasta salad bowl, piece of peach cake and egg coffee are shown at Fee & Tee on May 15, 2026, where recent menu additions include two salad bowl options. (Chrissy Yates/Stars and Stripes)
Iced coconut coffee, known as ca phe cot dua, is among the traditional Vietnamese drinks served at the cafe. (Chrissy Yates/Stars and Stripes)
I’m gradually trying other drinks, and the ca phe cot dua, or iced coconut coffee, is perfect for a warm day. Fee & Tee also serves standard coffee drinks such as lattes and cappuccinos.
Not a coffee drinker? Lemonades and iced teas are also served, as well as trendy matcha drinks.
A banh mi sandwich with roast pork, pickled vegetables and cilantro is served at Fee & Tee, where the item appears periodically on the menu. (Chrissy Yates/Stars and Stripes)
The cafe’s kitchen is quite small, so the food menu is limited but includes a melted cheese sandwich, an egg sandwich and summer rolls.
About once a month, banh mi makes an appearance. Fee & Tee’s version skips the pâté but features succulent roast pork alongside the crisp pickled veggies.
The cafe doesn’t skimp on the cilantro, which I appreciate for the bright, citrusy freshness it adds. The bread was also appropriately soft. Nothing ruins a big sandwich more than bread you can’t get your teeth through in one bite.
Recently, I tried their pasta salad bowl, one of two lunch items added last month. There was a lot more arugula than the picture showed online, but the acidity of the balsamic dressing paired well with the peppery greens.
The dessert offerings rotate regularly and often include gluten-free or vegan options. One of my recent favorites is the pina colada cake. It’s a fluffy butter cake topped with a sweet icing and coconut flakes. It paired well with the latte I ordered alongside it.
Cakes sit on display at Fee & Tee cafe, where dessert offerings rotate and often include gluten-free and vegan options. (Chrissy Yates/Stars and Stripes)
Fee & Tee cafe sits on a street corner in Kaiserslautern, Germany, featuring large windows and a bright interior for customers. (Chrissy Yates/Stars and Stripes)
I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve visited, because I enjoy the coffee as well as the vibe. The cafe sits on a busy street corner with big windows on both sides that let in plenty of light. Inside, it’s quiet enough to read or get some work done using the Wi-Fi.
Books, some in English, line the windowsills, while board and card games sit under a coffee table in front of a large couch. That area is perfect for small groups.
Another plus is that the cafe is open on Sundays, when parking is free downtown and many businesses are closed. For now, it’s still possible for me to walk in, find a seat and enjoy my egg coffee even on busy downtown Saturdays.
However, with such delicious drinks, it won’t stay my secret spot for long.
A toasted cheese sandwich, slice of carrot cake and Vietnamese egg coffee are served at Fee & Tee cafe in Kaiserslautern, Germany on November 3, 2025. (Chrissy Yates/Stars and Stripes)
Fee & Tee
Address: Schneiderstrasse 15, Kaiserslautern, Germany
Hours: Every day, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; open most holidays except Christmas and New Year’s Day
Prices: 3 to 6 euros for drinks; 3.50 to 8 euros for food items
Information: @fee.n.tee_kl on Instagram
