Phu My Hung’s À La Main Phenomenon

As of late, it feels impossible to go anyway in Phu My Hung without stumbling across an À La Main. For those of you who aren’t excessively obsessed with the cafe scene in Phu My Hung as I am, À La Main is a local cafe, bakery, and roastery situated in Phu My Hung, District 7 open Monday-Sunday. The cafe is often a staple for cafe study enthusiasts due to its warm, cozy decor and (usually) quiet atmosphere. Starting with just one location in the Mỹ Thái area in the summer of 2023, the chain has begun to expand to different locations in the city. Or, rather, different locations concentrated in the Phu My Hung urban area.

A year since their original launch, À La Main has opened 3 more locations around the Phu My Hung, Distinct 7 area. Well, if we’re being precise, only two more À La Main locations, with the remaining one in Starhill being dubbed Almari locations. However, as far as my research and experience can tell, the À La Main and Almari are basically one and the same albeit with a few minor differences that will be discussed later.

However, what really piqued my interest is just how concentrated these locations are. As previously mentioned, all 4 À La Main locations are situated in the Phu My Hung area. However, I think it’s important to put into perspective just how close some of them are. 

All the À La Main locations in Ho Chi Minh City can be seen in the image above. The distance between one location to another ranges between 0.35 km (from the Mỹ Thái location to the Midtown one) to 3 km (from the Midtown location to the Đặng Đức Thuật one). In terms of time, the longest it’ll take you to go from one À La Main to another (assuming you want to go to the furthest possible location) is about 7 minutes by motorbike. 

Meanwhile, the fastest you can travel from one À La Main location to another is 2 minutes.

Well, okay, four locations in only the Phu My Hung area may be surprising, but it’s not outrageous. That is true, until you take into account that, in the week it has taken to write this article, À La Main has opened two other Almari locations situated in Grand View and Sky Garden, arriving at a total of six À La Main locations, with five being built in the past year alone.

The strange phenomena that is the rapid spread of À La Main locations across the Phu My Hung area raises many questions. How have they been able to expand so much in such a short amount of time? Why only in Phu My Hung? Where exactly is the demand for this many À La Mains situated so close together coming from? While these are all quite interesting questions, I’m here to answer a different one: which location is the best?

Which À La Main is the “best”?

Disclaimer: this is all based on my personal opinion. Each person’s ranking may be different depending on one’s own preference, I’m just giving my own two cents on the matter. Furthermore, due to them not being yet open at the time of writing this article, I will not be ranking the Sky Garden and Grand View locations. However, it is to be noted that, by the time you’re reading this, they’ll both likely be open for business, so drop by and try them for yourself! Now, on with the ranking.

1. Mỹ Thái

Address: 35 Đường Số 17, Mỹ Thái 2, Quận 7, Hồ Chí Minh 72900

Being the first À La Main to open, the Mỹ Thái location was also the first À La Main I had ever visited. And, after visiting its three other counterparts, I can confidently say that the Mỹ Thái location stands the test of time.

In terms of interior, the cafe has a cozy, homely atmosphere. The lighting is quite soft, and the seating is surprisingly comfortable. The downstairs, I’d say, has more of an academic yet laidback feeling, with its big bookcases and mostly muted color scheme. The upstairs has more of a nature-inspired design, with a big window looking out onto the street and greenery that decorate the location’s exterior and matching green cushions and plants to match. Personally, I find the downstairs area a bit more aesthetically pleasing, but both are an enjoyable space to work in.

However, my main gripe with this specific location is how small the space is. It is not by any means cramped, but the small space means that, if you happen to be there at the same time as a particularly talkative group of people, you WILL be hearing their entire conversation. If you’re trying to study, that can always be pretty distracting. However, in my experience, if you go post breakfast and lunch hours where people often visit to get brunch, the other customers will mostly also be there for studying so the atmosphere is noticeably more quiet. 

Furthermore, another important aspect to note is that this location is relatively popular. That combined with the limited seating makes it so that, if you’re planning to go during the cafe’s busiest hours (usually 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM), don’t always expect there to be a table for you.

My main other criticism is not one that applies to this location specifically, but all À La Main locations. À La Main is definitely on the more costly end of the spectrum of cafe affordability, even by District 7 standards. Most drinks are around the 60-100k range and they are, in my personal opinion, good but nothing to write home about. so, if you’re planning to go, I’d recommend staying a while to get your money’s worth.

2. Đặng Đức Thuật

Address: Đặng Đức Thuật/13 Mỹ Kim 2, Tân Phong, Quận 7, Hồ Chí Minh 72910

The Đặng Đức Thuật location is, alongside the Mỹ Thái location, one that I’ve visited more than once. This location has the added benefit of being the closest to SSIS, just 0.25 km away. That’s 3 minutes if you’re walking, or a 1 minute motorbike ride.

The interior is pretty similar to the Mỹ Thái with its dark browns and wooden surfaces. However, this particular À La Main has the unique benefit of being incredibly spacious, allowing for a decent amount of space between each table. Thus, each table, especially in the upstairs, is relatively secluded, creating a quiet, pleasant atmosphere for studying.

Furthermore, there’s a noticeable balance between bigger tables intended for groups and smaller, 1-2 people tables. As a result, if you’re planning on studying with a group, I’d recommend this location.

There are no differences in the menu from one location to another, and the pricing is also the same. The physical location, however, is important to note. This cafe is located in a more concealed and remote area of the district. So, if you’re someone who likes to stay until close to closing hours like me, then the 5-minute wait for your car in the dark, people-less streets can be a little unnerving. However, as a benefit, it’s usually not very crowded.

Furthermore, I noted that the lighting in this location is a tad dimmer and more yellow than some of the other locations. So, you’re someone who’s not a fan of dark study places, this location may not be for you.

2. Midtown

Address: The Signature, 25/3 Phú Mỹ Hưng, Tân Phú, Quận 7, Hồ Chí Minh 00700

Like the previous two spots, this branch has two floors. However, if you ask me, between the two, the first floor is more visually appealing. The second floor, with its dark brown color palette and use of mainly wood, is a lot more closely designed to the other three locations. However, the first floor has a more rustic design, using tiled floors and light brick walls that makes it stand out visually from the other three locations. Furthermore, I’m a big fan of the giant windows that let plenty of sunlight in (especially during golden hour), but that might just be me.

This location is situated in The Signature, an apartment building right in the center of Midtown. As a result, here, you’ll also have access to the abundance of shops in the Midtown area, making it a pretty convenient place if you want to hang out around the area after or are planning to stay for a while and don’t want to spend 100-300k on the cafe’s food menu. While studying here, I have fled to the closest GS25 or 7-Eleven for a quick bite on multiple occasions.

However, its location is also the primary reason for why this branch is ranked so low. Due to it being situated in such a lively, populated area of the Phu My Hung area, it can be noticeably louder than the other three locations. It’s commonplace to see big meetings or gatherings taking place here, creating a place where the volume can reach distractingly high levels. I personally found it hard to focus there, and the louder-than-usual music that the cafe plays doesn’t really help either. 

As a result, if you’re looking for a peaceful and silent place to study, this one may not be for you. However, if you can stand some noise or have really good noise canceling, this location could be of interest.

4. Starhill

Address: 22 Raymondienne, Tân Phú, Quận 7, Hồ Chí Minh 756100

Being the first Alamari location to open, I wasn’t what to expect in terms of how different this branch was from the usual À La Main location. I soon found out that the differences aren’t enormous, but what was different lends itself to some of Almari’s biggest strengths, and biggest weaknesses.

Due to Almari’s smaller size, the cafe’s merged with or located in an area with a lot of other shops. With this one in particular, it’s located underneath IdiM, a pretty popular and well-regarded baking workshop. As a result, this location may be the best for hangout purposes if you’re looking for options in activities. 

However, despite its positives, this trait makes it difficult to rank this location higher as a study place as it just results in so many people going from the workshop and back. In my experience studying there, the amount of people leaving and entering the cafe was a tad distracting. Furthermore, the limited space also amplifies and exacerbates the noise problem that was slightly prevalent in the Mỹ Thái location.

Another difference about Almari from its the À La Main counterparts is its lack of food items in the menu. Being a brunch spot alongside a cafe, À La Main’s menu consists of different meal options like pastas, steak, and brunch foods like eggs benedict and sandwiches. However, Almari, being primarily a cafe, doesn’t have as wide of a selection of food options. Sure, they have the small pastries and fruit bowls common that’s common at À La Mains, but your choice is relatively limited. However, it wouldn’t be fair if I didn’t mention the GS25 and other restaurants that’s a minute’s walk away. So, if you were really desperate, there are food options available, you’d just have to leave the cafe.

My last gripe with this specific location and the reason for its last place ranking is the uncomfortable seating. Being a project with an emphasis on nature and sustainability, the chairs and tables are almost all handmade for the cafe. While nice in theory, the chairs tend to be excessively straight, noticeably sharp around some corners, and, at least in my experience, very creaky. Consequently, sitting there for a long time isn’t very comfortable. 

For these reasons, I wouldn’t recommend this Almari location in particular to those hoping to stay and study for long periods of time. Though, it would be suitable for hangouts if you’re planning to go to cafe hop or just want to sit for a bit. Still, keep in mind that the pricing’s the same…