286 - Instant Coffee
One thing that definitely does not provide instant gratification is instant coffee, unless you have a really low standard for flavored caffeine.
I generally consider instant coffee to be pretty repulsive stuff, but sometimes it’s necessary to have some around so when that happens I single serving sachets of Vietnamese blends, which is what I was searching for today.
One of my favorite Pho restaurants also makes a mean Vietnamese coffee, as Beth can attest to (hi Beth), and it’s attached to a really small market so I tried there first, and sure enough it had what I needed, but was amused by the tiny lady who runs the store (and also makes exquisite beverages), because at first she thought I wanted the system for making the real stuff and looked a little downcast when I explained, no, I just wanted the instant.
Update: I sampled the coffee this morning and my pallet still hasn’t quite recovered. In a standard coffee mug it had a consistency almost like pancake syrup and was coal black. One sip and my tongue was shocked by the combination of extreme, almost cloying sweetness and overpoweringly strong coffee. It wasn’t possible to add enough cream to it to turn it brown. The only way I could finish it off was by pouring it over a glass of ice, which finally diluted it enough. So much for my admiration of Vietnamese instant coffee.
