Any echoes of its more recent than you might expect auto row past are mostly drowned out by the buzz of customers eager to try the signature banana pudding matcha lattes and pho as Vietnamese coffee joint Phê has joined the Capitol Hill cafe scene.
“Indulge in meticulously crafted coffee, matcha, and brunch favorites, all prepared with the finest ingredients. Nestled in a minimalist, industrial-chic space,” the new cafe’s hype reads. “Phê offers a unique experience that tantalizes your taste buds and elevates your senses.”
The new cafe debuted this month in one of the more unique — and hard to fill with a tenant — spaces created by the recent wave of Pike/Pine redevelopment. CHS reported late last summer on the plans for Phê along E Pine on the ground floor of a new building built a decade ago with a street-level commercial space meant to echo the old 15th Ave Garage that called the block home until its mid-2010s demolition.
While the original auto row showroom and garage dimensions of its most loved buildings are often cited in the growth of Capitol Hill’s bar and nightlife scene, the resulting imitation on E Pine never really found a way to fit in. The peculiar berth and its roll-up garage door has been mostly empty for a decade except for a brief stay by coffee bean delivery service Bean Box.
Owners Kim Thy Hang and Phuong Le and Phê have changed that and raised the bar for recent coffee shop openings around the Hill. Tiny Bean Espresso on Broadway is also filling a unique Capitol Hill space but it is keeping things simple with a focus on coffee. Phê, in contrast, isn’t much bigger but definitely carries some large ambitions. The cafe features more than its Vietnamese coffee and matcha creations with a food menu that includes pho and bò kho and sweets like xôi and sweet potato creme brulee.
Phê is located at 721 E Pine. Follow @phe.yet for updates.
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Tried their pho coffee, it was delicious! Welcome addition to the neighborhood. Robust food menu as well.
Excited to have a phin coffee place on the hill!
Can’t wait to try. Every time we walk by they are out of Matcha. Is their coffee fair trade or organic? People in Capitol Hill demand that. Crazy how people don’t care where the coffee is from.
No one cares actually