A Champion of Vietnamese Coffee

We speak to Tú, the creator of the Phinoi filter, about his shop’s pay-as-you-feel model and his belief in fine robusta.

BY VASILEIA FANARIOTI
SENIOR ONLINE CORRESPONDENT

Photos courtesy of Vu Dình Tú

In Vietnam’s fast-evolving specialty-coffee scene, Refined. stands out not just for its focus on fine robusta, but for its unconventional business model and deeply cultural approach to brewing.

At the center of this movement is Vu Dình Tú, a former finance professional turned roaster, barista, educator, and now innovator. We spoke with Tú about his journey—from bedroom roasting sessions to running coffee shops in Hanoi and designing his own phin filter, the Phinoi—all while redefining what Vietnamese coffee can be.

Vasileia Fanarioti: Tú, you’ve built something truly unique with Refined.—especially with your “pay-as-you-feel” model. How did that come about?

Tú: It happened very naturally. In the beginning, I just wanted to roast coffee for myself and a few friends. After leaving my finance job during the pandemic, I started roasting at home with a small borrowed roaster. When I opened my first tiny café—only 27 square meters—it wasn’t meant to be a full shop, just a place where people could buy beans and learn how to brew.

At first, I offered free cups of coffee just to share the experience. But people kept coming back, and eventually someone insisted on paying. They dropped money into a phin filter we had on the counter, and others started doing the same. That’s how the model was born. It wasn’t a strategy; it was a community choice.

And how has it evolved since then?

For the first two years, I was always the one behind the bar, so I could really see how emotions influence what people give. Some days, someone might put in 100 dollars. Other times, less. But that’s the beauty of it. We still keep the model today, for a few menu items—mostly our signature robusta drinks. There’s no fixed price. It’s about trust and connection.

You also focus heavily on fine robusta, which many people in specialty coffee still overlook. What inspired you to take that path?

I used to only drink arabica too. But during my early roasting days, I discovered a fine robusta that changed everything. I visited farms in the Central Highlands, talked with producers, and experimented with roast profiles. I realized that, when properly cultivated and processed, robusta can be just as complex and delicious as arabica. But it’s been misunderstood—associated with bitterness, low quality, or additives.

With Refined., I wanted to change that narrative. We now serve about 70% robusta across our shops. And it’s not just Vietnamese customers—foreigners are becoming more open to it too.

A big part of that mission seems to be tied to the phin filter. Why is it important to you?

The phin is part of our cultural identity, but many young Vietnamese today don’t know how to use it. That worried me. It’s like we’re losing a piece of who we are. So last year, I launched a project to redesign the traditional phin—keeping its essence but modernizing its design to appeal to the next generation.

We now offer colorful, sleek phins that make brewing more approachable and beautiful. We even debuted them (in May) at World of Coffee in Jakarta, and they were sold out. It was a proud moment to represent Vietnamese coffee in this way.

So it’s not just about serving coffee—it’s about preserving and reshaping a tradition?

Exactly. In our shops, we don’t just hand people a cup. We invite them to experience the entire brewing process: the aroma, the bloom, the pour. We started with no menu—just black coffee or condensed milk. Eventually, customers brought ingredients and challenged us to create new drinks. That’s how we built the menu, drink by drink, with them.

And what’s next for you and Refined.?

I want to continue connecting robusta with other parts of Vietnamese culture—like food. We’ve started creating drinks that mix robusta with apricot or dracontomelon, both local fruits. The feedback has been amazing, even from tourists. I also want to keep mentoring young baristas and give them a real career path. Being a barista shouldn’t be just a student job. It’s a craft that deserves respect—and a living wage.

One last thing: What would you say to people who are still skeptical about robusta?

I’d say: Forget what you think you know. Come in, take a seat, brew a cup with the phin, and taste it for yourself. Let the coffee speak. That’s all we ask.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Vasileia Fanarioti (she/her) is a senior online correspondent for Barista Magazine and a freelance copywriter and editor with a primary focus on the coffee niche. She has also been a volunteer copywriter for the I’M NOT A BARISTA NPO, providing content to help educate people about baristas and their work.

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