GA.RA, a Vietnamese specialty cafe launched by siblings Daniel, Kasmira and Thomas Nguyen, has landed on Telegraph Avenue in Berkeley, bringing family-roasted beans, phin-style coffee and a menu laced with pandan, ube and Southern Vietnamese flavors. What started in a garage has grown into a brick-and-mortar spot aimed at students and neighbors who want a laid-back third place just off campus.
From Garage Pop-Up To Telegraph Storefront
The Nguyens first ran GA.RA out of a garage as a pop-up and roasting project before taking the leap to a storefront at 2424 Telegraph Ave, according to SFGATE. Even as the cafe settles in along Telegraph, its website still lists the Berkeley location as “Coming Soon” and is quietly collecting emails from folks who want launch updates.
What’s On The Menu
GA.RA is not just pouring coffee. Diners can expect regionally inspired plates alongside their drinks, including fried-chicken pandan waffles, nước mắm wings, broken-rice breakfast bowls and lemongrass chicken banh mi, as outlined by The Daily Californian. Daniel Nguyen told the paper that GA.RA aims to showcase flavors from each of Vietnam’s four major regions, a through-line shaped in part by a 2023 family trip to Vietnam.
Coffee From Family Farms And A Rising Trend
On the coffee side, GA.RA leans on robusta beans grown by the Nguyen family in Buôn Ma Thuột and roasted in Northern California, SFGATE reports. The focus on Vietnamese coffee taps into a broader specialty-coffee interest in phin brews and origin-forward sourcing amid shifting global supply, according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture overview of Vietnam’s coffee sector.
A Community Spot On Telegraph
The owners told The Daily Californian that GA.RA plans to host community events and campus clubs, describing the cafe as a three-generation family effort. Local coverage has differed slightly on timing, with one outlet noting a soft debut earlier in the week while the shop’s site still shows a “Coming Soon” banner, but the owners say they will share a formal grand-opening date and hours directly with subscribers and students.
For Telegraph Avenue, GA.RA brings another Vietnamese coffee voice that leans on family farms and homestyle recipes rather than trends alone. We will update this story when the shop posts its official hours and grand-opening details.
