Coffee shop in Westminster highlights Southeast Asian flavors

Restauranteur and executive chef Viet Nguyen has opened many successful dining concepts in Orange County.

As the chief executive officer of hospitality group Kei Concepts, based in Little Saigon, Nguyen is the founder of Súp Noodle Bar, Nếp Cafe and Vox Kitchen. When the group decided to add a coffee shop to its portfolio, Nguyen said he wanted to make sure the concept was different.

“There really are a lot of good Vietnamese coffee shops around here already,� said Nguyen. “We are all about adding value to the community.�

Besides many Vietnamese-owned businesses and coffee shops in Westminster, Nguyen said he also noticed Japanese bakeries and Taiwanese boba shops. The blending of cultures reminded him of his home in Vietnam where the culture is so rich because of the country’s port infrastructure.

Nguyen took inspiration from the blending of cultures in Orange County and abroad for Kei Coffee House.

“I didn’t want to just do a Vietnamese coffee shop but a coffee shop that is influenced by the whole region of Southeast Asia,� said Nguyen.

Kei Coffee House opened in late July on at 15691 Brookhurst St. in Westminster with limited hours. On a recent Friday morning a line was gathered outside the shop where umbrellas and a water station were set up for those waiting in the heat. Inside the 4,000-square-foot space, guests circled for a table, and groups of friends chatted over drinks and pastries.

Kei Coffee House is now open in Westminster, showcasing Southeast Asian flavors.

(Courtesy of Kei Concepts)

The coffee is brewed using Arabica and Robusta beans, but the menu isn’t limited to espressos, cappuccinos, lattes and cold brew. There are also teas, blend drinks and milk teas that use flavors like coconut, pandan, Thai banana and sweet potato. A Quattro milk latte, for instance, using whole dairy milk, oat milk, cashew milk and condensed milk is inspired by a popular Indonesian beverage.

“Our ice blended triple coconut coffee comes from Thailand,� said Nguyen. “When we went to Bangkok we saw that they blend coconut water, coconut meat, coco cream and condensed milk in to a slush, and it is so good. I couldn’t find anything like that here.�

A sweet corn latte, orange Thai tea and an espresso tonic made with house-made honeydew-melon syrup are among the unique offerings too.

Pastries are baked in house daily. Speed racks of hot and fresh croissants and cookies wheel out of the kitchen constantly. Round and flaky pâté chauds, a Vietnamese savory meat pastry pie filled with beef, are available along with Señorita bread, an oblong Filipino bread roll that is usually buttery and also known as Spanish bread or pan de kastila. Kei Coffee House bakes a cream cheese-filled variety and also a more traditional milk-and-butter flavored version. The Korean-inspired corn cheese cookie is a favorite — both savory and sweet with a crispy edge and chewy center.

A tight selection of more substantial bites includes a five-spice popcorn chicken served with an yuzu mayo and sweet bolognese spaghetti, a Filipino standard. Adapted from the Italian version by resourceful Filipinos looking to recreate dishes American troops stationed on the islands missed from home, the dish is traditionally made using banana ketchup and sliced hot dog or longganisa. The hallmarks of sweet sauce, sliced hot dog and shredded cheddar cheese are incorporated into the version at Kei Coffee House.

Nguyen hopes people will use Kei Coffee House as a place to gather with friends as well as a place to experience unfamiliar but delicious new tastes. He said he isn’t looking to take away from Westminster’s existing coffee shops, which he thinks are a vital part of the Southeast Asian community.

“I still go to some Vietnamese coffee shops. I go to Da Vien all the time, I go to Seven Leaves all the time. We can’t take away from them; that is their lane,� said Nguyen. “What I am trying to do is say, ‘If you like Vietnamese stuff, have you tried Filipino stuff? Have you tried Indonesian stuff, have you tried Malaysian stuff?’ They are very interesting too, and here it is.�