The unique cafe is decorated with pictures of Mother Goddesses and fantastical creatures from local folk religion.
The coffee shop has been open for business for more than six months and looks like a shrine from the outside. The shop's manager, Le Xuan Phu, stated that Tu Phu aims to introduce people to the distinctive culture of the Mother Goddess folk religion.
The belief in Mother Goddess worship in Vietnam is commonly known as Dao Mau. The fundamental tenets of Mother Goddess worship include ceremonies in which followers become mediums for various kinds of spirits (len dong), votive dances, ritual singing, and festivals.
In 2016, the United Nations Cultural and Scientific Education Organization (UNESCO) recognized the "Worship of Mother Goddesses" as a representative intangible cultural heritage of humanity.
There are five different wings of the three-story, atrium-like cafe, each with a different name: Thuy Phu - Water Palace, Thien Phu - Heaven Palace, Nhac Phu - Mountains Palace, Dia Phu - Earth Palace, and Tham cung Tu Phu - Inner Chamber. The rooms are all decorated in the hues and ornamental designs associated with the styles of the Mother Goddess.
The entrance to the Water Palace area has a replica of a boat. The Earth Palace area is next to it.
The coffee shop has a bit of a spooky ambiance due to the abundance of Mother Goddess images and other decorations like dragons, cranes, the sky, and clouds.
Manager Xuan Phu said that throughout the two months of construction, the hardest part was to find decorative objects, paintings, tables, and chairs that suited the practices of Mother Goddess worship while preserving the traditional characteristics of the Vietnamese people.
The upper floor is spacious with both outdoor and indoor space. Pathways and seating areas are shaded by trees and decorations. The sky is painted on the wall to represent Heaven Palace.
The rooms are decorated with numerous paintings, and Mother Goddesses-style drapes and hats are strung from the ceilings.
The cafe's manager Phu said the cafe's designers wanted the place to resemble a setting where Mother Goddess worshipers might have performed shamanic dances to worship the gods.
A painting depicting Mau Thuong Thien, also known as Mau De Nhat. She is the Mother Goddess of Heaven, and the ruler of the Heaven Palace. Phu said each painting had to be intensely researched in order to accurately depict the traditional images.
The hats and fans of all colors and designs are popular decorative items in the shop. Each color represents a palace: red (Heaven), white (Water), blue (Mountain), yellow (Earth).
Highlights of the Mountains Palace space include chairs made of glazed blue ceramics from the southern Binh Duong Province decorated with folk images.
Drinks at Tu Phu cost from VND45,000 to VND70,000 ($1.89 to $2.95). Some of the drinks are served in fancy glasses. Pastries and vegetarian food are served at noon.
The shop is usually crowded at noon and on weekends, serving more than 100 guests every day.
When Nguyen Thi Bich Nga from the Mekong Delta travels to Saigon to see her family, she often stops by Tu Phu for lunch. "I didn’t know about the worship of Mother Goddesses and the ritual of votive dance. The shop is nicely decorated, it is airy and quiet," said the 60-year-old woman.
Minh Nhi, 29, saw the coffee shop on social media and came here with her pals to take pictures. She said this place was decorated in its own style, and "the price of drinks are a bit higher than many other cafe shops, but the service is fast and there is no charge for taking photos," Nhi said.
But Phu said that eventually customers would probably have to pay for photos in front of some of the shop’s more iconic scenery. He said the shop planned to provide traditional Mother Goddesses outfits for picture-takers to use.
From the balcony, you can have a broad view of Dien Bien Phu street. There is free parking nearby, and the shop is open from 6 in the morning until 11:30 at night. Some visitors have complained that it is not a comfortable place to talk with friends because the tables and chairs are placed too closely together.
Tu Phu is located at 252 Dien Bien Phu Street in Ho Chi Minh City.
