Drinking Coffee in Kansas City: Origin Coi Nguon Coffeehouse
We’ve revived the series that helped launch Explore–
we take our coffee seriously, over here!
Photos by Meredith Schneider
Recently, the Northland got a new gem of a coffee spot. With a front row spot on the east side of North Oak and NE 77th Street, Origin Coi Nguon Coffeehouse. This shop specializes in Vietnamese caffeinated beverages, but is a great spot to gather, study, work, and discover a really beautiful pocket of the community.
The front window brings in so much natural light, it should be a crime. Two incredibly comfortable fabric-covered benches sit at the front, great to chill on with a friend or wait for your drinks to be ready on. Two small wood benches serve as additional seating, or as desk space for those on the other benches. (And vice versa, really.)
The front bar is sleek, organized, and holds fun, sweet treasures for purchase, like macarons and beverages like coconut and Fiji water. Cake pops and tiny delights are in a glass case, the WiFi information posted on top next to a fluffy stuffed panda bear for the convenience of their dine-in friends.
There are barstools along the bar, where I have witnessed many customers chat excitedly with the baristas each time I have stopped in. Vibrant, colorful lanterns adorn the ceiling, with a gorgeous mural along the wall. It really is striking against the sleek black paint covering most of the rest of the space, with natural elements placed here and there.
Between the front benches and the bar, along the wall where the queue can get a little long depending on when you visit Origin, there is a wall with art to enjoy and purchase. Plants line the shelves as well, drawing your eye to the descriptive, helpful menu that is framed just to the right of it.
I am a huge fan of the Strawberry Matcha Latte, which is made with a delicious, natural strawberry compote. The Salt Coffee is my favorite espresso beverage. It is a traditional iced Vietnamese Latte, topped with a salty sweet foam. Watching the foam melt down into the coffee was a near-psychedelic experience, and the drink is just as thick and delicious as it sounds.
There are a few small tables with chairs set along the left wall, perfect gathering spaces on beautiful, natural wood. I have been able to lose hours there, each seating option unexplainably comfortable. It’s a great bright spot that everyone should try the next time they are in the Gladstone area.
