Phin Time

A visual ritual of Vietnamese coffee-making

What it is

A short-form visual project (30–40 seconds) that captures the ritual of making traditional Vietnamese milk coffee. Told through hand-drawn watercolor and ink-style visuals, it focuses on texture, pacing, and quiet satisfaction rather than speed or hype.

What problem it solves

Most coffee content is either aggressively aesthetic or painfully instructional. This project strips things back and treats coffee-making as a calm, tactile ritual—something you watch to feel grounded, not to learn ratios. It celebrates process over performance.

Style & approach

Hand-drawn watercolor and ink illustration in a rustic recipe-book style. Soft imperfections, visible grain, gentle motion—like something you'd find scribbled in the margins of a well-loved notebook rather than optimized for an algorithm.

Tools & methods

  • Video generation: Higgsfield
  • Image generation: Nano Banana Pro
  • Editing & pacing: CapCut Pro

Project Showcase

Pouring coffee powder into traditional Vietnamese phin filter

Step 1: Pour coffee powder into the phin - the foundation of ritual

Pouring hot water into the phin filter

Step 2: Add hot water - beginning the slow extraction

Coffee brewing slowly through the phin filter

Step 3: Let it brew - patience rewarded with rich, dark coffee

Pouring condensed milk into the brewed coffee

Step 4: Add condensed milk - sweetness meets intensity

Stirring the milk and coffee together

Step 5: Stir gently - watching the swirl of cream and coffee

Adding ice to complete the Vietnamese iced coffee

Step 6: Add ice and enjoy - the perfect balance achieved