Coffee is the name of the shopping game in Buon Ma Thuot, and just about everyone sells Trung Nguyen, the Vietnamese Coca-Cola of coffee (you can buy it or drink it in coffee shops just about anywhere). Trung Nguyen's headquarters are in Buon Ma Thuot (268 Nguyen Tat Thanh St.; tel. 0500/386-5116; www.trungnguyen.com.vn), and this company sponsors just about every other storefront. You'll find vendors all along the streets around the market or the central Victory Monument. Also look for smaller outlets with lesser-known brands, the likes of Nam Nguyen (30 Tran Quang Khai St., near the White Horse Hotel; tel. 0500/395-5255).
All of Buon Ma Thuot's souvenir shops are geared toward Vietnamese domestic weekenders from the larger cities, and large M'nong-style jugs of whiskey, a smaller replica of the hilltribe's whiskey containers, are for sale along with the long straws that you use to get the stuff in ya (some real fire water). The cool ceramic jugs are a nuisance to carry home on the bus/car/plane, but they're not a bad gift if you plan to visit Vietnamese friends.
