Last month, I visited one of the hottest café openings in Bangkok amongst the Thai café hoppers and influencers. It wasn’t hard to understand why. Even before entering, the all-white façade of the entrance tempted me to stop and snap several pictures.
Stepping in, I immediately grew to the rustic French vibes of the interior, and I would have felt like I was transported out of Southeast Asia for a moment, if not for the crowd of Asian influencers. The owners paid close attention to the details – from the exposed ceiling to the cream washed walls, to the wooden furniture, and to the vintage trinkets cleverly placed at several spots. I particularly loved the arched wall framing the coffee counter.
I tried a few drinks, and my recommendation is to skip the Caffe Latte (THB160) and Matcha Latte (THB195) and go for their signature Pistachio Cream Coffee (THB180). It comprised an espresso shot with pistachio milk and pistachio syrup, topped with pistachio cream and roasted pistachio bits. The sweet, nutty flavours were subtle and well balanced with the natural acidity of the coffee.
The food menu showcases bagels in different flavours, and you can have it plain, with cream cheese toppings, or as part of bigger plates. I noticed that the bagels here seemed to have taken inspiration from Korean-style bagels (vs. classic American style bagels), especially for the Sweet Corn Hokkaido Milk Bagel (THB240). Seasonal sweet corn desserts can be typically found in Korea’s cafes during the summer, and I was surprised to find one in Bangkok. The bagel was crafted from a base of Hokkaido milk, filled with sweet corn cream, and finished with caramelized corns on top. The cream was neither too heavy nor sweet.
For something more substantial, there is the Breakfast Plate (THB380) which came with a sesame bagel, fluffy cloud eggs, Italian grilled pork sausage, wild rocket, sweet maple ponzu yuzu dressing and mixed berries. Despite the visually pleasing use of colours, somehow the different components didn’t complement one another well, and the sausage was not warm enough.
For those feeling less peckish, you can also opt for one of the plain bagels (choice of plain, chocolate, Hokkaido milk, sesame) with different cream cheese toppings. I had a hard time choosing between the available cream cheese toppings, with interesting flavours like butterfly pea & honeycomb, fig, lemon zest, parmigiano & bacon, earl grey milk, pistachio. Eventually I went for the Plain Bagel (THB75) with a side of Fig and Honey Cream Cheese (THB155) since it was fig season. The consistency of the cream cheese was on the richer and thicker side, and I liked the mix of sweet and savoury.
My tip: Come as early as possible to avoid the afternoon crowd, which can upset the vibes.
16, 3 Soi Ekamai 21, Khlong Tan Nuea, Watthana, Bangkok 10110, Thailand
8am – 5pm (closed on Tues)
Foodography: A Singapore Food Blog 