If you thought that Bangkok's café scene couldn't get quirkier than the bewildered unicorn café or the death-awareness themed café, some of the latest openings will prove you wrong. Here are five examples of cafés in Bangkok that rumble with gentle excitement. You definitely need to check them out.
Pour Over Lab
Pour Over Lab expands the boundaries of what a café experience can be. Nestled in a small corner of Cazh clothing zone inside Siam Discovery, Pour Over Lab is an unusual, yet friendly coffee joint tricked out like a sci-fi film set, where the coffee preparation process reminds one of chemistry lab sessions in school.
The small café has a clean, modern decor and floor-to-ceiling windows that let in a healthy dose of natural sunlight. Stainless steel lab counters and clear transparent bar stools add a touch of seriousness to the bright white decor that is dotted with scientific equipment, white LED luminaires, glass beakers and test tubes. As if all those elements aren't scientific enough, the baristas perform their tasks in crisp white lab coats and face shields.
(Photos: Apichart Jinakul)
Whether you enjoy your coffee white, black or filtered, there are multiple coffee beans, of various origins, on offer. All have been graded excellent (scores 85 up) by the Specialty Coffee Association of Europe (SCAE). They are light roasted in-house so as to preserve their unique characteristics and flavour complexity. Customers can either drip their own coffee, choosing the beans and a dripper of their choice for B100, or have a barista whip one up for them at B140. In addition, customers can blend their own coffee beans, with the professional guidance of a barista, for an extra of B100.
Apart from drip coffee, the café offers five other brewing techniques that make use of high-tech gadgets, including the syphon, the Delter coffee press and the Chemex 3 C. However, the highlight seems to be the cold drip machine that allows water to slowly drip over freshly ground coffee for eight hours. Curious about the taste? Order from the café's signature coffee list. It contains cold-drip coffees made with various beans. On the rock (B100), which is made from beans sourced from Columbia, is worth checking out. The beans are fermented in a wooden oak barrel before they are dried, resulting in a flavour that is reminiscent of whiskey. Another great option is the Sphere moon (B160) that sees cold-drip coffee topped with slightly tart yuzu frappe -- refreshing and easy to drink.
Each coffee drink is served with a card detailing the flavour profile, origin and variety -- a small, but thoughtful detail that aims to educate customers. If you feel a bit peckish, there is also a good selection of sweet treats to round out the coffee, as well as croissants.
1st Floor, Siam Discovery, Rama I Road/ Call 093-648-5235, visit fb.com/pouroverlab.th.
Kamaboko Coffee Camp
Glamping has been a trend for the past few years and caters to those who wish to experience the outdoors for a few days without having to compromise on comfort. This café is suitable for those who wish to do that for only a few hours, minus the travel time and high cost.
The café was inspired by Japanese camping culture, specifically the coffee rituals during camping, which are given a lot of importance. An amusing feature of Japanese camping culture is the fish cake-shaped tent called kamaboko, which is also the name of the fish cake. The café's name is in reference to that.
(Photos: Somchai Poomlard)
Here, the team of staff is casual, friendly and very much like a group of friends hanging out together on a weekend trip. They have camping outfits on and are usually seen either walking around greeting customers or chatting happily with each other. This is the biggest charm about this place: casualness. Even during busy times, the atmosphere remains relaxed.
Drip, syphon and French press coffees are on offer, with a selection of beans grown in Guatemala, Indonesia, Ethiopia and Kenya (prices start at B120). For something to munch on, there's a small toast menu available but bear in mind that they're not substantial enough for a full meal.
The Ogura toast (B80) is the star and consists of a thick slice of toast, topped with red bean paste and a knob of butter. A more fulfilling option is the set of Toast with butter and homemade jams (B110), which delights customers with flavours like banana-strawberry, mango and passion fruit, apple and kiwi and mixed berry. For something very Japanese, try the custardy, moist Beni Haruka variety of sweet potato (B160 per piece) from Ibaraki, Japan.
Rama III Road / Visit fb.com/kamaboko.coffeecamp.
Arch
On a side street off BTS Punnawithi, there's a distinctive café so unique in its concrete colour palette and calm atmosphere that it's almost therapeutic just to look at.
The name Arch is an homage to the café's layout and design that are inspired by ancient Roman architecture, which employs arches throughout large and well-defined interior spaces. Once you enter the space, you'll get a strong sense of masculinity and calm. This is thanks to the café's white ceramic tile walls and rough concrete structures which, at the same time, have a sleek finish. These features, as well as exposed pipes and mid-century decor, lend the café a hip, industrial vibe that draws in a good deal of curious café hoppers looking for cool photo opportunities. The most Instagram-worthy spot, though, seems to be the indoor swimming pool behind the café, which exudes a dark, mysterious air, which is rarely seen in cafés in Bangkok.
(Photos: Apichart Jinakul)
Over at the coffee station, casually dressed in black T-shirts and jeans, baristas whip up the usual suspects for the crowd, using medium-roasted coffee beans sourced from Mae Suai district in Chiang Rai. We say grab yourself the café's signature Dirty Latte (B130) or opt for the more exciting, Flamingo latte (B150), which is an espresso shot that's been jazzed up with strawberry milk, topped with milk foam and dried rose petals. The menu also has classics like Piccolo latte (B100), Premium drip coffee (B180) and Thai-style coffee (B120). With coffee being the main focus, the baked goods menu is really short, listing only Butter (B90) and Chocolate Croissant (B120).
Sukhumvit Road / Call 065-916-3239, visit fb.com/ARCHBKK.
Eye Candy 2D Café
The big draw of Eye Candy 2D Café is its eccentric design. Many of you might recognise this café from similarly-themed cafés in Tokyo and Seoul. The café tries to fool your eyes into thinking that it is a 2B pencil drawing. Black stripes and sketch lines on white surfaces are seen on everything: the floors, the tables and the chairs, to create a 2D effect.
(Photos courtesy of Eye Candy 2D Café)
While the café does focus on cutesy, eye-catching appearances when it comes to its sweets and drinks, they do taste quite pleasant, although a tad too sweet. There's the signature Eye candy white-choc (multiple pastel-coloured white chocolate shakes layered in a glass and topped with rainbow marshmallows and whipped cream, B155), as well as the Pastel milk (multi-coloured milk, topped with whipped cream, rainbow sprinkles and marshmallows, B105).
The bakery offers a range of sweet concoctions, including fruit tarts, pies and mousse cake, and these are presented to you like painstakingly sculpted artwork. Many of them, like the Mermaid mousse cake (B185) decorated with a carefully-crafted white chocolate tail, the Cactus cake (B175) served in an actual plant pot and the Cheesecake mouse (B175) that looks like a real wedge of cheese, are almost too cute to eat.
Those who are not keen on cloyingly sweet treats, know that the café does have a variety of coffee drinks on offer. They are made with a combination of organic Arabica and Robusta beans. Prices start at B85.
J Arena, Ratchaphruek Road / Call 081-775-5679, visit fb.com/eyecandy2dcafé.
Big Dog Café
Big Dog Café is a far cry from the typical new café one might encounter. You probably know what I'm talking about -- those doing everything in their power to be as pretty-looking and Instagram-worthy as possible. At this café, however, the clashing decors of the four different spaces make you feel like you're in an unpretentious space. While it operates as a daytime eatery out front, at the back, there are dedicated outdoor and indoor spaces for playful interactions with big furry dogs.
The story behind the café begins with the owner's love of big dogs. Over time, he has acquired more than 20 dogs and decided he should set up a space where his dogs can meet and play with new people. He also wanted to educate Thais on dog breeds that are not native to Thailand, of which he has quite a number. This led to the café.
(Photos: Apichart Jinakul)
Expect to get up close and personal with Butter (the only komondor or Hungarian sheepddog in Thailand), Muffin & Thing-Thing (Tibetan mastiffs), Ricky & Martin (timber wolf shepherds) and Brandon (Saarloos wolfdog). In the outdoor area, you'll also get to play with smaller dogs of various breeds such as pomeranian, Havanese silky and Cardigan Welsh corgi.
Visitors who wish to play with the dogs will need to pay a B200 fee and this will allow them a maximum playtime of three hours. If you also want to feed the dogs, purchase homemade doggy treats at the counter for B150 for 100g. They contain no preservatives and can even be consumed by humans.
When you get hungry, pop over to the café and choose from Thai and Western favourites and the usual café beverages and cakes.
Ratchadaphisek Road / Call 095-259-2392, visit fb.com/bigdogcafé.
