Get in touch with "The Art Of Printmaking" at the Marimekko pop-up cafe, where you can also tempt your taste buds with Scandinavian cuisine with a Thai twist.
Marimekko Thailand is celebrating its 7th anniversary by opening its first-ever pop-up cafe in Thailand on the 1st floor of Central Embassy on Phloenchit Road. Get a glimpse of Nordic charm through the wooden furnishings of the cafe's interior, which is complemented by decorative items from Marimekko's home collection. Oiva, the Finnish brand's iconic ceramic collection, has been selected to serve Scandinavian delights that capture the distinct characteristics of all four seasons of the region.
It is important to note that even though the brand's identity is Nordic, the cafe serves Scandinavian cuisine. Begin with the Green pea and strawberry salad (B390), where the freshness of strawberry and tomato slices are ideal for palate cleansing. Taking centrestage is the in-house balsamic dressing, which adds an acid taste, exploding in my mouth with notes of fruitiness from bilberry juice. If you've never heard of it before, the bilberry is a wild berry touted as a superfood. What helps lighten up the intense sour flavour of the salad dressing are chops of boiled asparagus and green peas. The mainstay of savouriness will be a slice of Gravlax, accompanied by a dab of horseradish that gives you a wasabi-like kick.
Seafood dishes are what I look forward to. Crab meat pancakes (B490) may sound strange to you, but it's one of the must-try dishes. Instead of sweet and fluffy pancakes, the cafe serves everyone's favourite breakfast with a creamy Sriracha remoulade topped with crab meat. The pancakes themselves aren't that sweet, yet they offer a mild buttery flavour with a herby hint from the fresh dill that is added to the pancake batter. The Seafood Bucatini with garlic (B490) gives a very pleasing slurping experience. The pasta bowl is packed with the fruits of the sea. A scoop of caviar is added as the last piece of the puzzle for an oceanic flavour.
Back on land, the protein-packed main is Spiced roasted chicken (B380). Chicken thighs are marinated with spices and herbs for 12 hours, after which it is slowly roasted. The result is an aromatic chicken with crispy skin on the outside and succulent meat on the inside. It's served with baked veggies and pickled red cabbage. What steals the show, is the baked Hasselback potato, which has a texture that isn't too soft and the sweetness is juiced out by baking and seasoning.
With a down-to-earth vibe, the cafe is also a good place to catch up with friends for a coffee. Beyond the classics are Iced black coconut (B160) and Apple cold brew (B165), which I recommend as a takeaway simply because the to-go cup looks lovely in Marimekko's blooming pattern, Unikko.
To freshen up on a hot day, I ordered the Seabuckthorn tonic (B180), a fruity yet fizzy cold-pressed juice with tonic water. It somehow reminisces the taste and aroma of apple cider vinegar. Pair your drinks with indulgences like Salted caramel cake (B250) and Mini lemon tart (B230), which aren't only luscious but also Instagrammable. Visit fb.com/marimekkothailand.
