Artisanal eats

Technology is a blessing and a curse. It makes life easier and in turn makes us lazy and have short attention spans. We want things done quick and we want things now, and we've lost the appreciation for the art and process of handmade products and the skill it requires because hey, if robots can do it, why can't people? That makes things made by hand more special despite the fact that that's the way things have been done for years. Handmade means nothing, however, if it also isn't high quality. Luckily, the Big Mango is home to a number of stores that produce top-tier artisanal products -- more specifically, artisanal food, which we think makes it more special because nothing is more special than food, right? You may not be aware of some of these stores (we admit we ourselves weren't aware some of them existed) but hey, that's why we're here -- to tell you about them so all you have to do is feast and enjoy. Here are five artisanal eats in Bangkok that you should try.

THE PICKLE GALLERY

Tue-Fri, noon-8pm Sukhumvit soi 95/1 http://fb.com/thepicklegallery, 082-779-7860

Let's get one thing clear straight away: no, this place does not exhibit a number of different pickles. Were you confused or was that just us? Anyway, the Pickle Gallery can be found 200m from BTS Bang Chak in an alley. It's called "The Pickle Gallery" because it's a "pickle shop" and an art gallery all in one. Yes, it's an odd combination and it wasn't really the original concept of the shop. The plan was to just have a store to sell the Serial Pickler, the brand name of the homemade pickles being sold, but since there was all this extra space, the owners decided to house artwork to exhibit and sell. Aside from selling pickles, they've also got pickle-based dishes and drinks like Pickled ham and cheese pasta salad and Pickleback, which is basically a shot of Jameson and a pickle chaser. Alternatively, they have a few non-pickled dishes and drinks, as well. They also host monthly pickling workshops so that you can pickle. You heard us, go pickle yourself. Their shop is closed on Mondays and on Sundays they set up shop at various markets like the K-Village Farmers Market and the Ekkamai Vegan Market, so visit their FB page to find out which specific market you can find them at. That's enough pickling for now.

Photos: The Pickle Gallery

CONKEY'S

Tue-Sun, 9am-5pm Ekamai Soi 22 & Sukhumvit Soi 49 http://fb.com/ConkeysBakery, 083-040-5911

You may not be familiar with Conkey's, but we're pretty sure you've eaten their finely baked bread at one restaurant or another. If you've ever enjoyed a Daniel Thaiger or a Dean & Deluca burger, that brioche bun you sunk your teeth into is Conkey's. They're supplying bread to about 40 restaurants and 15 shops. Their main bakery is on Ekkamai 22 where they also have a space for patrons to sit and chill. In fact, they try and do a Sunday picnic event twice a month. They've also got a new shop on Sukhumvit 49, where they sell freshly baked bread like their handmade baguettes and soft, tasty brioches. But aside from that, they've also got a number of pastries like Danish, muffins and croissants. If you are planning to pay them a visit and are intent on buying stuff, be warned: their stock sells out very quickly. Their Sukhumvit 49 shop, despite having been opened for only a week, closed early a couple of days last week because their shelves were cleaned out. We suggest giving them a call and reserving what you want. Yes, they are that hot out of the oven! Once you've got your hands on their bread, we dare you not to get addicted.

Photos: Conkey's

SLOANE'S

Mon-Sat, 8am-5pm 640 Soi La Salle between soi 34 and 36 & Viva Thong Lor, Thong Lor soi 21 http://sloanes.co.th, http://fb.com/sloanesbkk

When buying meat, our go-to place is the supermarket. "Going to the butcher's" is a very rare thing to hear nowadays, but Sloane's may be bringing that back. Not only that, Sloane's also offers its customers free-range, herb-fed pork raised with ethical farming practices and products that don't use any artificial flavourings, which means you can buy and enjoy their products guilt-free. The business was started by Joe Sloane, who worked as a chef in numerous restaurants around the world and has applied what he learned about butchery to Sloane's. Their array of products include pork sausages wrapped in natural casings like bratwurst and Cumberland, as well as a number of cured items such as smoked ham, pastrami and dry-cured back bacon. You can find their items on sale at Villa Market and at most farmers' markets. You can also pay them a visit at: between Soi La Salle 34 and 36 and their newest location at Viva Market Thong Lor.

Photos: Sloane's

VIVIN

http://vivinmaison.com, http://fb.com/vivinmaison

VIVIN has been around for sometime and is well-known for offering top-quality artisanal products, from cheese and condiments to spices and foie gras. Founded by Nicolas Vivin in 2014, the shop started by selling foie gras and steadily added more items as time went on. Now, they offer a variety of products, including caviar, a number of condiments and spices, and cheeses. Aside from finding them at the Food Hall in Central Chidlom and at the Grab 'n' Go fridge at Hyatt Place, you can also order from their website where you can find a full list of the products -- and they'll deliver to your doorstep. They've also recently introduced the Apéro Box where you can get a selection of their cold cuts, cheeses and charcuterie in one nifty little, well, box, delivered to you via LINE Man, FoodPanda or HonestBee. It's the best way to sample their products. The box comes in three kinds: Classic, Vegetarian and Carnivore, covering almost everyone's preferences. You can also get them in small or large sizes.

Photos: VIVIN

AMATISSIMO CAFFÉ

http://fb.com/amatissimocaffe

Amatissimo Caffé has been around since 2012 and specialise in viennoiserie, which are baked goods. And they don't just claim it's their speciality for nothing: one look at their croissants made with imported ingredients like French butter will make your mouth water, and when you finally taste them, you'll discover that they taste as good as they look. Their croissants come in a variety of flavours: you can opt for a traditional, classic French butter croissant, or you can go for the sweet mix of chocolate and passion fruit with the Chocolate passion. Their shop used to be located behind Paradise Park but they had to close it down. They are moving to a new location sometime this year. For now, it's possible to shop online on their FB page and they'll deliver. You can also find them at LETAR Coffee Bar on Sukhumvit 39 (we did a Quick Bite on them last week) where you can pair their tasty croissants with coffee. They also sell wholesale.