Battle the year-round heat in Thailand with these cafes that offer a zesty range of food and drink options, all focused around a single fruit
Oh! Vacoda Cafe
Oh! Vacoda (a play on the word "avocado") is a cafe whose decor is catchy and curious. The interiors are a playful space that looks like a Wes Anderson's film set while the kitchen doles out Western and Thai fusion food with a twist. Don't expect to find your run-of-the-mill avocado toast or guacamole here. Instead, marvel at original creations such as the Avocado bacon pancake with soufflé (B235), which is a stack of American-style pancakes studded with chunks of avocado and bacon, then topped with an egg white soufflé that's been slow-baked until it forms a cloud-like shape. Even the Pad kaprao (B190), is accompanied by an unlikely side of crispy avocado fries.
The cafe offers homemade avocado tea, which is made by steeping avocado seeds in hot water. It may not taste like anything in particular but is believed to contain many health benefits, such as reducing oxidation and inflammation. If you're after something richer, choose the Avoothie (B150) -- an avocado smoothie that is slightly sweetened and has no milk or ice.
When the sun dips below the horizon, the cafe's lights are dimmed and the neon lights are switched on. The place turns into a fruit-focused bar, that shakes up refreshing glasses of avocado-based drinks.
Open daily 11am-8pm / Ari Samphan 4 / Call 080-569-7892, visit fb.com/ohvacodabkk.
The Hass Bistro
This cafe's main (and only) draw is the avocado but it manages to present it in many delectable ways. Though the name of the place may not hint at avocados to many, aficionados of the fruit would instantly recognise the reference to one of the most appetising avocado varieties, the Hass.
Known for its smooth creamy texture, avocados usually boast a hefty pricetag of B89 per piece, which explains the ridiculously small amount of it served, when one orders an avocado dish at most eateries in Bangkok. But here, you can expect things to be different. The cafe, which imports the Hass from New Zealand, wants to give customers exactly what they yearn for: a heavy load of avocado on every dish.
When you're here, you must get the Avo Burger (chicken B335 or prawn B395). Instead of a bun, an avocado is halved and used to encase a meat patty, cheese and thin slices of tomatoes, onions and lettuce. To complement your meal, get the Avocado milkshake (B120), which may sound rich but is actually frothy and light. Grab a slice of the Avocado cheesecake (B250), served with avocado sauce, for dessert. It's not too sweet and is sized for one person to enjoy.
The cafe is housed in a two-story building, with a greyish, ocean blue facade. The interiors are casual and minimalist, with polished concrete floors, pastel decor and dangling potted plants. The walls are colourfully plastered with drawings of avocados and make the cafe an Instagramable spot.
Open daily 10am-8pm / Sukhumvit 49 / Call 061-424-1905, visit fb.com/thehassbistro.
Coro Field Dessert
The succulent Tomi Melon from Hokkaido is the star performer of this organic farm in Ratchaburi. It's the main ingredient in almost every dish at the farm's on-site cafe -- from bread to yoghurt to soft-serve ice cream and tea.
Last year, the farm unveiled six activity zones that include Coro House, where you can harvest your own melons; Coro Cottage, which hosts crafting workshops; Coro Market; Coro Garden; G.I.Y. Cafe; and Coro Field Cafe, which specialises in Japanese-Thai fusion cuisine and melon-based desserts. However, you do not have to travel for two hours to get the taste of their melon delight as the farm has a Coro Field branch in CentralWorld. A few exciting, new creations have been added to its menu, along with a wide range of organic cold-pressed juices.
But don't get smitten with the newcomers. What you really must order are the cafe's all-time hits, namely the Melon katsuo (B165), which are wedges of melon served with Japanese dried fish flakes and balsamic vinegar, and the Tomi melon papaya salad (B165). Then, pick between a refreshing glass of Tomi melon soda (B115), or a much richer Tomi melon yoghurt milkshake (B155), to wash it all down.
One of the most delectable desserts is the Tomi melon lava pan (B85), which sees a stream of warm, gooey melon custard flowing out of a melon-flavoured sweet bread. Equally good is a simple wedge of Tomi melon (B50), served cold and in bite-size chunks. It's so refreshing and sweet that you won't believe nothing has been added to it!
Open daily 11am-8pm / CentralWorld, Rama I Road / Call 092-569-4791, visit fb.com/corofieldTH.
All Coco Cafe
When one of Bangkok's biggest coconut water exporters decided to launch its own cafe, it was, needless to say, going to be all about coconuts. Even before the cafe opened in 2016, All Coco was already a familiar name to many because of its stands in large shopping malls and supermarkets. The stands sell a variety of healthy, dairy-free coconut desserts and beverages, such as Coconut soft serve (B100), Coco snowflake (a coconut slushy with zero sugar added, B89) and Coconut pudding (B45). All Coco Cafe, however, busts out much heftier treats that are loaded with coconut. These include the Coconut toast (a very buttery honey toast topped with chocolate coconut ice-cream, B125) and the Coconut waffle with caramelised banana slices (B125).
All the drinks in the cafe feature either coconut milk or coconut water. We recommend that you try the Coconut chocolate frappé (B130) if you are in an indulgent mood. There is also a simpler concoction, like the Iced coconut frappé (B130), which comes with a healthy shot of coconut milk.
For those who live far from Central Festival Eastville, but would love to get a taste of All Coco treats, the brand has 17 takeaway booths across the city and another one in Terminal 21 Pattaya. Branches in Bangkok are in malls like EmQuartier, Siam Paragon and CentralWorld. Visit their FB page for more locations.
Open Mon-Fri 10am-8pm, Sat-Sun 9am-5pm / Central Festival Eastville, On La-iat Alley / Call 063-203-6091, visit fb.com/Thai.Allcoco.
39280 Mango Cafe
This one-year-old cafe dishes out creative mango-forward meals that are inspired by Thai favourites. Unusual but tasty offerings include Mango and minced pork kaprao (B155), Mango fritters (B155) and Mango sticky rice on toast (B165). They may sound gimmicky but these unlikely food combinations manage to come together quite well. For example, the pungent stir-fried pork basil rice, which boasts heavy doses of chilli and garlic, is offset nicely by sweet, cooling chunks of mango. Meanwhile, the mango fritters will bring to any Thai person's mind, classic fried-bananas that are often sold at street-side stalls. They are served with a coconut cream cheese dip, which the fritters are probably better off without.
For dessert, you wouldn't want to miss the Mango sticky rice sundae (B185), which sees mango, butterfly pea sticky rice and homemade coconut ice-cream layered in a glass that is the size of a Starbucks' grande cup, topped with whipped cream. It's undeniably rich and heavy, certainly best ordered for sharing.
From the outside, the cafe appears very small, but it is actually sprawled across two floors. On the ground level, the minimalistic space feels welcoming with its down-to-earth vibe, heavy neutral tones and wood accents, while the second floor offers a rustic, vintage feel with dark concrete walls and neon lights. The cafe can seat about 15 people with social distancing.
Open daily 11am-5pm / Maha Rat Road / Call 092-616-6216, visit www.39280mangocafe.com.
Make Me Mango
This tiny cafe has an industrial-loft look, with polished marble furnishing. The bright yellows and soft brown decor evokes a fun, lively vibe that matches with the cafe's playful name. However, when it comes to its dessert game, Make Me Mango is very serious. It stays true to its main focus, the mango, which gets featured in every confection served.
When you're there, go ahead and indulge in the cafe's signature item, Make me mango (B235) -- an all-star platter of mango sticky rice, mango ice cream, mango pudding, mango panna cotta, vanilla custard sauce and crispy mung beans. The Mango sundae (B185) is also delectable. It is an ice-cream scoop of sticky rice sandwiched between two generous scoops of mango ice-cream and topped with fresh mango. If you wish for something lighter, try the Mango bingsu (B265), milk-flavoured shaved ice topped with mango ice-cream, served with fresh mango cubes.
Open daily 10am-7pm / King Power Rangnam, Phaya Thai Road / Call 02-677-8518, visit fb.com/makememango.
Nuifruits
Fruit lovers can enjoy a wide fruit selection at Nuifruits Orchard in Sam Phran district, Nakhon Pathom. Choices vary from the more common fruits such as lychee, rambutan, durian and mangosteen to exotic finds, like rambeh and santol. Visit the orchard's FB page to see what is available. Delivery is free and requires a minimum order of 5kg. The sole exception, however, is the durian, for which delivery fees are between B99-199 depending on weight.
Call 098-828-9959, visit fb.com/nuifruits.
Thai Niyom Orchard
This family-run orchard in Chanthaburi is distributing mangosteens fresh from their garden to your doorstep. One delivery box packs 5kg of the fruit and costs B600. If you order 10kg, the orchard offers a discounted price of B790, down from the usual B950. Delivery is available across Thailand and is free.
Call 087-905-9222 or Line @chula_ya.
Tee's Lychee
Local Chiang Mai farmer, Teekon Chankitkumjohn is bringing his lychees grown in Fang district to the city. Shipping is free and available across the country, but a minimum order of 3kg is required. Customers can choose their favourite variety of lychee from the following options: Ohia (B400), Emperor (B450), Hong Huay (B370), Kim Jeng (B480) and Taisho (B490) for 3kg orders.
Call 085-447-5810 or Line @tee4x4.
Suan Lung Prasert (Uncle Prasert Orchard)
Fancy some durian? Hit up Uncle Prasert for fresh durian delivered from his orchard in Taphong sub-district of Rayong. Durian varieties available for purchase are Mon thong (B180-B200 per kg), Cha nee (B100-B120 per kg) and Kan yao (B350-B400 per kg). The delivery fee is B150 per box. g
Call 085-277-0684, visit bit.ly/2zVqIFE.
