Cafe Hopping in Bangkok

If you are like me, Bangkok would be the last city you would want to go for a holiday, because its hot and humid weather meant wet and sticky clothes throughout the day. I went to Chatuchak once, and I told myself I would NEVER go to that place, because of the heat and because there was nothing interesting for me to shop and see anyway.

But in the unlikely event that you do have to go to Bangkok, and has a day to spare, cafe-hopping would be the best activity to kill time. The following cafes I recommend are near BTS stations and had strong air-conditioning, which meant minimal sweating and maximal chillax 😀 😀

Mr Jones’ Orphanage

If you like Teddy Bears, and enjoyed stories the like of Enid Blyton and Roald Dahl, then this would be a fascinating cafe to be at.

Although called an orphanage, it was not designed like one. Instead, the design theme was railroad. Seats were booths fashioned after train carriages, and teddy bears big and small were on wagons, or hung from ropes, that were placed on wooden tracks that snaked throughout the cafe, mostly in between booths.

Unlike I’m Here, though, many of the bears were beyond reach, and were meant for decorative purposes. The design theme was wooden, warm and intimate. Too intimate for me, I would say, because I barely fit in the booth seat lol

The coffee had bear coffee art on the froth and the cups had cute words written on the interior. The cakes were also cute; I ordered a carrot cake and there was literally a carrot design on the icing.

The food was definitely insta-worthy, and were buay pai jia (i.e. not fantastic, but edible)in Singaporean terms. After all, the teddy bears were supposed to be the purpose of the visit! Who cares about coffee made from coffee machines?

Anyway, the lighting in the cafe is very dim (although it faced the main road), so do bring along your lights if you want to take plenty of photos!

Mr Jones’ Orphanage is located at Terminal 21, just beside Asok BTS Station.

Mr. Jones’ Orphanage

285 Soi Sukhumvit 19, Khlong Toei Nuea,
Watthana, Bangkok 10110, Thailand

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White Flower Factory

This was a chic, spacious cafe at Siam Square One. It was so big that there was a separate section that looked out to the BTS (Asok Station, to be exact) and therefore brightly lit (i.e. not my type of place). The interior of the cafe on the other hand was dim, quiet and yes, the aircon was super shiok in there.

WFF specialised in cakes, and coconut cakes especially. During my visit, the coconut cake ran out, so I ordered a tea cake instead.

The cake was jelly like, reminiscing agar agar. It was fascinating to see it tremble at every movement, that I made a boomerang video of it!

I loved the very peaceful ambience, and the super soft and comfy sofa. So much so I was slumping in the sofa and drifting off to sleep!

White Flower Factory

Pathum Wan, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
whiteflowerfactory.com
+66 2 252 2646

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After You Dessert Cafe

This is a star; it was one of the Japanese bingsu cafes that attracted long queues throughout Bangkok.

The cafe had its own storefront, since it was at the ground level facing the main road, so it would be difficult to miss it! The full-length windows also made the cafe bright and warm, and thankfully the air conditioning was ramped up to mitigate the heat from the sun!

If you go to After You, you must try its mango sticky rice! 🙂 😀 😀 Inspired from the famous Thail dessert, it was a new rendition with a Korean bingsu twist 🙂

At first sight, it was a normal bingsu, with mango-infused ice shaving making it a delicious-looking orange mountain. Atop this mountain was melted marshmallow in white gooey goodness. Once served, with its unique wooden tray and foodware, you get to pour mango syrup over the bingsu and watch it flow down and drip from the edge (if you are with your friend, both of you will exclaim in unison at the wasted heavenly juice).

When you first dig in, you will taste the usual suspects: mango chunks and icing, mixed with the sweetness of marshmallow. After you clear much of the mountain of ice, you will then find the real goodness beneath: Sticky Rice! Yes, it was not called Mango Sticky Rice for nothing! And yes, having sticky rice to finish off the dessert was a great idea!

After You was also a cafe with a store attached, so one could shop for one of its cute knick-knacks, either while waiting to be seated, or after finishing a gratifying round of dessert!

After You

Siam Square Soi 7, Khwaeng Pathum Wan,
Khet Pathum Wan,
Krung Thep Maha Nakhon 10330, Thailand
afteryoudessertcafe.com
+66 2 115 1949

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3 Cafes 1 Afternoon

After You is situated at the back of Siam Square One (right across Hello Kitty Cafe), away from Asok BTS. I suggest you come straight to After You at about 11am, so that you will beat the crowd. Then, proceed to White Flower Factory at the front of the building for lunch, since it serves main course items too. Top off the brunch outing with one of the special cakes there.

Go on to Terminal 21 for a round of shopping, to walk off that sin you took in earlier on. Once you feel you have found salvation, pop into Mr Jones’ Orphanage for a cuppa and a crazy session of photo taking.

This should take 1 afternoon and keep you from the crazy sun and humid weather!

pssst! I have followed up this post with 2 more ways to do cafe hopping – one in EmQuartier and one in The Commons. More ideas for you when you plan for your long weekend getaway in Bangkok!

[Stay] Let’s Play Hide and Seek in the Room: Mode Sathorn Hotel
[Stay] Grande Centre Point Terminal 21
[Stay] Amari Watergate Hotel
[Eat] Cafe Hopping in Bangkok 2 – For Lazy Buggers
[Eat] Cafe Hopping in Bangkok 3 – For Lazy Hipsters