Tropical countries are trending vacation spots recently. Warm weather, friendly people, low prices… this time I’m going to talk about cafes in Vietnam and Thailand, still developing but very well-structured and modernized ‘future star’ countries.
Tropical Forest Cafe, Hanoi
(another name: Fordeer Cafe)
Thanks to the colonization by French decades ago, there are billions of cafe in Vietnam, most are good and super cheap. It’s hard for me to choose from them, but there are two which are really special.
Tropical Forest Cafe locates a bit far from the city centre, hidden in a super-local area. The architect wants to create a tropical forest inside a concrete forest, bringing fresh air and natural light into a green space, using natural wood and different plant species.
The open-glass roof with timber partition acts as a filter for air and sunlight.
Along with the cafe, there is a plant store. The arrangements of the pots are simple and stylish, and there are also different decorative gardening tools.
I ordered Vietnamese Coffee with coconut cream. Like coffee from other Vietnamese cafes, it’s super rich and condensed. But normally Vietnamese coffee comes in a small size, about 1/3 of the cup above. As a person who easily gets tense muscles by caffeine, I could barely finish half of the cup. There are also smoothies and herbal teas on the menu, not bad, quite sweet.
Taking Grab (Vietnamese Uber) would be the easiest access option.
The street has some other cute boutiques and bakeries.
Cafe A99, Hanoi
Located on the famous Train Street, Cafe A99 is right next to the rail track. For safety reasons, the cafes have to be closed down for a while. Now a few cafes are back, but the trains are temporary blocked.
There are no trains and the road was a bit dusty, so I gave up the road side.
I went upstairs, the interior is consistent in woody color with checkered tiles. Sadly I ordered something like a custard, I didn’t remember the name but I was imagining sth like ‘eggnog’, it wasn’t. It was some cocoa/coffee powder mix with thick custard, like what I messed with in mum’s kitchen, definitely not a ‘drink’. My partner ordered ‘hong tra vai‘, it’s lychee tea with syrup. Really good, with lots of fruit inside. The price is super cheap, like 2 USD a drink.
Cafes in Vietnam always have spiral staircase, and the drinks are super sweet with strong flavors. There are dessert and coffee shops on every corner, but Vietnamese are generally super slim.
Although I have heard of frauds/theft targeting tourists, my experience was very good. Vietnamese are lively and friendly, food and drinks are cheap and delicious. All good except the hopeless traffic 😉
website
Organika Cafe, Bangkok
There is a spa on the upper floor and there are glooming products on sale.
Organika House is famous for its aromas, promoting the use of organic scented ingredients.
The cafe is designed as a giant glasshouse, as glasshouse is a symbol of merging nature and science.
Aromatherapy products are scattered all over the cafe. The barista and chef have their working space at the center, to prepare drinks and light snacks.
We ordered egg benedict with salmon and scallop pasta. It tastes good and refreshing. There are kales and unique mix of herbs and spice, with freshly made fruity sauce. Very unusual combination yet super healthy.
The seats are pretty comfortable, but very limited. With the special interior, it can get really crowded. The drink was nothing special, but with this environment, I was quite satisfied. A typical cafe not for coffee.
Having a drink out the balcony is a good idea. (or not, it’s not that spacious)
Thongyoy Cafe, Bangkok
Lovely cafe with many many flowers and a cozy bar area.
The cafe is quite far from the ARI BTS station, but still worth a visit as it sells traditional Thai dessert.
You can find all sort of tropical fruits in the most popular set. Passionfruit, coconut, dragonfruit… no durian if it’s your concern. Umm… new experience. I’m not ok with the cake, the passionfruit sauce is too sour and watery. The small bowls have something like jelly/pudding, with chewy bits of fruit like pomegranate? I was overwhelmed with the excitement of trying new things, I couldn’t give a rating coz I have no idea what it is. The coconut pudding? is super good tho.
Very instagrammable. (even for someone hating selfies like me) The drinks were made of butterfly peas (blue color) and rose (pink color). The taste was more natural than the outlook lol
The location is quite inconvenient and the cafe is small. But still worth to try, coz there are not many fancy cafes selling traditional desserts.
After You Cafe, Bangkok
After You has many branches in Thailand. Most customers are at their young age, but instead of fancy colors, the brand uses a sophisticated subtle design. Warm and comfortable.
The cafe is famous for its ‘kakigori‘ (Japanese-style shaved ice with syrup/sweeteners). Huge, great visual impact with very strong flavor. I had a hard time pouring the Thai tea syrup onto the ice evenly, without an avalanche. Sometimes I had a headache when consuming frozen stuff. But this one was creamy enough, it’s a lot more milky than a frappe, so I was totally fine, as if I was chewing a frozen muffin.
There are branches at many of the tourist spots. Give it a try if you have time.
A word to conclude…
Tropical regions in Asia tend to blend in natural elements into their design. And in fact, their lives still strongly rely on all sort of natural resources. Sincerely hoping that people who grown up under this culture, can understand the beauty of nature with respect, without over-using the ingredients.
Norms & Weirdos 