LOOKING EVERY bit as elegant as the shops of high-end furniture brands on Siam Paragon’s third floor, the cube-like Omotesando Koffee beckons the weary shopper with its zen-like ambience. Boasting an open design and minimalist tables and chairs, the well-known Tokyo coffee outfit is an oasis of tranquillity in a chaotic world.

The Japanese tea ceremony inspired the bar’s singular approach. One barista serves a single customer, allowing the pair to share the coffee-making experience, similar to way the refined tea ceremony is conducted, with just a host and a guest.

 Tokyo’s well-known Omotesando Koffee opens its first outlet in Thailand at Siam Paragon. 

“The minimalist design is based on the beauty of the void where the subject is reduced to only the necessary element. It’s not easy to strip everything down to achieve simplicity, but I want customers to focus on the coffee much more than on other elements,” founder/barista Eiichi Kunitomo told The Nation Weekend during his brief trip to Bangkok last month for the opening.

The signature cube-style and the brand’s name are a nod to his origins.

“The word ‘koffee’, comes from the first letter of my last name in English ‘Kunitomo’ and in Kanji (the adopted Chinese characters that are used in Japanese writing) its shape looks like a cube,” he explained.

Founder/barista Eiichi Kunitomo

The menu is simply printed on plain white paper and features nothing except coffee and matcha. Baristas wear lab coat-like uniforms to represent the customer-centric approach.

“Like a pharmacist giving consultation and providing right medicine for a patient, a barista will talk with each customer to personalise a cup of coffee to match his or her taste,” he said.

Each detail of the brewing is done right before your eyes from the grinding, the setting, the drip of the espresso to the steaming of milk and the delicate pouring of the drink.

Kunitomo opened Omotesando Koffee in 2011 in a compact traditional Japanese house in the residential area of Omotesando – Tokyo’s busy business and shopping street. Originally meant to be a one-year, pop-up concept, the quality of coffee and one-on-one service drew coffee connoisseurs and it ended up staying for almost five years. It was forced to shut at the end of 2015 due to the fragile structure of the house.

He later opened the sister brand Toranomon Koffee and the bean-specialist shop Koffee Mameya in Tokyo but the brand Omotesando Koffee was recreated in 2016 for Hong Kong, his first overseas venture. Singapore got its Omotesando last year and this year it was Bangkok’s turn. A London branch is slated to open soon.

The coffee beans are carefully sourced from around the world and the roasting is done by contract roasters, mainly Ogawa Coffee Roaster in Kyoto.

“We don’t roast beans ourselves because this process should be done by professional roasters. Ogawa Coffee Roaster has been in business for 65 years and we also look for other good roasters that have expertise in beans harvested from different areas.

“A good barista should bring out the maximum flavour of the beans and understand the customers’ needs to brew a cup of coffee that will make them happy. A good cup of coffee should provide natural sweetness of beans, cleanliness, and an aromatic flavour keeping a lingering sticky mouth-feel all the way through,” said Kunitomo.

The Bangkok outlet currently offers two blends. The No 1 blend comes in medium and dark roasts as the base for espresso with beans sourced from Ethiopia, Brazil, El Salvador, and Indonesia. The No 2 blend with beans from Guatemala and Panama is for black coffee and drip coffee. Limited single-origin beans are expected to be added soon.

The Omotesando original hot coffee goes for Bt110 a cup, hot espresso (Bt105), coffee latte (Bt135), cappuccino (Bt135), and matcha latte (Bt145). A barista will make a cup of hand-drip coffee (Bt215) at your table, gently pouring 240 grams of hot water in four steps over 15-grams of ground coffee.

The espresso-based original iced coffee costs Bt150, the 12-hour cold brew (Bt170), iced mochaccino (iced cappuccino with chocolate syrup, topped with whipped cream and cocoa powder, Bt175), and iced matcha latte (Kyoto green tea with cold milk, Bt160).

Kunitomo, who took time out to visit some speciality coffee cafes in Bangkok, noted that the current Bangkok coffee culture is like that of Tokyo three years ago, when baristas were challenged to make a decent cup of coffee and people were more open to coffee trends.

“While people in Tokyo still enjoy a good cup of coffee from the speciality shops, an increasing number prefer to make their coffee at home by sourcing the beans and the right brews. This is what we call the ‘third-wave’ movement where high-quality coffee is considered an artisanal beverage like a fine wine and the origins and artisan methods of production are vital,” said Kunitomo, adding that his Koffee Mameya offers people the chance to become their own baristas.

When asked how to describe a tasty cup of coffee, Kunitomo didn’t hesitate for a second: “A cup of coffee that you enjoy drinking until it’s finished and want more. Each individual is different in the way they taste the coffee and it is our job to give every one of them a joyful experience.”

FULL OF BEANS

Omotesando Koffee is on the third floor of Siam Paragon (North zone), Bangkok and is open daily from 10 to 10.

Visit Facebook: Omotesando Koffee Thailand

Designed by chef Eric Frechon in collaboration with Chef Loic Dantec, guests can choose the anniversary menu, which will be available alongside the a la carte from September 17 to September 21 for lunch and dinner, with a special party celebration on the final evening.

The five courses feature the 114 Faubourg’s favourite dishes and such new creations as King crab eggs, ginger and lemon; smooth artichoke soup and panseared foie gras enhanced with a light black truffle emulsion; the bold marriage of roasted sole in a chicken reduction; grilled duck a la plancha, with porcini mushrooms, roasted figs and black truffle and finally fraisier, a strawberry gateau, with an aromatic gariguette sorbet.

The last night of celebration offers a candlelit dinner with live music followed by dancing and a free draw with prizes for a few lucky gourmands, and a night in one of Le Bristol’s magnificent rooms. The special anniversary menu is priced at 119 euros (Bt4,520).

Find out more at http://www.LeBristolParis.com.

Leading restaurants across Bangkok are taking part in this year’s festival, among them L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon, Chim by Siam Whisdom, Bo.lan, Suehring, Bunker, Lenzi, LeDu, Baan, Opus, Il Fumo, Issaya Siamese Club, Sensi, Sri Trat, Haoma, Freebird, Cocotte Farm Roast & Winery, Charcoal, Brasserie Cordonnier, La Casa Nostra, Acqua Restaurant, Blue Elephant, La Bottega di Luca, Birds Rotisserie, and Canvas.

Eat Drink Pink will enable guests to enjoy signature dishes, drinks and snacks prepared by Bangkok’s top chefs, culinary experts and bartenders beside the riverfront. Guests can help support the Queen Sirikit Centre for Breast Cancer Foundation, as all proceeds will be donated to support the establishment of Pink Park Village.

The second Eat Drink Pink event in October 2015 featured a charitable raffle with memorable prizes, including stays at The Peninsula hotels worldwide, and raised more than Bt1.2 million, while the third edition in November 2017 raised more than Bt1 million.

Under the royal patronage of Her Majesty the Queen, the Queen Sirikit Centre for Breast Cancer provides breast cancer diagnosis and treatment for underprivileged breast cancer patients from across Thailand. Her Majesty has described the centre as “a sanctuary for women in Thailand”. The Peninsula Bangkok is a long-time supporter of the Queen Sirikit Centre and its world-leading Pink Park Village in Bangkok, which is the world’s first non-profit holistic care and diagnostic centre and offers a hospice and convalescence home and a day-care and activity centre for breast cancer patients.

Scheduled to partially open in October, Pink Park Village provides comprehensive cancer care by an experienced team of doctors, nurses, psychologists, social workers, pharmacists and nutritionists. It has invested in advanced imaging technologies, a cutting-edge laboratory and molecular tests that were previously beyond the resources of any single institution in Thailand. The first phase is the hospice and convalescence home, which will be a sanctuary for the underprivileged patients and the terminal ones without families to look after them.

“Our vision for Pink Park Village is to be a place of hope and care, and a genuine ‘sanctuary for all women in need.’ We plan to establish it as an advanced diagnostic leader that will be a benchmark for the region,” said Dr Kris Chatamra, founder and chairman of the foundation.

In addition to supporting Pink Park Village, donations from Eat Drink Pink in previous years have contributed to transforming the second floor of Chulalongkorn Hospital into a world-leading centre for breast cancer diagnosis and treatment for underprivileged patients. The centre uses 3D cone-beam computed tomography equipment, which is the first in the world, and the only breast cancer magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) dedicated for use by disadvantaged patients in Thailand. MRI scanning creates images from various angles of soft tissue parts of the body that are difficult to view using other imaging tests and has improved the speed and accuracy of diagnosis for patients in need while removing the worry of high expenses.

Breast cancer is the leading cause of death among women in Thailand, with one in 10 Thai women likely to face the challenge during her lifetime – but more than half of patients do not have access to adequate care. Every year, more than 3,000 Thai women die of breast cancer, and more than 34,000 Thai people suffer from breast cancer, while only 1 per cent is male. Many patients have had to face recovery or death from cancer in abject squalor. Often, these patients have been forced to stay in hospital beds because they simply have nowhere to go, thereby blocking new patients from being diagnosed and treated more quickly. Thus, Pink Park Village has been brought to life to be the home for these patients.

Tickets for Eat Drink Pink 2018 are priced at Bt3,000 per person.

To reserve your seat, call (02) 020 2888 or email diningpbk@peninsula.com.

Blending French culinary techniques with premium Japanese ingredients, the star of the show is fresh salmon from Hokkaido. Rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, salmon is a nutritious source of protein, vitamin B, and essential minerals such as potassium and selenium.

Research reveals that fishing for salmon in the pristine rivers and seas off north Hokkaido dates back almost 4,000 years, and even today the island accounts for around 80 per cent of Japan’s annual salmon catch.

Diners can enjoy salmon rillettes on toasted brioche with fennel, ikura and hajikami ginger; salmon cold-smoked in-house and served with a mustard sauce, avocado, smoked tofu, and soba croutons; poached salmon in olive oil garnished with zesty fresh yuzu, panisses and sorrel butter; and finally, steamed salmon with green tea veloute accompanied by white asparagus, soya beans, and kinako. The Hokkaido salmon menu starts at Bt690-plus and is available until October 31.

Find out more or book a table at (02) 687 9000 or email elements@okurabangkok.com.

The Mid-Autumn or Moon Festival, popular among Chinese people, marks the end of the harvest season and is an occasion to worship deities. It is also a time when families and friends gather to socialise, drink tea and eat mooncakes and this year’s festival falls on September 24.

For the first time ever, Japanese-style dessert brand Kyo Roll En offers Satsuma Imo mooncake filled with sweet potatoes imported from Kyushu. Fragrant and soft, these mooncakes are packed in genuine wooden boxes with luxurious gold patterns inspired by the Zen symbol illustrated on the box.

Mango with sweet fish sauce mooncake from Narai Hotel offers a twist on the Thai dessert by blending okrong, khiew savoey and falun mangoes wrapped in dough for a fragrant, mildly sour flavour free of preservatives.

Maple Pecan mooncake from Skinni Bears was inspired by maple pecan pie for an East Meets West concept. Made from maple syrup and pecan, the filling is then wrapped with dough made from sweet potato.

Pistachio mooncake from W Hotel Bangkok combines the taste and texture of pistachio with olive oil, making this filling another unique mooncake that cannot be missed.

Another classic mooncake is the egg yolk custard piece from the Peninsula Bangkok. Every mooncake is handmade by a team of chefs at Mei Jiang Chinese restaurant using an original recipe passed on from Peninsula Hotel Hong Kong.

Custard lava mooncake from Hong Kong MX remains a best seller while almond black sesame is the latest mooncake flavour from Shangri-La Hotel Bangkok designed to delight health-conscious customers with less sugar than other fillings.

For the first time, Novotel Phuket Phokeethra presents a mixed nut filling, one of the most popular mooncake fillings. The mixed nut filling is both sweet and savoury as there are flavours from grains and pork fat.

More flavours are offered such as custard from The Athenee Hotel Bangkok and Shangri La restaurant, mangosteen from Grand China Hotel, milk tea and rose from Harrod’s, black truffle, yolk and lotus seed from Bangkok Marriott Marquis Queen’s Park Hotel and durian mooncake from Gokjai.

For every Bt1,000 spent on a single a receipt, customers can scan QR code in the SCB Easy App to receive a mooncake worth up to Bt260 from participating brands. SCB M Visa cardholders receive 8 times the points and M Card members receive 5 times the points with a purchase of Bt1,500 per receipt (limited to 1,000 throughout the campaign).

Thailife cardholders who show their membership card with their national ID card (names must match) or customers who spend Bt199 on products under ThaiNamthip brand at Gourmet Market and show their receipts can receive a mooncake from participating brands.

Enjoy an assortment of mooncakes from today (September 5) to September 25 at Paragon Department Store and from September 13 to 24 at every branch of The Mall and EmQuartier. There is even a delivery service from Lineman with a Bt75 fee (limited offer).

In the heart of the village of Alsemberg, in the Dutch-speaking Flemish Brabant region, south of Brussels, the PastaCafe is one of those that has best kept its 1920s and 1930s decor.

The bar and dark woodwork are vintage, as are the leather headrests that remain on the wooden benches.

And cracks in the multicoloured floor tiles, which date from the dawn of the last century, show how many drinkers have trod there.

“They even had a horse in here once,” says manager Ilse Rillaert, showing a picture from the 1970s or 80s as proof.

The “charming, authentic” bar is the opposite of the modern “bling” drinking haunt, says the manager, who is in her thirties.

“There is a lot of warmth, people who come to eat here feel at home with an interior like this.”

‘Only a handful’

Rillaert, who took over from her brother in 2013, says that the cafe, known to older locals by its old name De Hoorn, has served as the backdrop for an English-language costume drama by French director Francois Ozon, the 2007 film “Angel”.

It was also used by a Belgian Dutch-language pop group called Clouseau in the 1990s after they became locals because they lived nearby.

With a red-brick facade, typical of this part of Belgium and northern France, it is one of three cafes that the Flemish regional government said in August it planned to add to a selection of listed sites because of its “exceptional” interiors.

Belgium, whose thousands of beers have since 2017 boasted UNESCO World Heritage status, has hundreds of such old cafes or so-called estaminets.

“But if you want a completely intact interior, typical of the bourgeois cafes from the first half of the 20th century, there are only a handful,” says Joeri Mertens, a real estate heritage researcher for the Flemish region.

Seven of them have already been listed in the region and the three others nominated in August, including the PastaCafe, are set to be added next year after a routine public inquiry by local authorities.

The goal is to show future generations this furniture, stucco ceilings and vintage mirrors, even if it imposes some constraints on the bar owners themselves.

“They will have to seek our approval for any developments,” said Mertens, “but on the other hand, we have a budget that they can access for renovations.”

‘Hard to find’

Ilse Rillaert from the PastaCafe welcomed the scheme.

“When I quit, my successor won’t be able to ruin this place. It’s great to know it will stay like this,” she said.

Belgium’s French-speaking regions are also preserving their vintage bars.

In Brussels and Wallonia, they have been doing so since the 1980s, particularly for those in the Art Nouveau style of the famed Belgian architect Victor Horta, but there are still not many.

The Brussels cafe, A La Mort Subite (Sudden Death), which opened in 1910, benefits from protection of the interior, exterior, main floor and cellar, says its boss Bernard Moucharte.

“It’s hard to find cafes which have kept their style permanently,” says Julien Maquet, of Wallonia’s heritage agency.

The research found that East Asia and South East Asia are home to eight of the world’s 10 cheapest Michelin-grade meals and the cheapest meal is served by Liao Fan Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Rice & Noodle, a street food stall in Singapore, at the price of $2.20 (Bt72).

In Europe, the most budget-friendly Michelin-grade meal is available in Spain, with the set lunch menu at L’Antic Moli, which is located between Barcelona and Valencia, costing just $16.90 (Bt553). Meanwhile, the USA’s cheapest Michelin-star meal at Al’s Place in San Francisco starts from $18 (Bt589).

“The Michelin Guide catalogues the best restaurants in the world, but with some tasting menus costing upwards of $500, these restaurants are largely inaccessible and off limits to many travellers. Food is without a doubt one of the most exciting parts of travelling. A meal can make or break a trip, but it can be hard to distinguish the good eateries from the bad when visiting a foreign country,” says Christian Suwarna, senior vice president of business development at Traveloka.

Although the vast majority of restaurants featured have achieved one Michelin star, Tuju, a two-star Sao Paulo restaurant, also made the list, where a set lunch menu costs just $21.80.

To put these costs into perspective, a truly dedicated foodie could afford to dine at all 50 of the cheapest Michelin-grade restaurants ($1,759) for the same price as a single sitting at the world’s most expensive restaurant, Ibiza’s Sublimotion, where a set menu costs $1,761.

“Amongst these eye-wateringly expensive menus are some surprisingly affordable options, offering top-quality meals at prices even the most budget-conscious traveller could swallow,” Suwarna adds.

“Our guide to the world’s cheapest Michelin-starred meals gives people the opportunity to experience beautiful, boast-worthy food without the hefty price tag this type of fare typically comes with. This means diners can fill their Instagram feeds whilst filling their stomachs — safe in the knowledge that they won’t have to empty their bank accounts to pay for it.”

Lin Heung’s traditional homemade dishes, including cha siu bao (barbecue pork buns), har gow (shrimp dumplings) and ma lai go (Cantonese sponge cake), have earned a loyal following from locals with a taste for nostalgia, as well as inquisitive tourists.

The two-story restaurant in the bustling Central district has multiple top listings in global travel guides and serves customers from 6:00 am until 10:00 pm, seven days a week.

Diners sit elbow-to-elbow at shared round tables, metal spittoons still tucked beside them, the walls hung with decorative bird cages and traditional Chinese numerals used for menu prices.

But the restaurant says the building’s new owner has not yet contacted them about renewing their lease, despite it expiring early next year, and they feel in the dark about the landlord’s intentions.

That has sparked fears that Lin Heung will be the latest Hong Kong culinary treasure to fall foul of the city’s thirst for redevelopment.

The building’s landlord, CSI Properties, told AFP it could not comment on the case.

Lin Heung’s possible demise has been widely reported by local media and worried regulars say they are visiting as much as they can in case it closes.

Retiree Mr Yip, 80, says he is coming more often to enjoy his favorite dish of pork liver siu mai — a kind of dumpling — and freshly made tea.

Dim sum is often paired with a cup of Chinese tea in a tradition known as “yum cha”, literally “drink tea”.

“It’s my habit to sip a cup of Chinese tea and greet everyone here every week. The tea is special and the people too,” Yip told AFP.

“I feel comforted when I see the staff. It feels like home.”

‘Sense of belonging’ 

The city’s housing market was crowned the most expensive in the world in 2017 — the most recent figures available — according to US-based Demographia and developers clamor for prime real estate.

The selling off of older buildings, as well as spiraling rents, has spelled the end for a number of family-run neighborhood favorites across Hong Kong.

Lin Heung is one of the city’s oldest Cantonese restaurant businesses and is run by the Ngan family, who arrived from the southern Chinese province of Guangdong and set it up in 1926.

It now has three outlets in Hong Kong and has moved its restaurants around over the decades.

The Central venue on Wellington Street is its main restaurant and has been in the same spot for 22 years.

Restaurant spokesman Terence Lam said the current lease would end in March 2019 and he hoped the restaurant would not have to close.

“It’s not only a business. It embodies the legacy of the past,” Lam told AFP. “It represents the hardship of our ancestors.”

Local food writer Wilson Fok said the evolution of “yum cha” culture was intertwined with Hong Kong’s history as numerous mainland dim sum chefs fled to the former British colony in the 1950s after civil war ravaged China.

He describes the atmosphere inside restaurants like Lin Heung as a “piece of history”.

“Going to ‘yum cha’ is not just a cultural habit where people consume food, but also a way of life that shapes our identity,” said Fok.

“Some of these old traditions are often lost in our fast-paced society,” he added.

Tourists visiting the tea house said they appreciated the restaurant’s traditional approach — a rarity now in Hong Kong.

“We usually sit with family or friends in China. But here, we share tables with people we don’t know,” said 20-year-old mainland Chinese visitor Wu Yutung.

Brazilian tourist Marcelo Garcia, 47, who said he had never before eaten dim sum, described Lin Heung as “an environment with a huge amount of energy”.

“People probably come here again because they feel a sense of belonging,” he said.

All packages are made with highest quality Siamese crocodile skin from certified farms adhering to the international CITES regulations and laws to protect wildlife species. Only eight elite Crocodile Mooncake Boxes will be produced for ultimate exclusivity – number 8 symbolising prosperity, success, and fortune in Chinese culture.

The sophisticated ruby red skin is accented with the finest cow leather in a 24-carat gold tone and each box is adorned with a meticulous lotus motif hand painted by a skilled Thai artist. The exclusive Crocodile Mooncake Box is priced at Bt288,888.

The octagon shaped box opens from the front revealing four drawers inside, with each drawer containing a freshly baked mooncake. The box’s timeless style is designed for use after the festival as an elegant display or jewellery box.

The Mocha & Muffins bakery offers two additional specially designed mooncake boxes holding four of the delicacies. The elegant octagon Red Velvet Leather Box with four drawers is yours for Bt1,600-plus (170 g per piece), the Premium Red Velvet Box, which a standout half-moon design opens up to a full-moon shape revealing a golden lotus symbol, costs Bt950-plus (60 g per piece).

Handcrafted mooncakes are available in four classic fillings, namely custard, Green Tea, Durian Single Yolk and Jujube Single Yolk.

Find out more at (02) 126 8866 extension 1226 or email mochamuffins.asia@anantara.com.

Proceeds from sales fund art scholarships for underprivileged students.

The hotel’s famous egg-custard mooncakes are presented in an embroidered gift box that draws inspiration from a Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival folk tale about the Goddess of the Moon and a rabbit, as well as the classic Thai poem “Jun Euey Jun Jao” (“Dear Moon”).

This famous poem about an elder sibling making a wish to the moon has long enchanted Thai children and been adapted into a popular lullaby.

Inside Phannapast’s box is a music box that plays the well-known Chinese song “The Moon Represents My Heart” by Teresa Teng. On the back cover is a pink rabbit surrounded by the moon and Thai flowers and birds, which is the artist’s signature motif in all of her artworks.

It costs Bt4,980, which will help a student secure a four-year scholarship to study for a bachelor’s degree in fine and applied arts at Chulalongkorn University.

Phannapast has become a much sought-after artist, whose work is instantly recognisable amd merge her Thai-Chinese background, fashion experience, love of animals and aesthetic obsession with tribal art.

The 30-year-old caught the world’s attention when Gucci creative director Alessandro Michele came across her vibrant beasts wearing Gucci’s cruise collection on her Instagram page.

He invited her to contribute to the “#GucciGram Tian” digital talent project in 2016 and last year she was commissioned again to create a stunning fairytale book and installation with her writer friend Aracha Cholitgul to promote Gucci’s Le Marche des Merveilles jewellery line.

Instagram last year invited her to design a fun backdrop for its headquarters in New York. Luxury Thai silk brand Jim Thompson has her printed wallpaper collection. She also designed the logo and illustrations for the “20 Amazing Thai Experiences” programme created to celebrate the Peninsula Bangkok’s 20th anniversary.

Order your box of mooncakes at (02) 020 2888, diningpbk@peninsula.com or http://www.Peninsula.com/bangkok.