Inside Bangkok’s booming breakfast scene

Chitraphan Charanachitta’s eatery is a “happy mistake.” Having taken up running six years ago, she found nowhere in Bangkok open for breakfast at 7 am, a city renowned for its late starts. Desiring craft coffee and healthy fare, Tap, which is her nickname, started cooking her own breakfast dishes. Thus, the inspiration for Tiny Cup was born. Recipes are inspired by her travels – from Mexican to Moroccan – and she works with local vendors on sourcing high quality products.

Her latest venue, (NOT JUST) ANOTHER CUP, with its signature blend coffee and açai bowls, draws in a mix of locals and ex-pats. Its loft design bursts with natural light and wooden communal tables span two floors with a small selection of seats scattered on the terrace. Cold-pressed juices, green smoothies, and superfoods overtake the menu.

Tap’s next trend is to introduce – keto plates – which include cauliflower fritters with spinach, basil oil, crispy bacon, and poached eggs.

On a quiet Sathorn side street, ALL GOOD IN THE HOOD sits in a stylish shop-house. After working in hospitality for eight years, Santi Srisongkram wanted to create his own project – a three room, 19-bed hostel with a ground floor café. The name is a nod to the local community spirit around this old Chinese canal district, today in parts untouched by the city’s modern expansion. Its frenetic streets still mix street food with local teak shop fronts selling bric-a-brac located next to hip cafés and contemporary art galleries.

Everything on the menu is sourced locally, with their signature Nitro ­coffee created by a fourth-generation coffee maker from a nearby side soi (street) using beans from northern Thailand. Barista Jose Nenonen is a Finnish native, who has been charmed by Bangkok for the past year and a half. His vegetarian tastes have influenced the all-day breakfast menu of eggplant and tomato omelets or plates of mashed purple sweet potato and pumpkin hummus.

What started as a passion project of a three-seat coffee shop within interior furniture studio Niiq, has led to several venues within three years for COFFEE CRAFTSMAN. Desiring a decent cup for themselves and to offer clients ­during meetings, the owners Rangsan and Neerapha Narathiwat started their first café and roastery in their studio space near Siam.

In 2018, the couple expanded to breakfast when they opened Coffee Craftsman within the neo-Renaissance splendor of Silpa Bhirasri’s House, the former home of artist, Corrado Feroci, a favourite of King Rama V who is credited as the father of modern Thai art.

All-day dining sees plates of English-style scones and banana bread offered alongside crunchy croissants. Craft coffee comes via Chiang Mai as well as from boutique growers in Colombia and Guatemala.

A café and homewares store in one, LUKA was born as a collaboration between Casa Pagoda owner Philippe Bramaz and four international creatives. Taking up more than four levels in leafy Silom street, the store-cum-café serves its signature Thai Iced Tea in copper mugs as well as comfort food favourites like their breakfast burrito or bacon & butter French toast.

The menu tilts towards organic and sustainable produce, and the Anglo dishes have a Thai twist. Coffee comes from northern Thailand while the food has a focus on being creative, local, and obviously fresh.

In 2018, Luka teamed up with BMW to open a second venture, Luka Moto, just off Sukhumvit Road bringing their same brunch menu north. However, come dusk, the diner serves spicy Laotian dishes created by two ex-Laos princes under the guise Funky Lam who use former royal family recipes.

Across town, coffee kings ROOTS, are famous for their iced espresso latte. Concocted by founder Varatt Vichit-Vadakan, cubes of espresso are layered in a glass and served with a side of milk and syrup; the coffee slowly melting and infusing into a creamy mix. Having begun his coffee roaster career by chance, he was inspired by his travels overseas. Returning home, Vichit-Vadakan brought his love of quality caffeine with him.

Within Vichit-Vadakan’s hip Commons complex you will find a stand-alone Roots counter at ground level, while the upstairs eatery, Roast, caters to an all-day dining menu of comfort foods by chef Johnny Liu. From eggs benedict on crunchy croissants to his beloved namesake Johnny’s Burger, it’s buzzing from opening hour.

The business sets to expand as the team are to open two more Roast and Roots − introducing their love for specialty coffee and fresh home-made food to the Bangkok masses.