The BigChilli
  • Home
  • ONLINE MAGAZINE
  • News
  • Promotions
  • Features
  • Restaurant Reviews
  • What's on
  • Social Events
  • The BigChilli TV
  • About Us
    • About Us
    • Social Media
    • Pricavy Policy
  • Contact us

New on the scene: % Arabica and MARTIN'S English Cafe

16/7/2020

Comments

 
Picture

​% Arabica opens first store in Thailand at ICONSIAM

Japanese specialty coffee brand % Arabica has launched its first store in Thailand in the heart of ICONSIAM.

Welcoming guests to experience its coffee in Thailand for the very first time. ªIn recent years, Thailand's coffee scene has exploded across the country and become entwined in the everyday way of life,º said Kenneth Shoji, founder of % Arabica. ªWe are thrilled to introduce our brand's craftsmanship, high-quality specialty coffee, mindful service and the Japanese sense of beauty to Thailand.º Designed by Tokyo-based No.10 of Nomurakougeisha, the 250 square-metre store is notable for its clean, minimalist interior and illuminated floor which works with the mall's existing glamourous atmosphere.

% Arabica offers a concise coffee menu showcasing the world's best beans. Customers are invited to choose between the % Arabica blend or a Single Origin offering.

The Bangkok menu offers Espresso based coffees (espresso, espresso macchiato, Americano, coffee latte, and the brand's unique Spanish latte).

ICONSIAM:1F 299 Charoen Nakhon Rd, Khlong Ton Sai, Khlong San, Bangkok
https://arabica.coffee
Facebook: Arabica Thailand
Instagram: Arabica.Thailand
Picture
Picture

MARTIN'S English Cafe

A trip back to England in 2019, pre-Covid. A walking tour around the historic Royal City of Bath. A traditional Afternoon Tea. Scones and cakes. Ice-cream. Luxury. But all too soon our sojourn was over, and my daughter Sara and I returned to our home in Bangkok.

It was only a short time later, over a Christmas dinner, that we found ourselves thinking about our time back in the UK. We decided we didn't want to have to wait until our next trip (who knows when that might be possible) to enjoy once again the unique ambiance of an English cafe atmosphere.

We wanted to have that experience in Bangkok, and we set about making that vision become a reality. Sara found a great location in the popular Ari district, we signed contracts in January, and excitedly began the process of creating our cafe, from scratch, from a blank canvas. And then the coronavirus hit.

Our original opening date was April 1st, but that proved to be a no no, due to the lockdown. Hotels, restaurants, pubs, and cafe's, all had to shut their doors to customers. The delay, however, did grant us more time to get the place ready, which we definitely needed. A lot of the equipment we had ordered to fit out the cafe was sourced from China, the epicentre of the outbreak, and nothing was being shipped out to customers around the world.
China, though, being the first to experience the outbreak, and the first to shutdown, was also the first to start opening up, and we received our orders in late April. It was all go again, and we used the extra time we had been given to refine the decor, inside and out. The Thai government notified the hospitality industry that hotels and restaurants could reopen on June June Ist.

On the big day we nervously opened the doors of MARTIN'S English Cafe, and waited for our first customers. We were lucky. The first two to come through the door in the morning were popular bloggers, and by the afternoon people were arriving who might have seen their posts.

The following days saw a steady flow of customers arriving to take photos of themselves, the food and the cafe, as well as journos from magazines and more bloggers. The customers appear to like the venue, and the cakes and drinks. The USP (unique selling point) of the place is threefold; great decor and location; homemade typically English cakes and pastries, including cool drinks and premium ice-cream; a mix-tape of retro English music to listen to, combined with the current UK Top 40 toonz.
Picture
And once there you can sit and chat with your friends in the cool aircon seating inside, or relax at the handmade tables and matching armchairs outside.

MARTIN'S English Cafe is on both
Facebook and Instagram: Robin Westley Martin
Comments

    RSS Feed

    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture

    Categories

    All
    Attractions
    Business
    Crime
    Dining
    Diplomats
    Expat Women
    Fashion
    Feature
    Gourmet
    Health
    History
    Hotels
    Hot List
    Hua Hin
    Insight
    Motoring
    Patpong
    Schools
    Special Discs
    Sport
    Steak
    Technology
    Travel


    calendar of events


    Picture
Picture
About  |   Emag  |  Subscribe (print)  |  Newsletter |  Contact Us  | Advertise 

FOLLOW US

CURRENT ISSUE

2019 - 2021 so Far

The BigChilli July 2020
Jan 2021
FEB 2021
March 2021
April 2021
May 2021
June 2021
August
October
November 2021
December 2021
March- April 2022
Copyright © 2018 The BigChilli Co., Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
No. 8/2 FMA Group Bldg., 4th Floor, Room 401
Convent Road, Silom, Bangrak, Bangkok 10500

Tel: 02 635 5085 Fax: 02 635 5086  email: thebigchillimagazine@gmail.com

  • Home
  • ONLINE MAGAZINE
  • News
  • Promotions
  • Features
  • Restaurant Reviews
  • What's on
  • Social Events
  • The BigChilli TV
  • About Us
    • About Us
    • Social Media
    • Pricavy Policy
  • Contact us