A guide for coffee lovers in Chiang Mai

This is going to be very exciting because we are going to talk about the best coffee shops in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Chiang Mai, the largest city in northern Thailand is very well known for having more than 300 Buddhist temples and being the home of Doi Inthanon, the highest mountain in Thailand. With more than 2,000,000 foreign visitors per year and 20,000 living in the New City, it is no wonder that their coffee scene is flourishing.

Akha Ama Café

If you are looking for really good coffee, look no further. Good coffee comes with good skills and beans and that is what Akha Ama Cafe is all about. Not only Akha Ama Cafe serves the usual like lattes and americanos, they serve the unusual too. Special concoctions like Shakerato and Irish coffee (made with Jameson whiskey) are great paired with their scrumptious cakes and muffins that are made freshly every day.

Address: Soi 3, Mueang Chiang Mai District, Chiang Mai 50300, Thailand

Ma-Chill Espresso

There is nothing quite like Ma-Chill Espresso. Bringing coffee to another level, their menu is packed with the most creative and visually appealing coffee. Some of the drinks available in their menu are Espresso topped with Homemade Granola Taro Ice Cream (sounds like a combination of coffee, breakfast, and dessert), Iced Coffee Doughnut and Citrus Cappuccino.

Address: 11/11 Sridonchai Rd, Chiang Mai 50100, Thailand

Doppio Ristr8to

Doppio Ristr8to is widely considered to be the best coffee shop in Chiang Mai. The owner worked for many years in Australia, won awards for his latte art and brought back the secret skills of good coffee to Chiang Mai. The shop on Nimmanhaemin Road is very small with lots of low tables, and is always full. It has an indoor area that is air conditioned and lots of outdoor seating in the sun. Doppio Ristr8to is not the type of cafe to sit hours in, and people often come to drink their coffee, take photos and then leave.

Address: 15/3 Nimmanhaemin Road, Chiang Mai

Graph Café

Graph Cafe believes in simplicity. If your dream is to sip coffee in a minimal design cafe, this one is for you. Some of their newest ideas are Bangkok (cafe latte, oolong tea, boiled egg, yogurt and granola bar served in a condiment tray) and Polar Bear, which has the most beautiful ombré. If you are on run and you can’t do without coffee, they have cold brew served in the fanciest bottle.

Address: 25/1 Rajvithi Lane 1, T.Sriphoom, A.Muang, Chiangmai 50200 Thailand

Bays Café Chiang Mai

Bays Café Chiang Mai focuses on making coffee using the pour over method so there is no machine, just an impressive display of drip coffee devices for you to watch your coffee brew. Bays Cafe is attached to a restaurant called Food4Thought and they share a large open air area in a relaxing garden. There is a roof and indoor area to sit in, or you can sit at the coffee bar with barista Bay himself.

Address: 15/5 Moo 1, Soi Sudjai, off Canal road, Chang Phuak

Kafe Roubaix

Scooters are everywhere in Chiang Mai, but bicycles are now becoming a more popular form of transport for tourists and locals. Embracing this trend, Kafe Roubaix gives a discount if you show up on your bike.
Fun fact: Roubaix is a town known as the starting point of a cycling race in Paris.

Address: Nimman Soi 5, Chiang Mai

Read more: Chiang Mai Travel Guide

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6 things about Turkish coffee you may not know

Turkish coffee has become famous all around the world. But there’s much more to Turkish coffee’s story apart from its delicious taste.

History of Turkish Coffee

Coffee was first brought to Istanbul in 1555 by two Syrian traders, and by the mid-17th century it became an essential part of the Ottoman Court’s elaborate ceremonies. The sultan was served ceremoniously served coffee by his coffee makers, and this coffee ritual also played a role in marriage customs to an extent that women in the harem received thorough training regarding how the perfect brew was to be prepared. As such, potential husbands would judge a woman by her Turkish coffee-making skills. Even today, when a prospective husband’s family asks for the girl’s parents for her hand in marriage, Turkish coffee is served by the bride-to-be.

The Famous Coffeehouses

First opened in the Tahtakale neighborhood in Eminönü almost five centuries ago, coffeehouses became the main source of social life for men. They were also the main place for the dissemination of the oral culture of the Ottoman Empire and exhibition places for folk literature (such as the shadow plays of Karaköz and Hacivat). Today, the coffeehouses continue to be a place where men gather to socialize, talk politics, and play backgammon over cups of tea and coffee.

How to Cook Turkish Coffee

Turkish coffee is prepared in a cezve, a special small pot with a long handle that is traditionally made of copper. For one cup of Turkish coffee, combine one cup of water (the size of the coffee cup) and two full teaspoons of coffee. Since sugar is never added after the coffee is cooked you have to add sugar into the cezve (two sugar cubes for very sweet, one for medium sweetness, and none for the ones that like it bitter). Once the coffee comes to a boil, let the foam rise and take it off the heat right before it’s about to spill, and this will guarantee that your coffee will have lots of foam. Traditionally, Turkish coffee without foam is simply unacceptable. Serving the coffee with a glass of water (and something sweet, preferably Turkish Delight) is also part of the ritual.

UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List

Turkish coffee’s special preparation, brewing techniques, and rich communal culture made it worthy of being inscribed in 2013 into UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage List. The tradition itself has also been recognized as a symbol of hospitality and friendship, with locals meeting at coffeehouses to converse over coffee, or coffee being offered to visitors as a welcoming gesture. The beverage’s importance in social occasions was also an important factor in its inscription, with coffee being served during holidays and engagement ceremonies.

Best Place to Buy or Drink Turkish Coffee

Turkey’s most popular purveyor of Turkish coffee is Kurukahveci Mehmet Efendi, whose products can be found in every supermarket or its flagship store in Eminönü where coffee is ground fresh on a daily basis. Nuri Toplar (also in Eminönü and open since 1890) is another excellent choice and a bit of an insider’s tip. If you’d rather someone prepare and serve you coffee, drop by Mandabatmaz in Taksim or Ethem Tezçakar (who only uses coffee from Nuri Toplar) in the Grand Bazaar for traditionally prepared and excellent Turkish coffee.

Turkish Coffee and Fortune Telling

Turkish coffee cup-reading is a very popular method of fortune telling in Turkey, where the shapes left by the coffee grounds represent the past and future of the drinker. You’ll know when you’re done drinking your coffee, because a thick layer of grounds will appear at the bottom; when this happens, close the cup with the saucer, make a wish, and turn it over. Once the cup has cooled, the shapes it leaves on the side of the cup can be read, usually at a Falcı (fortune teller), many of which can be found all around the city (some better than others).

See more: 9 best coffee shops in Taipei

Source: theculturetrip

Admire design-minded ice cream shops in Asia

An ice cream renaissance is taking place around the world. Not only did the industry embrace the growing trend towards fresh, natural, and locally sourced ingredients, but more and more gelaterias decided to take dessert to a whole new level with their innovative techniques, creatively healthy options, and magazine-worthy interiors.

From Italy to Japan, have a look at some of the most beautifully designed ice cream shops across the world. Step into any one of these sweet, stylish places, and you will be swept away into a magical realm of design deliciousness.

Sweet Salvation, Dubai

Escape the desert heat at Sweet Salvation, an Instagram-worthy ice cream shop in the City Walk district of Dubai. The Toronto-based brand’s first store outside Canada has been envisioned by architecture firm Navigate Design, and the result is a funky mix of marble, black and white graphics, and bright accents in their signature pastel blue shade. Expect pimped out soft serve concoctions topped with lotus or red velvet cookie crumbs, as well as a selection of indulgent shakes, frappés, and cold-brew coffee.

Ampersand, Bangkok

Ampersand’s sleek, travel-themed design is a perfect reflection of the menu, which brims with high-quality ingredients and adventurous flavors from around the globe. Space brings to mind a futuristic airport, and its clean palette of white and navy blue with gold accents is delicately enlivened by voyage related items like world maps and souvenir magnets.

The Bangkok gelato boutique specializes in Italian style ice cream, but the frozen desserts on offer are singing with globally inspired aromas. Try Lavender for a touch of Provence, Earl Gray for a sophisticated British flavor, Yuzu for a taste of Japan; or the melt-in-your-mouth Tiramisu – which is literally Italy in a cone.

Ah-chu Ice Cream & Churros, Gimpo

Toy-like furniture and accent walls in candy-striped pink decorate this ice cream café in Gimpo, South Korea. Designed by Wanderlust, the playful locale – called Ah-chu – attracts children and adults alike with its adorable decor, colorful icy treats, and delectable churros, which seem to theatrically emerge from a dough machine before making their way to the oven.

 À tes souhaits, Tokyo

Soft lighting, natural materials, and gently curved surfaces create a sense of comfort and movement in this chocolate and ice cream shop in Tokyo’s sought-after suburb of Kichijoji. à tes souhaits, designed by Japanese studio Nendo, features beautiful geometric tiles and curved striped soil walls in subdued chocolate tones, echoing the layers of an ice cream cake in all its melted glory.

See more: The taste of Asia in 7 local dishes

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