If one thing can be said for sure of modern Chiang Mai, it’s that we can’t seem to get enough cafes. Check out these three new spots, where you can get your caffeine fix as well as a spot of food and spend the day soaking up the atmosphere.
Hohm
Tucked away in the back sois of Jed Yod, Hohm Coffee and Tea Shop provides a welcome escape from the city into a beautiful, grassy wonderland of tranquillity, with live music every weekend afternoon. Hohm means “togetherness” in Northern Thai, and is a family business offering a homey atmosphere for all who visit. Their Hohm coffee is mixed with the best Ceylon tea leaves to create a bittersweet beverage served with fresh milk in a glass – just add to taste. Their Military Tea is based on green tea but is not too sweet and their Mexicano is served with a shot of Kahlua! Passionfruit jam cakes and warm brownies are favourites and even their savoury dishes are unique, with red chilli fried rice served with fried pork that brings the tastes of the north right to your table. Hohm also serves gaba, a rice flour malt drink, served with chocolate – it’s great for your health and fills you up, equivalent to one plate of rice!
Open daily, 10am – 6pm
Ban Phae Soi 6, Jet Yod
www.facebook.com/hohmcafe
097 923 4587
8e88 Cafe
The young 8e88 Cafe (try saying it with a Thai accent – it’s the sound Thais make for a cockerel!), sits in a peaceful green area on the outer city ring road, and serves up outstanding salads, steaks and pasta by the skilled hands of Chef Moo. 8e88 farm provides the 8e88 Cafe with all their organic vegetables, and is one of only two salad producers in all of Chiang Mai to receive an official “Organic in Thailand” award. The owners also produce their own homemade salad creams and dressings – which are to die for (no gloppy scoops of mayo here!). Their pork nachos topped with cheese and their succulent roasted scallops with cheese salad is sure to excite dairy lovers. But their salmon steak served on a bed of beautifully crafted arrabbiata sauce takes the crown, with tastes only comparable to your favourite restaurant back at home, or the skilled cooking of your grandmother.
Open daily, 11am – 10pm (closed Mondays)
121 Outer Ring Road, next to Som Wang Village
www.facebook.com/8e88cafe
085 104 709, 082 450 7315
Green Caffeine
Nestled in the side of the Tawangtan Road, Green Caffeine is a quaint stop off for a coffee before heading on the road again. The proprietor, Pop, who once owned Jao Noi Cafe, drinks coffee every day and made it his aim in life to share his coffee experiences with everyone else. His new coffee shop is located right next to his home, and he runs the place as though it were one and the same. His parent’s geese often visit the shop too! Drinks start at only 40 baht and cakes, handmade by Pop’s brother, go for no more than 60 baht a pop (no pun intended!). Their homemade macaroons are only 20 baht a piece and tasty to boot. With art on the walls (some for sale) and all manner of collected trinkets, Green Caffeine, with its strong green themes and live hanging plants, turns simple roadside coffee into something much more special.
Open daily, 10am – 6pm
11/1 Moo 2 Tawangtan Road
Facebook: Green Caffeine
085 361 5111