Real coffee in HH

[MeMock]

Hi all,

I have tried a few different places now but still no luck in finding the type of coffee that I like. I prefer a hot Cappuccino, Latte or Mocha. Imported coffee beans (prefer from Laos), full cream milk, plenty of foam (for the cappo) served nice and hot.

Would love to find a small place and stay away from the chains and the hotels. Cheers in advance.

[PeteC]

On my side of the pond over here many 'Boncafe' have sprung up everywhere. Strangest places, like next to the car wash, next to almost every school etc. It seems to be a franchise many Thais like to get involved in as assume not too expensive to start up and you don't need any special or company specified building. If they know what they're doing with their coffee machinery, you can indeed get a good cappuccino, latte etc., with the milk and foam. Don't know where their beans come from though as delivered in 'Boncafe' containers. I'm sure there are some in HH to try out. Pete

[PeteC]

...concerning prices, all seem to be in the 40-45 Baht range per cup for all varieties, both hot and iced. Pete

[BaaBaa.]

There is a Bon Cafe in HH HERE, not sure you'll find find what you're after in HH though.

I'm sure the Tea/Coffee mornings at the Sofitel could be worth a look. It's not any old hotel, it was in "The killing fields"

[johnnyk]

Immediately behind the Limelight bar, right hand side of the 'Y' in the road is a little Thai place with no sign. The nice lady can do a good iced coffee latte whatever for 50 baht. Not a chain, just a hard-working woman. Decent grub too.

[PeteC]

There is a Bon Cafe in HH HERE, not sure you'll find find what you're after in HH though.

I'm sure the Tea/Coffee mornings at the Sofitel could be worth a look. It's not any old hotel, it was in "The killing fields"

That appears to be their HH distribution centre. There should be many shops scattered around who use their machinery and products. Again as a warning, the cup you get depends upon the users skill and training. The machinery is first class, the operator...well???....especially if they get the keen idea to make more money by not using the correct amount of coffee. Pete

[margaretcarnes]

In the days when Bon Cafe HH operated out of premises on Naebkerhardt Rd it was my favourite place for a cuppa. Admirals and Euro Bakery were also good - but probably used Bon Cafes machines and supplies. They were rapidly developing almost a monopoly in the coffee machine business in HH - and took it very seriously, providing training and after sales support to franchisees.
But as already pointed out - a machine is only as good as it's operator. I would also add that a cappo in Thailand is only as good as the milk! And as we all know that can leave a lot to be desired.
There are some very good small coffee outlets dotted around town which can be value for money and give a good kick if you can hack it black. Watch out for small roadside shacks - I mean small - bamboo structures with just a couple of stools in front. That's where you will find a decent caffeine fix. Otherwise I'm afraid it's a bit like the problem tea afficionados have in Thailand, a case of having to adapt to the taste

[Lung Per]

Hi all,

I have tried a few different places now but still no luck in finding the type of coffee that I like. I prefer a hot Cappuccino, Latte or Mocha. Imported coffee beans (prefer from Laos), full cream milk, plenty of foam (for the cappo) served nice and hot.

Would love to find a small place and stay away from the chains and the hotels. Cheers in advance.

Flashy in-style coffeess such as those you mention are hard to come by outside the international chains and franchises. After all, this is Thailand and not la France or the USofA.
I am quite happy that this place is not yet completely internationalized and that we can still get local brew without Unilever, Kraft, Nestle or other multinational additives.
Forget your lattes and cappuchinos, enjoy your holiday and enjoy the local flavor.

[MeMock]

Enjoying the local flavour is something that I have tried many many times and I still cannot handle it! It is such a shame seeing all those great machines out there with no one trained to operate it! The other day I ordered a Mocha and out came a black coffee with some cocoa in it. I asked where the milk was and they said "oh, did you want a white mocha not a black one?" Haha classic!

Bon Cafe coffee usually comes from around chiang rai and I find the taste terrible compared to fantastic coffee available just across the border from Ubon in Laos on the Bolivan Plateau. (Cheaper to buy as well)

Looks like a business opportunity perhaps given the amazing amount of foreigners I noticed in HH. Thanks for your replies.

[Khundon1975]

Mags wrote
"In the days when Bon Cafe HH operated out of premises on Naebkehardt Rd, it was my favourite place for a cuppa".

Mine too Mags, I would go there for an espresso and the BKK post way back then, as it got me out of the house and away from the business. Starbucks opened their place in 2003 and the coffee was yuk but like most things western, the place was packed despite the lousy coffee!

We bought one of their (Bon Cafe) machines and used their beans for a while in our coffee shop, MeMock and others are correct, training our girls to use it (it had several knobs and dials for different coffees and the steam pipe for heating the milk frightened the life out of them) was a real chore.

The beans were so so, but then we decided to import beans from several sources ourselves and found the quality to be far superior to any that are grown in Thailand.

The Italians take some beating when it comes to coffee IMHO

[MeMock]

Yes the Italian beans are pretty good but I have been very happy with the beans we were getting from the Bolivan Plateau in Laos. So impressed that I now export them to my sister in Australia who resells them on to some very happy customers.