A coffee and a stool to take away

Ask Kanjanaporn Chaiviriyanont and Udom Ruangpaisitporn what they love and they’ll answer good coffee and wooden furniture, though not necessarily in that order. Those passions prompted the pair to open Skog Studio & Cafe in Soi Chaeng Wattana-Pak Kred 19 on the outskirts of Bangkok and while both can rustle up a great cup of java, they are also very good at designing chairs, stools and tables. The cafe's furnishings bear witness to those talents.

Skog is the Swedish word for forest and it reflects the way they use strong oak, teak, ash and rubber wood. The designs are minimalist so each piece retains natural tones, allowing the true beauty of the wood to show through. The first floor is a cafe that has a clean and uncluttered look while upstairs is the showroom for their products – also under the brand Skog. 

Both graduated from Silpakorn University. Kanjanaporn was a decorative-arts graduate while Udom studied fine arts.

“We used to work together in Kantana Studio’s animation unit but quit to follow our dreams. I work as a freelance illustrator for children’s books while Udom is a freelance designer. With my passion for coffee, I opened a small cafe that doubled as my working place next to my home in the Worachak area and was looking for furniture made of natural materials and with a minimalist design. Udom came to my rescue,” says Kanjanaporn. 

“Before long, the customers were asking if they could buy the stools, chairs and tables. So we decided to build up our own brand and relocated here six months ago. Although our showroom-cum-cafe is tucked away in a small soi and located in a suburban area, we believe we can be an alternative choice for people living nearby,” she says.

Customers will enjoy a cup of 100-per-cent Arabica, made from medium roasted beans from Doi Chang in Chiang Mai. Both Kanjanaporn and Udom took a coffee-making course to learn how to bring out the distinct flavour and aroma of the bean but say they’ve taught themselves how to mix frappes.

If you don’t like coffee with cream and sugar, try Thai-style hot coffee (Bt60) with condensed milk. Served in a tall glass, it’s not too sweet though you can ask for more condensed milk if you have a sweet tooth. Banana lovers will love a banana frappe (Bt110) that is mixed with banana, milk, caramel, cream and oreo for a really rich taste while a blueberry smoothie (Bt85) is refreshing and nourishing. 

Dessert lovers can feast on delicious home-made cakes baked by an older friend who used to run a restaurant in the UK.

“Auntie, as we call her, is now in her 60s and she bakes the cakes at home for her relative’s restaurant. I had a chance to taste her delicacies and they were so good that I asked her to do some for Skog. I was so pleased when she agreed,” says Kanjanaporn.

Among the tempting choices are chicken pie (Bt120), blueberry cheese pie (Bt90) and coconut cream cake (Bt75).

 

TWICE AS NICE

Skog Studio & Cafe is on Soi Chaeng Wattana-Pak Kred 19 of Chaeng Wattana Road. It's open daily (except Thursday) from 11am to 7pm. Call (086) 561 9000 or check out “Skog.cafe” page on Facebook.