A taste of Thann

THAILAND’S LEADING name in quality home spa and skincare product lines, Thann branched out into the restaurant business back in 2010 with the opening of the Thann Tea Cafe on the ground floor of Gaysorn mall.

The cafe successfully integrated Thann’s tea collection with tempting foods creatively presented by White Cafe Catering and drew shoppers as well as office workers wanting some quiet time.

It’s now moved up to the third floor to small space in front of the Thann Sanctuary and is offering a brand new selection of healthy home-made desserts and easy-to-eat fusion foods.

Small but beautifully designed, the cafe boasts 20,000 pieces of white-painted bamboo formed into a puffy cloud and two huge chandeliers by Yotaka made from recycled plastic ropes.

In keeping with the philosophy of the adjoining spa, the treats, while sweet, are healthy and light. Natural honey is used instead of sugar in the range of home-made gelato, the savoury crepes are made from buckwheat flour and the burittas are formed using special wheat flour. 

“We had to move because the shopping mall was being renovated. That forced us to rethink our menu and we opted to become a dessert cafe though we do still serve a small selection of easy-to-eat dishes that are perfect for a light meal. Our main aim in creating this new space was to offer our spa customers a place to relax with friends,” says assistant brand manager Weena Chaturapornkul.

The home-made gelato comes in 10 different flavours that include such wicked delights as rum raisin, New York cheesecake, tiramisu and strawberry sorbet. The cakes are based on pure essential oils, extracted from rose and lavender and there’s also a melt-in-the-mouth soft coconut sponge.

I opt for the savoury dish Miso Carbonara Spaghetti (Bt175), which combines the best of Italian and Japanese cooking and is both light and refreshing and also sample the Ham Cheese crepe (Bt165) that includes a generous serving of vegetables in the filling. 

Also worth trying is the English-style afternoon tea (Bt420). Along with your choice of hot or iced tea, you get to munch on two mini sandwiches, one filled with ham and cheese and the other smoked salmon topped with shrimp roe, a slice of soft-layered chocolate cheesecake, panna cotta topped with raspberry and two scones served with butter and strawberry jam.

Weena says the Red Velvet crepe (Bt145) is one of the most popular menu items. Made with light cake flour and glazed with strawberry jam, it’s filled with smooth fresh cream and cream cheese and topped with dark chocolate sauce, strawberry and raspberry. I personally couldn’t resist the hot Bee Honey Fondant that is crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside and is served with a scoop of delectable New York Cheesecake ice cream. 

Other taste bud tempters include the hot Brownie Allure served with two scoops of gelato ice covered in chocolate sauce and almond slices and the Multi-Grain Passion bowl, which blends two scoops of honey ice cream with ginkgo, red bean paste and sunflower seeds.

 

 

SANCTUARY FOR SWEETS

>>Thann Cafe is on the third floor of Gaysorn shopping mall. It’s open daily from 10am to 8pm. Call (02) 656 1399.