COCO Q&A – Ekameth “Tay” Wipvasutti. Coffee shop and hostel owner. TayTay Coffee Roaster. 24.
From Jan. 25-28, he is opening a special pop-up store in Bookends Café in Siam Square Soi 10, next to Chulalongkorn University Bookstore. On the 25th and 26th he will make espresso-based drinks from his own special blend of beans. On the 27th and 28th, he will have a drip bar with eight hard-to-find single origin coffees. Drink prices range from THB85 to THB100.
When did you first get into coffee?
I first got into coffee while I was at Mahidol University in the College of Music. At first I just needed money so I worked at a smoothie shop. My boss was very particular about taste; he sampled every drink before he gave it to customers. If something was off he would make the necessary changes. I also worked at Bookends Café, but it didn’t use good coffee. I was only aware of two tastes: sour and bitter. Later on I wanted to open up a café in Bangkok, but it was hard to find a good location so I ended up opening one in Chiang Mai.
But aren’t there many good coffee shops in Chiang Mai?
Yes, that’s why I needed to educate myself. The owner of Happy Espresso let me train under him. He taught me about coffee to water ratios and also timing – how the flavor profile of espresso changes depending on the length you pull it. For example, twenty seconds versus thirty seconds. One day he opened a pop-up shop at a coffee and tea festival in Bangkok. He made a shot of El Salvador Cup of Excellence – a premium award given to the best beans in the world. When I tasted it, my mind was blown. Even though it was over-extracted, I tasted notes that were winey and sweet. The body was very creamy.
So then what?
It put pressure on me to seek out different coffees. I ordered from famous roasters in the United States and the United Kingdom to educate myself. I learned about different styles of roasts and also how to imagine different flavors that are present. All coffees come with tasting notes. For example, almost all Ethiopian Yirgachefe beans are said to have notes of peach, tangerine, and other fruits. So I tried to think about these different flavors every time I drank a cup of coffee. Sometimes, though, there will be notes aren’t believable.
So what? Isn’t coffee subjective? Why should we care about these different flavors?
I used to think this way also. Most Thais like a really dark roast cut with excessive amounts of sugar and milk. But I’m a rebel – I’m always looking for ways to challenge old traditions. Discovering the complexities within coffee is a way for me to do that. It’s also enjoyable comparing ideas with other coffee addicts and customers. It’s a conversation starter.
How did you get into roasting your own coffee?
At that time – 2012 – I felt like most roasters were appealing to customers’ preference for dark roasts. Aside from Happy Espresso, I couldn’t find the right product to serve. So that was the reason why I started to roast on my own, from green beans imported from other countries. Doing this allowed me to share roasting styles that allow you taste a more varied and balanced cup.
What do you hope to accomplish by having a pop-up in Siam Square this weekend?
There are starting to be more people who are interested in the complexities of coffee. I hope to play a small part in educating people about a side of coffee that is not the usual burned and over-roasted stuff they drink. Also, my goal is to present roasters and the roasting styles that I like.
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James Yu is a freelance writer and editor. You can follow him on instagram @jamcyu and tumblr.
