COCONUTS HOT SPOT – A new, Japanese-themed coffeehouse on Ekkamai Soi 12, Nikko Café draws a steady crowd of young professionals, high school girls and beautiful people. The café differentiates itself by employing an earthy theme with Japanese accents, like a rock garden, shishi-odoshi fountain and natural wood square posts and pillars.
A menu packed with coffees, esoteric teas, malts, and matchas offers plenty of choices for patrons wishing to get some work done. Only in the evening does the booze start to flow. Nikko sports a host of Hitachino brews (THB220-240) as well as Sapporo and Asahi ringing in at THB130 a bottle. If you’re coming with a group of friends to study, a pot of any of the exotic teas at THB220 each, offers a sensible option. Varieties like osmanthus sencha green tea, nymph of the Nile white tea, and Contessa Grey Black tea are sure to get the tea geeks salivating.
True to its Japanese theme, Nikko offers a variety of matchas. Enjoy the powdered green tea in a frappe, latte, macchiato or cappuccino.
Nikko is not your average small café. In fact, its spacious layout makes use of all the space available, allowing you to ferret out hidden corners deep within the establishment. The second floor boasts an air-conditioned section and an outdoor area with beanbag seating for patrons to enjoy shisha. Downstairs there’s a handsome barista bar and outdoor deck with ample seating.
The café serves Japanese comfort food. Small sandwiches like ebi katsu (THB180) and black pepper tuna (THB140) occupy the lighter side of the spectrum, while the hungry should check out the shrimp omelet set (THB130), udon tom yum (THB170) or the staple Japanese tonkatsu curry (THB250). Munchies such as the “wings of god” (THB160) and refreshing ebadame (THB100) are on offer as well.
Ekamai Soi 12 offers a welcome suburban setting and Nikko provides plenty of parking and space to accommodate large groups of friends catching up or students working on projects.
FIND IT:
Nikko Cafe
Ekkamai Soi 12, 500 yards from Soi Ekkamai on the right-hand side. Parking is available
Photos: Cole Pennington
