Be chilled, my heart

TUCKED AWAY in the busy office district along Sukhumvit 33, the Jaiyen Cafe is – as the name suggests – a tranquil place, great for taking a break from your duties to enjoy some delectable homemade ice cream with hot waffles and refreshing drinks in pastel colours. 

Bearing the minimalist look of a Japanese diner, the cosy cafe with its lovely terrace is owned by Neon Artsavarungnirand. She packed in her old job last year to open this great little place. Its chairs sport polka-dotted cushions and there’s a long counter with 14 seats. 

She makes the ice cream herself to her own child’s specifications – hard-packed and yet very soft and smooth to the mouth. You can get milk-based, sorbet-based or yoghurt-based ice cream in more than 30 flavours, the varieties alternating every day. 

“Hard-packed and gelato ice creams are different in terms of temperature control,” Neon explains. “Gelato requires a lower temperature and has a shorter shelf-life, so I think hard-packed ice cream is really better for Thailand. The secret behind the soft texture is to use the premium fresh cream, butter, milk and eggs. Real cream ensures that the ice cream doesn’t melt so fast.”

You’re apt to spend a while staring into the big freezer, fogging up the glass while you try to choose a flavour. Will it be blueberry or strawberry yoghurt, milo, banoffee or Hokkaido milk? How about Thai tea fudge, matcha green tea, popcorn caramel or mocha coffee? Oh, and there’s strawberry milk chip, mint choco chip, lemon lime sherbet and something called Yakul-Pipo. 

Regardless, keep in mind that there are also the Jaiyen Dips (Bt155) – eight scoops of the ice cream of your choice. We ended up with a pink bowl mounded with Yakult-Pipo, mint choc chip, popcorn caramel, banoffee, Thai tea, Earl Grey tea, strawberry milk chip and chocolate fudge ice cream, and on top of that went chocolate, mint and strawberry sauce!

Matcha Affogato (Bt145) is a glass of Hokkaido milk ice cream served with a shot of rich matcha green tea. You will also yearn to try the heart-shaped Choc Pop (Bt55) and the hot Waffle Banana & Choc Chip (Bt135), served with syrup. Pair that up with ice cream too starting at Bt55 a scoop.

Among the drinks are Lychee, Blue Lemon, Plum and Grape Ice for Bt85. 

 

 

COOL AND CREAMY

>>The Jaiyen Cafe is at 27/1 Soi Sukhumvit 33. 

>>It’s open daily from 10 to 8.30. 

>>Call (098) 251 6485 or visit the “JaiyenCafe” page on Facebook.