A/sa/ma Café, Chiang Mai

Coffee is about returning to where you’ve never been before.

The café is far enough from the city. Twenty minutes drive from the old city of Chiang Mai. Not quite the place we’d expect to find a coffee shop, nestled inside a serene moo baan (gated neighbourhood) but if there is anything our travels have shown us is that one can find great coffee anywhere.

We are greeted by stunning views of the Doi Suthep Mountain. Pink-hued lotus flowers cover the surface of the pond, the stream; dragonflies buzzing from pad to pad, blossom to blossom. It’s a good place to have coffee and A/sa/ma Café, despite its diminutive size, is full of surprises.

Sparkling Espresso: strong, strong espresso carbonated with tonic water for an effervescent drink. Espresso Panna Cotta: the silken custard-like cream made smoother still with a layer of espresso.

Cocaine: hot latte with a dash of brown sugar laced with orange zest. Espresso on the Rock, which hits the spot, like lightning.

And our favourite: the Gravity Latte, more espresso shot straight into into a cold glass of velvety milk.

These are all creations by Mook, A/sa/ma’s owner and a veteran judge at Thai barista competitions. We first tasted a version of the Gravity Latte at another café – Some Time Blue in Bangkok – run by one of Mook’s friends.

That is why we have come here. To return to where we’ve never been before and to taste one of our favourite coffees… for the first time.

今年的六月，我們第一次來到了清邁，
是泰國除了曼谷外，另一個咖啡館林立的城市。
跟往常一樣，每到訪一個陌生的城市，
出發前我們都會列出幾家想去的咖啡館，
然後隨緣看看當天的心情、天氣，
再決定要去哪一家，如果真的錯過了也無所謂。
不過這次倒是有一家是一定要去的，那就是A/sa/ma Café。

說來有趣，會認識這家咖啡館，
其實是因為一家叫Some Time Blue的曼谷咖啡館。
他們除了單品手沖很棒外，
還有一道叫Gravity Latte的凍牛奶咖啡也深得我心。
某天跟老闆聊起時，
才知道這道咖啡是她在清邁的朋友Mook所傳授的。
所以這次來到清邁，怎麼也得來喝一杯正宗的Gravity Latte。

A/sa/ma Café位於清邁郊外一處封閉式小區內，
從市中心過來要15-20分鐘左右的車程，
雖然有點距離，但這景色卻是市中心咖啡館所無法比擬的。
位於河畔的它綠樹成蔭，
而素帖山就在不遠處的晨霧中若隱若現，
來的巧的話，還能遇上綻放的荷花，
如詩的美景般讓人心曠神怡。

來到這裡當然要點一杯Gravity Latte，
把特選綜合豆子製成的濃縮咖啡，倒入裝了凍牛奶的杯子裡，
隨著咖啡與牛奶緩緩交融，
每一刻都呈現不同的面貌，宛如抽象畫般。
他們的Espresso Panna Cotta 也是一絕，
香濃的咖啡配上順滑可口的牛奶布丁，
無需花俏的點綴和配料，就已經讓人讚歎不已，
喜歡咖啡甜點的人，不容錯過。