Coffee tree

A Cup of Trees is a small and quiet cafe that's a good reason for driving out of town and enjoying some fresh air.

Located in the remote area of Rangsit-Nakhon Nayok Klong 6, popular ten-month-old cafe proves that word of mouth can make a business - if your cakes are really good, people will find out about them.

"We have a lot of people asking 'What are you guys doing here?' thanks to our remote location," explains the owner, Khomson Srisawasdi who, along with his wife Pachari Suthinand fell in love with the natural surroundings of this area and so decided to open a business here.

"We had had enough of the city. We had lived there our whole lives and we thought it would be a nice change to come out here and enjoy the natural surroundings and set up a good cafe. To ensure quality control, we prepare everything ourselves."

A Cup of Trees is a beautiful, glass-paned air-conditioned cottage. There's an enclosed back yard filled with trees and a small fountain. The ambience of the nearby Tanyasiri Tree Market enhances the serenity of the whole place. Inside, there are photos, paintings and retro furniture.

But ask anyone what actually draws them to this remote cafe, and an the answer you'll receive is Pachari's fabulous cakes and coffees. They are served with a smile, as the owners are in a business that they really love.

After taking a bakery course at Cordon Bleu, Pachari started making myriad creations of her own, including sweet sensations with local seasonal fruits. She prepares seven to nine different cakes daily and has a range of some 80 cakes.

We tried three of her fabulous cakes. First up was a carrot and pineapple cake (Bt80), which is crunchy from the chopped walnuts, which go well with the tangy cream cheese topped with sliced almonds. Pachari says this type of cake is "old style" and that it is the favourite of her customers.

Next was a piece of black forest chocolate cake (Bt98), which is moist and spongy with an aromatic black currant liqueur topped with a thick layer of fresh cream.

Finally she served her cherry-swirl cheesecake (Bt95), which made us forget about all other cheesecakes we had tried before. The crunchy base is made from butter cookie while the cheesecake is a mixture of cream cheese, fresh yoghurt and cherries. The taste is subtle, not too sweet and simply delicious.

Pachari prepares all her cakes at the cafe. You can watch her beating the eggs, measuring the flour and decorating her cakes and enjoying one of her coffees at the same time.

An espresso is served in a small cup without condensed milk and a cappuccino is served with the right amount of milk foam with beautiful decoration. If you want sugar in your cappuccino, Pachari says she can add it in beforehand "so you can enjoy the coffee without having to stir the drink and destroy the beautiful foam decoration that is supposed to be there for a visual pleasure".

- Sirin P Wongpanit  

The writer can be reached saleewong@gmail.com.

A Cup of Trees

Rangsit-Nakhon Nayok

Klong 6 (at the entrance to Tanyasiri Tree Market, near the JET petrol station)

9am to 8pm Tuesday to Sunday

(02) 577 6445, (081) 854