It’s a blog first, peeps: I took the photo!
On a phone!
(Which are two reasons why it’s a bit pants.)
H and H Snr had gone on a camera mission in Bangkok, and I opted to roam the food courts of Siam Paragon. We planned to meet up later for cake, and it was my job to locate the best place for this.
I had been given H’s fancy phone (mine can just about send a text if the wind is blowing in the right direction), in case there was anything worth photographing. Thus equipped, I weaved my way back and forth through the truly awe-inspiring amount of restaurants, cafés and stalls, ending up outside Coffee Beans by Dao.
I had already learned of this café’s existence when browsing a Thai book on such places. This involved me looking at the photos and salivating, then carefully finding each place online (the names were in English) to uncover yet more pictures to drool over.
Coffee Beans by Dao caught my eye because they sold not only Chocolate Malt Cake but Horlick Cake! Given my love of malted things I made an instant plan to go there, but did not account for the café’s popularity (it was also a public holiday).
I walked there and back, round and away, and the place was always full, with more people queued outside. What if we couldn’t get a table? Was it right for me to make everyone wait for ages just so I could eat malted cake?
As I pondered this dilemma I walked past iberry, a delicious-looking ice cream shop I’d read about online and am fairly sure I ate at on a previous trip to Thailand. After surveying the amazing array of ice creams and sorbets, I rounded the corner past their small cake selection to see a Horlicks Chocolate Cake!
Well, it was too good a chance to miss. I purchased a slice immediately, and sat down to enjoy it.
It was very cold, having come from the fridge, but this was not an issue as the sponge was very light and had not firmed up as some cakes can do when chilled. The malty taste was minimal, but the creaminess of the filling was moreish. I didn’t much enjoy the cookie crumbs on top, or the airy cream on the side, but the cake itself was not bad at all.
I even remembered to snap a selection of pics on the phone.
Oh, and what of everyone else? Well, due to a return appointment at the camera shop and the extreme crowds we made do with a quick drink, so it’s just as well I got my cake on while I could.