No, it's not a typo. Tooday is the name of the coffee shop cum cafe that I'd been trying to avoid for weeks as I quickly drive past it every Friday on the way back to Bangkok.
The problem with spending so much time on the road is that there are literally millions of nice looking places to eat and drink, this is Thailand after all, and after getting off the boat, all I want to do is put my foot down and head North. As we drive, if the wife is actually looking out of the window, she'll be constanlty pointing out places she want to stop and eat and drink at, whether for their twee cutesieness or their 'rare' menus.
" Oooo, that Southern noodle place looks nice" Like there's any great difference between any noodles
.
Tooday Cafe is just 80km into the trip in a rather strangely, out of the way location and usually, with the wife's head buried in a book I can scoot past until sometime later she asks;
"Have we passed that place I always want to stop at?"
To which I will answer;
"Ahh, sorry darling, We're way past. I forgot you wanted to stop there. Next week I'll remember."
This was only ever going to work for so long and last week, she was prepared. No books, no phone and her eagle eyes scanning the roadside from the minute we drove off the boat.
As we twisted and turned around Surat Thani, her gaze became ever more focused and my right foot pushed down harder on the gas but to no avail.
"Noon (There)" she screamed, as I tried to divert her attention to a lonesome buffalo that was meandering un-tethered down the road as we approached, but I was done for. It was Insta-time!
Tooday Cafe...
... sits on the outskirts of Surat Thani city, right in the countryside with barely a house in sight. It's one of those places you'd have to know was there to visit as apart from me using that route as a short cut around Surat, its not really on a road to anywhere particularly. As well as a shortcut though, its a great driving road both for car and bike with a lot of twisties.
The cafe was rather formal in decor with a huge TV at one end acting as a picture window. No comfy seating unless you were waiting for a take-out, just dining tables and chairs. Not a place to come to chill out.
It would be a little unfair to say that it is typically one of those places that Thais only eat and drink at because the instagram shots are the primary focus because there were some amazing cakes that you could actually watch being made. There was a huge picture window into the kitchen and the rest of the menu was fresh and tasty, but still...it was all about the photos!
The wife had to get on a shot! Each table had either a flower arrangement or a music box!
A quick glance at the menu and the wife was ordering 'afternoon tea for 2'. Seriously, what is the growing obsession these past few years with afternoon teas? Even the local pubs back home are doing them!
With this being Thailand, and them serving cucumber with absolutely every meal you buy, you'd think you'd know what was on the menu, but no.
The afternoon tea menu was a couple of cheese and ham toasties, (straignt out of 7/11!) any three cakes of your choice (three? for two people? That's fighting time, that is!) any two drinks, a tiny bowl of mushroom soup and a small salad. The cost, 500 Baht (£12 GBP, $15 USD) so not too bad and being fair, the presentation matched the rest of the surroundings!
The cakes we chose were a blueberry cheesecake, a matcha thing and the rather spectacular looking purple cake is a Japanese style sweet potato sponge.
For the drinks, the wife went for this cucumber and err green thingy which she said was delicious, whilst I just had a regular hot latte. No, not a teapot in sight!
The choice of cakes wasn't that extensive to be honest but they were all handmade and all looked delicious.
The salad, although tiny and containing just two prawns was delicious. All the salad crops were being grown behind the cafe where they had a huge hydroponic set-up and you could tell in the taste and freshness.
The cakes and drinks were delicious but nothing out of the ordinary. The problem we have in Thailand is that nearly all ingredients that aren't grown here are bought in Makro so everything is much of a sameness. In this case, I was a little disappointed with the blueberry cheesecake as it had far too much base for my liking and the base in the matcha, was just a little greasy but the love and attention to detail that went into the creation and presentation was there for all to see.
The wife loved this cake. Me not so but we bought a big version to take home anyway!
Just when you try to escape, one last photo opportunity arises! I have to be a little grateful to the wife who does love a good selfie, but doesn't go mental, and better still, doesn't drag her old fella onto every shot...oh the shame!
Would I recommend it?...
Absolutely yes. It's a bit different and it's a nice place. Good food and drink, staff were friendly and polite, not overly expensive and well worth dropping in. The sort of place my Mum and Dad would regularly have a ride out to but...
Would I return?...
Absolutely not! I've been once, that's it and its not the kind of place that I can just chill out all day drinking coffee and eating cakes. This isn't a criticism of the place, it's just not my style.
Well, that's my 'twee coffee shop post' done for this year! It just remains for me to thank everyone for reading and to send my love and best wishes to all. Have a great week.
Pinned on the ever wonderful @pinmapple :-)
The place looks overly decorated haha but probably quite popular for those instafluencers.
It is, and it's where the old dears like to meet up on an afternoon for a slice of cake and a gossip :-)
I should be careful what I say...I'm old too now lol
Ohhh that looks like such a cute cafe! I would 100/10 hang out there to do some blogging and a bit of work. The pastries tho- they look gorgeous
It was nice....and dare I say...a bit 'girlie'....I just didn't find it chilled or relaxing at all. But, food and drink was nice so I can't complain.
What were you up to at the weekend?
Yeah, it doesn't look like the kind of place guys would be into unless they crave nice aesthetics. I'd love to be have a taste of those pastries though!
Last weekend, I studied a few online courses for upskilling myself. Did you do anything else aside from going to a cafe?
Hey there!
I love the look of this place, and I understand what you've mentioned about the endless options of places to visit.
That purple Japanese cake though. It looks far too nice to cut. I'm so curious to know what it tasted like 😋
Great review!!!
Ahh the cake...I was going to mention the taste and forgot!
The taste was nice, really sweet but with a very distinct flavour...
But...
I don't like textures and this was very claggy, cold mashed potato like and very thick over the bit of sponge inside. A bit like durian texture.
It did look epic though and all made by hand and the colour.... purple is my favourite colour anyway and this was just the perfect shade and the same colour as my bedroom walls in the old house!
I hope life is treating you two well, I miss the boating posts but life moves on and nothing stays the same for ever.
Stay happy and best wishes :-)
Ooooh, durian! I've never tried it. I couldn't get past the smell. Whenever I see purple, I tend to think of Ube, though 😆
Three cakes, though 😂
A lot of the time in Thailand you have to try not to think too much and just roll with it!
It's true here, too - a sharing platter for two with five prawns. You just know how that's going to go.
Oh you had to stop… better now then dragging it longer. She sure was prepared to find it hehehe 🤭
It has a lot of instagram photo opportunities. I do see the one stop is enough kind of vibe.
The cakes do look stunning, too bad it wasn’t as delicious as it looked.
Thanks for sharing have a great week 👋🏻😊
To be fair, the place looks nice no wonder your missus wanted to stop by, at least it makes a good loo stop if you're on the road that much. You didn't take any loo photos by any chance did you?
And look on the bright side, you been there and done it now, so don't need to go back when asked again
It was nice to be honest for a change but means that next week, there will be a 'unique' noodle joint on the horizon!
You're right about toilets, I haven't done a toilets in Thailand post in ages. Watch this space:-)
Insta cafe, can't really see it being a place for blokes to meet and have a drink and a bite to eat.
Afternoon teas are coming back, the cakes look awesome though, and you must be in the wifes good books for a few weeks as you did stop!
For a few weeks? For a few minutes more likely! We all have to lie in the beds that we make ;-)
lmao oh boy, me thinks she knows how to handle you 🤣
Hi Nathen 👋 Tooday is a cute looking cafe and I love the content you created out of it. Thanks to the wife for making you take the stop. Lol.
I was curious about the purple cake, looks like something I’d like.
Lovely content. Have a great day.
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