Supplying coffee to a city as large as Bangkok cannot be an easy job. With so many shops and packed streets, it’s a wonder how the city never comes close to running out of coffee. For this very reason, coffee wholesalers are a gem, and the ones I’ve seen visibly take pride in undertaking the tough job of keeping the city’s regular coffee drinkers happy.
Another gem in this city of 8.2 million people is quiet spaces. Between the motorbikes, cars, and hustle and bustle of the city, areas of peace and tranquility can be hard to come by – but that’s not to say that there aren’t pockets of respite here and there.
Enter Phil Coffee, one of Bangkok’s most well-known coffee wholesalers and coffee shops located in a peaceful alley off of Sukhumvit 61. An acronym of the names of its founders – Peter, Han, I Ping, and Laura – Phil Coffee is the brainchild of Han, whose time studying psychology in Melbourne bore fruit outside the world of medical practice. Enamored by the coffee scene, and after a brief training stint in Taiwan, he roped in his family – father and siblings – and set up Phil Coffee.
Years later and after a move from Bangna, Phil Coffee roasts quality coffee from all over the world and supplies numerous cafes and shops around Thailand. The establishment makes a point in roasting everything in small batches so that customers never have to worry about drinking coffee past its prime. You have everything from single origins to blends, but the most famous of the all is the floral and lemony Hummingbird blend that is perfect for filtered coffee. Also, if you want to see where the magic happens, you can catch a glimpse of their Probat roasting machine in action from just outside their shop.
The shop is a great place to catch a breather, especially in the middle of the day. Calm and restful, this is one place in Bangkok where you’re guaranteed a great spot to read without the sound of blaring car horns in the background – also equally good for getting to emails. Stocked full of coffee brewing equipment and manned by baristas who know their stuff, Phil will not disappoint coffee geeks – in fact you could call it a coffee connoisseur go-to.
While you’re there, don’t forget to try something from their cake selection to have alongside a hot brew. The cake stand is the first thing you see when you walk in and you’ll find yourself hard-pressed to pass up something from their display. However as mentioned before, an absolute must is taking home a pouch of coffee – this is one of Bangkok’s coffee engines, so whichever you choose, you know it’s going to be good.
