Secluded amongst the residents of soi Chamchan, Par Ris is Ekkamia’s hottest new cafe at the moment, thanks in no small part to its extremely fluffy bagels, unique cream cheese blends, and a homey French-Korean rustic style. 

 

 

Entering the door, you are immediately teleported to what feels like a French cottage kitchen with rustic cream walls, medium to dark wood furniture, and charming collectibles—think vintage plates and miniature trinkets like Remy from Ratatouille. In other words, it feels lived in.

 

 

The name is a portmanteau of the couple who owns the cafe, Pariya “Cake” Kingrungpat and Keeris “Bas” Nithipipitchai (a well-known figure in Bangkok’s cafe-hopping Instagram scene). 

 

As seasoned travelers, during trips to New York and Korea they noticed the popularity of bagels in both cities and wanted to bring something special to their own cafe.

 

“I think Thai people would prefer Korean style bagels more” Cake tells BK, “usually, bagels are dry and take a while to chew. Ours are still chewy but softer.”

 

 

You can select different types of bagels to pair with their unique housemade cream cheeses. The signature plain bagel (B75) is twisted into a floral shape that adds an extra layer of chewiness to the areas where the dough criss-crosses each other. It is also glazed before baking so the finish has an appetizing sheen and subtle syrup sweetness from the first bite. Spread the pistachio cream cheese (B145) on top to get a mild sweet, savory, and nutty trifecta.

 

If you’re a pistachio lover, try the pistachio cream coffee (B180). Sourcing their beans from boutique roastery Cultivar11, they settled on a medium house blend that can work well with the americanos and milk coffee. A line of crispy pistachio bits sit on the rim of the glass with the help of caramel, creating a rich, warm flavor before entering a fluffy layer of pistachio cream cheese before arriving at the espresso shot below. It’s a multi-texture journey that manages to introduce the star ingredient in multiple ways while keeping the sweet meter at a moderate level.

 

 

Apart from pistachios, Cake and Bas share an obsession for figs, which are increasingly difficult to find during the rainy season. Their fig and honey bagel (B310) triples up the use of the fruit, introducing dried figs into the bagel so you get that crunchy texture from the seeds while fresh figs and fig cream cheese on top keep things light and vibrant.

 

 

For a rainy day, the tomato soup (B280) is a fitting, belly-warming treat served alongside a tiny tower of thinly sliced and crispy bagels. Dunk the crispy slices in the puree-like soup and allow the gochujang sauce on the bagel to expound a hint of spiciness.

 

 

Non-coffee drinkers can enjoy the refreshing pink lemonade (B140), which achieves its rosy hue with grapefruit syrup and thyme. 

 

A fun tip, according to Cake: Arrive early enough and the entire cafe will still be basking in the scent of freshly squeezed lemons. 

 

16, 3 Soi Ekamai 21, 092 478 8282. Open Wed-Mon 8am-5pm.