This week the Dining Out Team went for lunch. Just a
sandwich and croissant was in mind, but after many recommendations (“You
must try the turkey” - Frank and Becky Weiss) we ended up at a tiny
restaurant called Bake and Bite, just past the Thapae Gate, about 20 metres
from Kotchasarn Road in Soi 1.
It really is tiny. Blink twice and you can miss it, sitting
as it does in front of the Frozen Fountain Restaurant (reviewed a couple of
months ago). Enter and it is a mini world, where the best description is
‘cozy’. Across one corner of the small room is a refrigerated display
cabinet, with a mirror behind it to attempt to make the room look bigger.
Along one side are large windows overlooking the soi, while along the other is
a painted menu. There are five very small round tables complete with pepper
grinders, with two chairs at each. Three couples could take over this
restaurant!
The establishment is the ‘baby’ of an attractive young
Thai lady, Montana Pawittranon, otherwise known as Khun Gai. She is a
vivacious and interesting woman, who has a degree in Food Science and
Technology and spent some time overseas studying business management. However,
she said, “My own passion is cooking.” She also said, “I love eating and
I like to meet people.” The Bake & Bite is a business venture that
allows her to indulge herself in all these areas.
The baking is actually done on site, as hiding behind the
mirror wall is the narrowest bakery in the world. Certainly not large enough
to have more than two people in it at one time. The types of breads produced
there include baguettes, bagels, buns and rolls, white sandwich bread, whole
wheat, a spinach bread, rye, plain sourdough and seven-grain.
As in any bakery there are pies, and pies and pies, with
servings around B. 35-45 and similar prices for the range of cakes. There are
also croissants and Danish pastries, sweet rolls and muffins, quiches and even
hamburgers (B. 60) and cheeseburgers (B. 75).
But it was sandwiches we came for and there are open-face
sandwiches (B. 70) including tuna melt, hot ham and cheese and even bacon and
egg. Closed sandwiches are B. 60 and cover roast chicken with mayo and tuna
with mayo amongst others. The B. 80 specials are the turkey with cranberry
sauce or the smoked salmon with toasted bagel and cream cheese. To drink with
the sandwiches, or your fancy, there are coffees, teas and fresh juice with
nothing over B. 40.
We decided to share and ordered the turkey and cranberry,
on whole wheat bread, and a roast vegetables with feta cheese open sandwich on
spinach whole wheat. Being a warm day, we went with an iced coffee each, which
comes with its own sugar syrup to be added to your own taste.
Literally, at the first bite we looked over at each other
and said, “Frank and Becky were right!” These were no slabs of cold bread
with tough turkey meat, but beautiful warm sandwiches with shredded turkey
that melted in the mouth and the cranberry just added to the flavour.
Likewise, the vegetable sandwich which had bell pepper, carrot, onion, tomato
and pumpkin was warm and delicious. Honestly I liked them both!
Sheer gluttony took over when Gai offered us desserts and I
could not resist the chocolate croissant, while Madame went for the chocolate
chip macadamia cookies.
We were delighted with our sandwiches, and undoubtedly the
turkey and cranberry is the signature item for Bake & Bite; however, we
also enjoyed the roast vegetable with cheese and the desserts were sheer
indulgence.
If you are looking for something a little different (and
healthy) in the sandwich line, then we have no hesitation in recommending Bake
& Bite. They do free home deliveries too (order must be over B. 200), so
if you want to have this fare for a Sunday brunch at home you can. Very highly
recommended.
Bake & Bite, 6/1 Kotchasarn Soi 1, T. Changklan, Chiang Mai, telephone
and fax 053 285 185. Parking in the soi
