On weekends, brunching is the favorite pastime among the expats and hi-so Thais, and new cafes are opening all the time, so even though Roast has only been around since 2011, this popular café is already a classic among the brunching crowd.
It was my friend Annie, who used to live in Bangkok, that recommended me to try Roast, and I liked the cafe so much, that this has become one of the places I always return to, when I’m in the city.
The cuisine is modern American, and the emphasis is on fresh ingredients and good quality, and the coffee at Roast is also very good. The extensive brunch menu includes all the brunch classics such as Eggs Benedict, pancakes and huevos rancheros, but remember to save some appetite for one of the delicious desserts.
Roast is a very popular place, and the cafe gets particularly busy at brunch o’clock on weekends, so even though it’s a big restaurant, you might have to queue along with the rest of expat-Bangkok to get a table. Roast is also open for dinner, but it’s the lunch and brunch that made Roast famous.
Roast is in the restaurant section (the Helix Quartier) in the new and très chic Em Quartier shopping mall. EmQuartier is connected with the Phrom Phong BTS station, so the easiest way to get there is by Skytrain. From Phrom Phong Station just follow the signs for Em Quartier and when reaching the mall, walk towards the Helix Quartier.
• Most dishes are in the 300THB-something range, and a 10% service charge + VAT is added to the final bill, so expect to spend at around 600 THB or more on a brunch at Roast.
• The Eggs Benedicts comes on top of a croissant, which might sound a little strange, but it was delicious.
