Best Matcha Cafés in Bangkok. Interview with Matcha Maya, a solo traveling blogger.

Interview: Bangkok Matcha Café Founder

Host: Matcha Maya Guest: Anong (Ann) Sirisomboon — Founder of SERP Matcha House, Sukhumvit Soi 31, Bangkok

Location: SERP Matcha House, a small tea room made of wood and bamboo. It sits behind some frangipani trees on Sukhumvit Soi 31. The hot air stays outside. Inside, it is cool. The light is gentle. A kettle makes a soft sound as it heats on a ceramic stove.

Meet the Person and Their City

Ann, thanks for taking part in this. Let’s begin like every MATCHA MAYA interview. Tell us about yourself, your café, and how you feel about Bangkok.

Ann Sirisomboon: My name is Anong, but people call me Ann. I am from Bangkok. I was born in Thonburi and grew up both here and in Chonburi where my grandma lived. I started SERP Matcha House four years ago, after I spent two years learning in Uji, Japan. Bangkok is my place, but I did not really feel like I knew it well until I left and then returned. This city moves fast. It is hot, loud, and crazy in a way that makes it exciting. But under all that, there is real care for guests that many visitors do not notice. Thai people do not just give you food, they welcome you. That is what I wanted to bring into matcha.

Matcha Maya: You trained in Uji. That is not a choice people make without thought. How did someone from Bangkok go to Uji to learn tea ceremony?

Ann Sirisomboon: Laughs. This is a funny story. I used to work in marketing in Bangkok in a tall building, you know? I was good at it, but I was not happy. So, I took two weeks’ holiday to go to Japan by myself, and I found myself in Uji by chance. At that time, I did not know much about matcha. I thought it was just powdered green tea you get at the supermarket. Then I walked into a small tea shop run by a family. A grandmother there gave me a bowl of special usucha.

That bowl did something to me. It was not about my spirit—I am not trying to be dramatic—but I felt it in my body. The taste was so sharp, and so full, that I could not stop thinking about it. I went back to Bangkok and quit my job six months after that. Then I enrolled in a tea program in Uji. My family thought that I was losing my mind.

Matcha Maya: Were you?

Ann Sirisomboon smiles. She says, "Maybe a small one." She adds that sometimes a small breakdown can be a breakthrough you do not see yet.

Their First Memory of Matcha

Matcha Maya: Take me back to that first bowl in Uji. What do you remember?

Ann Sirisomboon: Everything. The room was small—maybe six tatami mats. The grandmother was known as Obaa-chan by all. Everybody used that name for her. She didn't speak any English. I didn’t know Japanese. She gave me a signal to sit. She whisked the matcha without saying a word and set it in front of me. I remember the color. It was not that vivid, fake green you see in some lattes. It was deep, almost like jade, with a bit of foam at the top. She bowed. I bowed back. I drank it. It tasted grassy, a bit salty, and a hint of sweet at the finish. It was not the matcha I knew from a Bangkok smoothie bowl. I started to cry. It wasn’t because I felt sad. It was because I had been drinking fake matcha all my life and had no idea before.

Matcha Maya: That is strong. What did Obaa-chan do when you cried?

Ann Sirisomboon laughed. She had a warm, raspy laugh. Then she poured me another bowl and said something in Japanese. Her grandson translated it as "Now you know." This idea is what drives SERP Matcha House. We do not serve matcha to people who already like it. We serve matcha to people who have not had the real thing yet. "Now you know" is our saying.

What Local People Drink or Eat with Matcha

Matcha Maya: You are in Bangkok, not in Kyoto. How does what people in Bangkok like to eat change what you put on the menu?

Ann Sirisomboon: This is the one question that I find most interesting. When I opened the café, I tried to make it feel just like Uji. We had wagashi, old-style bowls, and we followed the full ceremony. But people in Bangkok were nice, yet a bit unsure. They would ask things like, "Where is the sugar?" or "Can I get this with coconut milk?" At first, this upset me. Later, I saw that I am not in Japan, I am in Thailand. The mix between both ways should respect both.

Matcha Maya: What did you change?

Ann Sirisomboon: Three things. First, the pairing. Instead of using the usual wagashi, I serve matcha with thong yip. This is a Thai golden egg yolk sweet. It is not as sweet as Japanese sweets. It also has a smooth feel that works well with the green note of matcha. Second, the temperature. In Bangkok, it is about 35 degrees most of the time. People do not feel like drinking hot tea. So I made a cold-brew matcha and serve it with one big piece of ice. This keeps the taste but does not water it down. Third, savoury matcha. People in Thailand love savoury, spicy, and umami tastes. I made a matcha nam prik — this is a dip with matcha powder, fish sauce, lime, and chilies — with fresh vegetables on the side. It may sound odd, but it tastes good.

Matcha Maya: I want to try matcha nam prik before I go.

Ann Sirisomboon: I will make you some after this interview. You won't see matcha the same way again.

Their Favourite Matcha Place (Besides Their Own)

Matcha Maya: I need to ask. Every café owner has a story like this. What is your favorite matcha place in Bangkok, but not your own?

Ann Sirisomboon: Pauses. There is a small shop in Ekkamai called Hōjicha Boy. A Thai-Japanese man who trained in Fukuoka runs it. He does not make matcha for special ceremonies, but his matcha lattes are the best in the city. He makes them using the double-shot way. He takes two scoops of high-grade matcha, whisks each one by itself, and layers them. Most places use just one scoop and put a lot of milk on top. He does not do that. The taste stands out through the oat milk. I like to go there when I get a day to myself. I sit at the counter and stay quiet. He knows me. We do not talk. It feels just right.

Matcha Maya: What does he say about your matcha nam prik?

Ann Sirisomboon: Laughs. He thinks it's a mess. He told me, "Ann, you are making Thai food with Japanese tea. You will make people feel mixed up." And I said, "Good. When people feel mixed up, they ask what is going on. When people ask questions, they talk with us. When people talk, they like to come back again."

A Local Matcha Order to Try

Matcha Maya: If someone walks into SERP Matcha House right now for the first time, and they're alone and do not know what to get, what do you say to them?

Ann Sirisomboon: You have three choices. It depends on how they feel.

Choice one — The Gateway: Matcha Coconut Cooler. Iced pure matcha is mixed with young coconut water and a bit of palm sugar. There is no milk in it. It is cool, sweet from coconut, and you mostly taste the matcha. This is for people who feel they do not like matcha.

Option two — The Classic: Usucha with Thong Yip. This is hot, thin matcha that is served in a bowl made by a potter from Kanchanaburi. You also get one thong yip, which is an egg yolk cooked in syrup until it turns gold. Eat the sweet first. Then drink the matcha. The order is important. The sweet will cover your tongue. The matcha will clear it. This is for people who want the real taste.

Option three — The Adventure: Matcha Nam Prik with Seasonal Vegetables. This is a salty and spicy dipping sauce. It has a strong fish sauce taste, and it's mixed with top-quality matcha. It comes with fresh morning glory, cucumber, long beans, and winged beans from the local market. This dish is for people who do not want sweet food. It's my favourite thing on the menu.

Matcha Maya: I'm ordering option three after this.

Ann Sirisomboon: I knew you would.

Advice for a Solo Traveller

Matcha Maya: You see a lot of people who travel by themselves at your counter every day. What would you say to someone who comes to Bangkok alone?

Ann Sirisomboon: Three things.

First, learn one Thai word. Khob khun kha means thank you if you are a woman, and khob khun krap means thank you if you are a man. Say this to everyone — the taxi driver, the person selling food on the street, the café owner. People in Thailand notice when you try. You will get better help, better food, and real smiles.

Second, feel free to eat by yourself, and do not feel bad about it. Bangkok is a good place for people who want to eat alone. There are street food stalls, small counter places, and rooftop cafés. The people there don’t care if you are on your own. A lot of Thai restaurants think you might even want to eat alone. It is seen as normal in this city. When you eat, do not stay on your phone. Watch the busy street. Listen to food cooking. This is part of what makes it special.

Find a café that makes you feel like somebody knows you. You do not need to go to every café, just find one. Go there two times. The owner will remember you by the second time. When you go for the third time, they may ask where you will go next. This is how traveling alone feels less lonely. You do not need a crowd with you. All you need is one person to know your name and your usual order.

Matcha Maya: That is the best solo travel tip I have heard in a long time.

Ann Sirisomboon: This is not advice. It is really just the way Bangkok works.

Matcha Maya's Travel Notes — Bangkok, Thailand

Area featured: Sukhumvit Soi 31, between BTS Thong Lo and BTS Phrom Phong. SERP Matcha House sits off the main road, behind a frangipani tree. You will see a small wooden sign with one whisk on it.

Cost:

Matcha Coconut Cooler — 180 THB ($5 USD)
Usucha with Thong Yip — 250 THB ($7 USD)
Matcha Nam Prik set — 220 THB ($6 USD)
Bag of SERP's house-matcha (20g) — 450 THB ($13 USD)

Best time to visit is from Tuesday to Thursday, between 2pm and 4pm. The lunch crowd will be gone, and the light coming in through the bamboo blinds looks great for taking pictures. Ann is usually at the counter during this time and will be glad to chat with you. The place gets busy with local people on weekends. The shop is closed on Monday.

Safety for solo travellers: Sukhumvit is one of the safest areas you can stay in when you are in Bangkok. The streets are bright and busy, even late at night. You will find a 7-Eleven at almost every corner. There is something called the soi, which means side-street. Some of these alleys or small roads can be dark. If you walk alone after 10pm, try to stay on the main soi. Taxis and tuk-tuks are easy to get. Always tell them to use the meter, not a flat fare.

Neighbourhood bonus: From SERP, you can get to the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre in about 10 minutes by foot. It's around a 15 minute walk to Benchasiri Park. You will be in the old city and Khao San Road after a 20-minute BTS ride. Plan a day here. You can have coffee, look at art, visit the park, and drink matcha.

Matcha Maya AI Influencer

Search This Blog