Another stylish brunch and cocktail café set to rock

view from the
second floor

Located on Sukhumvit 49 under the well-known nightclub Grease, the hospitality gurus behind the Sapparot Group (sapparot meaning “pineapple” in Thai), have set into another new expansion within the company. Based on the same concept as the original Rocket café in Sathorn, Rocket Coffeebar S.49 (● Sukhumvit soi 49, Bangkok; www.rocketcoffeebar.com) is ready to bring in the crowd from the other side of town.

Sticking to its classic Scandinavian décor of wooden furniture and funky light fittings, Rocket S.49 provides you with the quaint, welcoming atmosphere that the group is now a master at providing.

Open from early morning until late at night, the food is almost identical to the original café, offering a delicious brunch menu with hill tribe eggs any way you like, nutritious mueslis, traditional Scandinavian fare, “Rocket Fuel” coffee, salads, and pasta. Then there is the dessert menu. Four items to choose from, and all of them are well created, perfectly executed, and outstandingly presented.

I was fortunate enough to have been hosted by Thomas Anostam on my visit. He is one of the group’s partners, a mixologist whiz, with an in-depth knowledge of hospitality and a passion for what he does that was clear to see.

On arrival I was treated to two cocktails. The first was a Botany Bay, which is a refreshing blend of freshly squeezed grapes, gin, sake yuzu, and slow-juiced pineapple (THB 360) – a good balance of flavors that awakened my taste buds and had me wondering what would come next. The second cocktail was the Fresher Mule, which is Rocket’s take on the Moscow Mule: a mix of vodka, slow-juiced ginger, lime, soda, cucumber, and spearmint (THB 330). This was a very refreshing drink with an awesome hit of spearmint.

salmon gravlax on rye with pickled vegetables

Not having eaten Scandinavian food for quite some time, it was a good choice that Thomas then brought to the table a selection of classics. Salmon gravlax on rye with pickled vegetables, horseradish, and a lemon dill cream (THB 300); toast Skagen, a delicious salad of prawn, mayo, tobiko with lemon, and iceberg lettuce (THB 300); Swedish meatballs served with gravy, mashed potato, lingonberries, and pickled cucumber (THB 330); and, last of all, a grilled mackerel on rye bread with potato chips, mustard leaves, and a creamy cucumber salad (THB 195). All the dishes had their own stand-out points and were executed well in true Scandinavian fashion.

With the savory food I enjoyed a bottle of Phuket beer (THB 180), a boutique beer made in Thailand, and available at selected outlets. It was a perfect match for the dishes I indulged in.

Despite already feeling satisfied, desserts were then brought to the table: the Sapparot, Ichigo, and Mokaya (all at THB 240). These were by far the tastiest desserts I’ve had in Bangkok and were paired with an Italian Rose and two more of Thomas’s cocktails – the perfect way to finish off the evening.

With an upstairs eating terrace overlooking the main dining area, awesome chillout music and friendly hospitality, Rocket S.49 is definitely worth a visit. I have a feeling we haven’t seen the last of the Sapparot group’s adventures, and I am looking forward to seeing what they come up with next …

The Fifth Taste was impossible to miss here and the lasting memory still in my head today are the mind-blowing desserts.

Open daily from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.