Let me take you on a tour of Siamaya. Siamaya is one of the main, if not the main reason we decided to book a trip to Thailand. I’ve been a big fan of Siamaya since I first tasted founder and chocolate maker Neil’s chocolate at the Salon du Chocolat in Paris a few years back. At the time, he was having trouble selling any of his chocolates with added chilis, a much loved Thai flavor pairing but not so well loved by the Parisians visiting his stand. But apart from that, he sold out in no time, and for good reason. 

I recommend visiting their store in Thapae as well since it is a little closer to the regular tourist haunts. But make sure the factory and flagship store is on your schedule. I’d especially recommend visiting late afternoon so that you can go from there straight to the Thipanet Road night market which passes just a block away from the factory. The factory is located in a building that used to be an ice factory. The space has been renovated and hosts a number of business including a coffee shop and a coworking space. Enter through the front doors and walk through this space into a small courtyard. A red door just off the courtyard welcomes you into the chocolate factory.

Siamaya doesn’t just make very good chocolate using cacao beans they source from around Chiang Mai and Thailand more broadly. The magic of Siamaya is how they expertly pair these chocolates with Thai and international flavours creating chocolate versions of well loved dishes. If this sounds gimmicky, well it does sound gimmicky and many around the world have tried to do the same, and failed. But Siamaya masters this. In my opinion, no one makes a better durian chocolate bar, and what better way to experience the flavors of northern Thai cuisine than to have them not only in their original form, but follow that up with them in bar form (think Massaman peanut curry dark chocolate, Tom Kha Coconut Curry dark chocolate and Khao Soi milk chocolate. Maybe follow that up with a piece of mango jelly popping candy chocolate. What I love about Siamaya is that it isn’t just the flavors that are showcased, but you can still taste the chocolate too, and it’s good chocolate.

If you visit any of their shops, all of their bars are available for tasting and tasting is highlight encouraged. If you can’t make it to Chiang Mai, Siamaya is sold around the world (visit their website for a full list of locations) and is a regular at international chocolate festivals.

Siamaya: 12/8 Wua Lai Rd Soi 3, Tambon Hai Ya, Amphoe Mueang Chiang Mai, Chang Wat Chiang Mai 50100 www.siamayachocolate.com

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Audiva café isn’t the easiest spot for visitors to Chiang Mai. It is one of a number of chocolate/cacao destinations that can only be accessed if you rent a car or decide to dedicate a budget to taxis and ubers. But it was worth the 20 minute or so drive. Audiva isn’t just a chocolate maker, making chocolate from the bean, it also produces those beans at their farm just a few minutes away.  One of a small, but growing, group of “tree to bar” chocolate makers.

Founder and head chocolate maker Theerapong is also a pharmacist (he runs the pharmacy next door as well) and he brings a lot of his pharmaceutical knowledge and attention to detail into his chocolate making and cacao producing as well. Bars and drinks are made from cacaos fermented in different ways which brings out different flavors and levels of acidity and bitterness. We tasted many cacao pulp juices on our trip and the one sold here was by far our favourite. 

Their café is tiny but busy serving a range of drinks and sweets. It seemed to be the go to spot for locals on their way to the gym, finishing off a walk, bringing their kids to school..its obviously an important part of the community there already, even though it is relatively new. It’s right across the street from a market filled with food vendors offering Northern Thai specialties so you can easily turn this into a lunch stop as well.  Be sure to order one of their specialties: a dried banana dipped in chocolate.

Audiva workhop café: 225/256 Kad Farang Village, Amphoe Hang Dong, Thailand, Chiang Mai. Open daily 8:30-6pm @audiva_thailandcraftchocolate

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Thailand is a chocolate lovers paradise.  There is interesting cacao and chocolate coming from producers and makers across the country. Much of it is collected and showcased in this small but welcoming space near Samyan Mitrtown.

The store, which is housed in a space it shares with an art gallery and store, offers a wide range of drinks. While I expected the option to taste some of the chocolates for sale in bar form in drinking form, this wasn’t available. However, based on a recent Instagram post, it seems you can now choose your chocolate origin (Nan, Korat, Chanthaburi or Nakhon Sri Thammarat), your cacao intensity (from 50% to 100%), your sugar type and milk and final temperature to create a custom drink. The menu is more orientated towards the sweet tooths with chocolate drinks made with added peanut butter, banana and other flavors. I ordered the Hot Siam Spice Chocolate for 120B, a dark but very sweet chocolate with a secret mix of aromatic Thai spices. I tried to ask what chocolate was used and which spices were in the drink but my nonexistent Thai, and non cooperating translating app didn’t make it any clearer. Drinks are all served in cardboard takeaway cups but can be enjoyed in a small seating area around the shop

If drinks isn’t your think, they also offer a range of innovative and unique chocolate snacks including a curry chocolate dip paired with fresh Khao-Taen or even dried Thai vegetables. They also have a chocolate ramen on offer along with slightly more traditional cakes and cookies. 

We came back several times not for the drinks, but for the bars.  If only every country had a store that featured all of their bean to bar chocolate makers as this one does. Walking past the labels of the chocolates is like taking a tour around the country. This is all thanks to Mr. Chocolate himself  (aka Jack Bodin) who has been instrumental in promoting the Thai craft chocolate scene for years now. The shop is a celebration of all things cacao and Thai, not just bars and drinks, but other cacao products including skincare, probiotic shots, cacao wines and pulp products.

If you are living in Bangkok or just visiting, take a look at their website as chocolate events and tastings are regularly hosted here. A must visit stop for any current and future chocolate lover.

Cacao Everywhere. L5 Inches44 1553, 1555 Rama IV Rd, Wang Mai, Pathum Wan, Bangkok 10330, Thailand. Open 10am to 7pm.  @cacaoeverywhere

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The Japanese have given the world many gifts, but one of my favourite is the traditional Japanese teahouse. There is, in my mind, no better way to take a moment for oneself than to visit one. No matter where in the world this is set up, its typical simple interiors, lush garden courtyards and attentive staff never fail to put me at ease. But the highlight is always the menu. Pages of carefully selected teas from award winning tea farms across Japan are expertly prepared and paired with traditional sweets called wagashi featuring seasonal flavors and decorations and crafted by their in-house wagashi maker. 

This particular café was located right next to our apartment in Chiang Mai and we found ourselves visiting quite often. One of those visits we decided to try the chocolate. Not surprisingly they have partnered with Khom Chocolate House offering one of Khom’s dark 70% chocolates made from a mix of beans from around the world. A bit of a fruit salad of cacao. Based on my daughter’s request (since technically this was her order and her drink) we got it iced, perfect for Thailand’s hot and sticky weather.

I miss Chiang Mai and its chocolate cafes. But I really miss the moments of calm we enjoyed at Magokoro. 

Magokoro Teahouse: 191, 1 Sridonchai Rd, Chang Khlan Sub-district, Mueang Chiang Mai District, Chiang Mai 50100, Thailand. Open every day 10am to 9pm. Magokoro-tea.com

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Just as we were about to land on our Thai Airways flight to Chiang Mai, a flight attendant came by and handed the kids each a little box for Children’s Day, a celebration held annually on January 10th in honour of children. Their gift: a selection of chocolates from Kanvela. I watched with intense jealousy as the kids devoured their chocolates, completely unaware that Kanvela is one of Thailand’s renowned bean to bar chocolate makers. Not a bad way to kick off a chocolate focused trip to Thailand!

Their cafe is a bit out of the way if you’re walking, and it’s not a particularly scenic walk at that. So, if you’re visiting, I’d recommend taking a tuk tuk. The building itself is quite large and houses all their chocolate production, but unfortunately there are no windows to observe the process, as you often find with other bean to bar chocolate makers.

The staff must have sensed our excitement as we entered as they were so increasingly kind with us. Giving their chocolates to kids on the plane worked wonders. All my kids wanted was to keep eating Kanvela. We had a look around to take in all the options for our mid afternoon snack. They had beautiful bonbons and a selection of chocolates, mostly with inclusions, but also plain single origins featuring beans from around Thailand. Thailand is incredibly fortunate not only to grow cacao but to have many small and mid sized farms cultivated it, offering plenty of options for small chocolate makers. Kanvela has won many international awards for its chocolates.

We ordered a lot and lingered for quite a while. They have three signature hot chocolates, each around 70% dark, made with beans from different origins all, it seems, from their own orchards. The menu provides detailed information about each bean, including tasting notes. One option features notes of dried fruit, almonds and raisins, and is made with Kanvela’s own cacao grown in their Chiang Mai orchard. I tried the Chiang Mai origin with natural tropical fruit, longan and citrus notes. These aren’t added flavours, they’re intrinsic to the cacao itself. Each drink is thoughtfully accompanied by a small glass of tea made from the husks of the beans used to make the hot chocolate – a unique and smart touch.

Yet another reason why Chiang Mai is one of the great drinking chocolate capitals of the world.

Kanvela Craft Chocolate Cafe, 720 ปี Tambon Su Thep, Mueang Chiang Mai District, Chang Wat Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand, Open daily from 8:30am to 6:30pm www.kanvelachocolate.com

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Khom is a chocolate lover’s dream located right in the center of Old Chiang Mai. Or better yet, Khom is a drinking chocolate lover’s dream. This beautiful café features an entire menu focused on chocolate drinks, each crafted using chocolate made in-house with beans sourced from the region.

Start with the classics, expertly crafted in-house and recognized with numerous international awards. These offerings change depending on availability. Today, for instance, there was a dark milk chocolate made from cacao that was medium roasted, resulting in low bitterness, a rich body, and notes of toffee and sweet fruit. The Phatthalung chocolate, made with beans from Pen-Pen Thai Cacao, features mandarin citrus and date notes with a hint of acidity. Also on the menu is a robust 100% chocolate crafted from beans sourced from someone called Uncle Joe, packed with full-bodied, nutty flavors. 

Each specialty drink can be ordered hot, cold, as a concentrated shot, or on the rocks (with ice cubes). They can be paired with whipped cream, coffee, or even chocolate ice cubes! And that’s just one page of the ever-changing, multi-page menu. Other creative options include the Cacao-rita, made from fresh cacao juice mixed with yuzu and salt, and the Move Forward, a blend of cocoa and Thai tea. And let’s not even get started on the chocolate desserts and stunning bonbons…Unsure what to order? No problem! The fantastic staff will guide you through the menu and help you discover the chocolate drink you didn’t realize you needed in your life.

The café itself is gorgeous and inviting, with plenty of seating, most offering a view into the chocolate-making area or where the drinks are being crafted. If you’re visiting Chiang Mai, make sure to add this to your must-see list. There’s nothing better to prepare you for a day of sightseeing—or recover from one—than one of Jane’s incredible chocolates.

Khom Chocolate House: 24/2 Ratchamanka Rd, Tambon Phra Sing, เมือง, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand Open daily 10am to 6pm @khom.chocolatierhouse

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The best way to see a city is to walk. That is especially the case with Bangkok where one risks spending most of the day in stuck in traffic. But when it is hot, neighbourhoods, even charming ones, loose their shine. This is why Bangkok’s tuktuk’s are so fantastic. They are everywhere, easy to stop and not expensive. They zig zag their way through traffic and get you to your destination in a flash. We, unfortunately, had decided against the tuk tuk, instead committed to exploring the area between Talat Noi and Kad Kokoa’s Sathon location by foot. I wouldn’t recommend it, walking there that is, but I would highly recommend you do visit.

Kad Kakao is a bean to bar chocolate maker with several locations around the city. We wanted to visit this one in particular because it is where they make their chocolate, amazingly in a tiny, incredibly well organised section right at the front of their store which you can observe while enjoying their products. All of their chocolates, each made from beans sourced from different regions of Thailand, are available for tasting. Choose your favourite and they will turn it into a hot or cold chocolate for you. To accompany your drink, they offer a wide selection of cakes, bonbons and ice creams as well. The cafe space is lovely…and air-conditioned so we lingered for a long time, using it as an excuse to order more and more, trying a bit of this, and then a bit of that. Their cacao pulp ice cream is a very nice chaser to their hot chocolate which was, as expected, very enjoyable. I loved how they also give you a few pieces of the chocolate you chose for your drink, so that you can taste it “pure” as well.

When you finish, make sure you ask where the bathrooms are and follow their instructions. Along the way you will pass large windows where you can view the creation of their different products. Although I don’t’ recommend walking from Talat Noi to Kad Kokoa, you can walk from here easily to Lumphini Park. In the middle of the park there are paddleboat available to hire for free. This is also not far from The Sukhothai which has a very famous chocolate buffet on certain days of the week (not today unfortunately).

Kad Kokoa, 1076 Soi Naradhiwas Rajanagarindra 17, Thung Maha Mek, Sathon, Bangkok 10120, Thailand. Several other locations across the city. Open everyday 9am – 6pm.

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PARADAi is a multi award winning chocolate maker in Thailand, making bean to bar chocolate. They source their beans from Nakhom Si Thammarat, Chanthaburi, Trang and Phuket and turn these into micro batches of everything from milk to 100% chocolate bars. These bars they sell in their architecturally stunning cafe which has plenty of seating for visitors, of which there are many. The menu is simple: choose one of their chocolates, each one available for tasting, and they will turn it into a hot chocolate for you. I highly recommend also ordering a few of their bonbons, many celebrating Thai flavors. Plan to spend as much time as you can at PARADAi, not just because their space is gorgeous and products are delicious. Their shopfront is located in the Bangkok Art & Culture Centre, home to not only interesting art exhibitions but dozens of other small shopfronts featuring small brands selling everything from arts supplies to records.

The area around Paradai is a shopping paradise with huge malls: MBK Center, Siam Square One, Siam Paragon…. If you feel you are ready to escape, find the canal a block away from Paradai and hope on. For only a few dollars, and absolutely no traffic, you will be transported through residential neighbourhoods, historic houses, and specialty markets. the canals are an inexpensive, quick and fascinating (and calm! the boats are not busy) way to get around the city.

PARADAi: Bangkok Art & Culture Centre, 939 Rama I rd, Bangkok. Open 10am to 8pm, closed Mondays. Instagram

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Hop on one of the boats that goes down the majestic Chao Phraya River that zig zags its way through downtown Bangkok, dropping off a mix of tourists and locals along the way. Get off at Marine Dept. Around the stop there is an amazing temple tree to the right as you are walking out and be sure to also look to the left. On the other side of the park, behind the swing, there is a tree that has grown out of a building wall which is quite a sight. 

Continue straight until you reach the first road and then turn left and then take the first right. You are now in Talad Noi, a very cool neighbourhood on the border of Chinatown characterised by narrow alley ways filled with little shops, homes and a lot of impressive graffiti. Many of the homes and shops are set up with decorations for Chinese New Year tomorrow and families have already started gathering for the occasion. 

Walk along the narrow paths, right, then left, then right and you will arrive at 32 Bar X. Before you find it, you might notice the temple tree surrounded by engine parts, or the old car out front. This craft chocolate maker is in an old factory where a glass box has been built within the building and inside that glass box a tiny little café set up. A menu of a dozen options of single origins chocolates from around the country is offered, all with distinct flavor notes that you can try before choosing. Your drink is then made up with your choice of chocolate in a paper cup and can be enjoyed within the building but just outside the glass box, alongside some strange old statues of micky mouse and other Knick knacks. 

We sit with our hot chocolate in front of three girls more interested in taking pictures of themselves for social media than to enjoy the chocolate, which remains in their cups, cooling quickly on the table. Unlike us, most visitors arrive by accident, entering almost like Alice would have entered wonderland, wondering what might be inside. The hot chocolatiers in the box are quick to bring them in with promises of chocolate tastings and smooth talking. It works every time and no one seems unhappy at the slightest about it. On the contrary, this is truly a magical place. 

32 Bar X, Talad Noi. Hours: 11-19:00. @32bar_treetobar

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Chocolate Culture Club is a fantastic little space in Chiang Mai that serves cacao and coffee made from beans grown and harvested by them in Northern Thailand. The café/bar offers not just coffee and chocolate based drinks, but alcoholic cocktails using these products, including chocolate beers.  They offer a hot chocolate (iced or hot) with or without marshmallows, one with matcha added and two with coffee. Prices range between 125 and 170 Baht. The hot chocolate is beautifully presented and is made, I’m assuming, using one of their many chocolates. The drink itself is very whipped and aery so you don’t really taste the chocolate, but it was still really enjoyable. 

I was sad that they didn’t offer a tasting of their chocolates, the boxes of which are lined up near the cash but without samples. Each has very unique flavour notes and you can ask to taste one at a time but no additional information is available from the staff behind the counter, at least in English. I really wanted to know more about how they have so many bars with such distinct flavour note. The chocolate bars (which confusingly say couverture on them) say the origin of the beans and the variety. Each is numbered, although I couldn’t get any info as to why. I know that there are two founders but not much more than that unfortunately. So more questions than answers which is unfortunate because it is such a great concept. Check out their instagram as they sometimes also have baked goods made from their chocolate and live concerts onsite.

Chocolate Culture Club, 141/2-3 Chang Moi Rd, Chiang Mai, Thailand. Hours: 9:30 – 19:30. chocolatecultureclub.com @chocolatecultureclub

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