Akha Ama Coffee

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Akha Ama Coffee is a sustainable cafe in Chiang Mai in Thailand where they have three outlets. Akha is a northern Thailand tribe and ama means mother in their language.

I popped in one afternoon because it was a bit too early for my next meeting, and I didn't want to hang around outdoors in the heat. Akha Ama Coffee looked very welcoming from the outside, quite different from all the other restaurants and food stalls I've been visiting.

The inside has an industrial feel, concrete wash walls, and tables made out of some kind of big wheels. The stools were like drummers. The whole environment was very relaxing - and busy.

The counter is on the right hand as you enter and there were two baristas working away. The whole set up seems very professional, with the different kinds of beans and all the kit on display at the front. The menu was written on the blackboard, luckily it was in English so ordering wasn't a problem. I always believe, when a restaurant or cafe puts everything out on display, it earns marks immediately, as at least you can rely on its hygiene and cleaniless.

Akha Ama Coffee was the only cafe I went to in Ching Mai so don't have any comparisons. I don't know if this is typical of cafes in Thailand or whether they are unique with their sustainable approach in growing organic beans used in their own cafes. Apparently they produce over 4000 tonnes of beans per annum and has received international recognition on as early as 2010 and 2011.

I'm no coffee expert, and to be very honest can't tell the difference between good or very good or even exceptional coffee beans. However, I have come across some really awful coffee before, I don't know if these were bad beans or just not my cup of tea, I mean coffee. To me a good coffee break entails a cup of coffee that makes me feel good, and a relaxing environment to chill out for a bit. Akha Ama Coffee ticked both boxes.