Old Daisy Cafe @ Bangkok Chinatown in Thailand

Imagine our excitement earlier this year when a Thai friend told us he would be opening a cafe at Chinatown in Bangkok, within walking distance from Hualamphong MRT station! 

Of course we had to visit Old Daisy Cafe when we were in the Thailand capital last month; to support our friend who doesn't shy away from being an entrepreneur. p.s. we shall pay for what we order. I really don't understand why "friends" would ask for discounts / freebies when they are supposedly supporting.

While the cafe is within Chinatown, it's not along the main street and requires navigation into the small, little alley that's kind of refreshing as we walked past workshops, residential areas in buildings that had been there for decades! 

Arrival at the Old Daisy Cafe! 

Ground floor, where our orders were taken after much time, given that there were six of us! No seating on this level, so let's proceed to the second floor.

Unlike the typical perfect renovation for cafes, my mom was appalled to see such shoddy work of unpatched walls with exposed tiles. Now, there's of course a story behind it, and it's related to the origins of the cafe's name! 

Stairs up level two, with stickers of captivating daisy flower. So why the name daisy in the cafe's name? And is it really necessary to add in the word "old" when the cafe clientele is definitely not my mom's generation?

According to my friend, his partners and him noticed a pot of dying daisy flowers outside the shop when they first checked it out. One was still blooming but missing a petal; showing resilience, an important attribute for any business. And even with "one petal missing, it is still a flower".

Other not so subtle messages that drive the mantra that not being perfect is okay! Like "imperfect on purpose", "flaws and flowers that's our thing". In life, there's no perfect job, no perfect partner, no perfect renovation (drawing back the unpatched walls). 

Let's just try the best we can, like this piece of fake moss that appeared to be trying its best to thrive given its limited condition. Darn, I am feeling philosophical today! 

The second level with seating! 

And good air-conditioning! 

Those looking for instagram-worthy background will not be disappointed with Old Daisy Cafe; there were plenty but nothing beats the gigantic inflatable daisy flower mascot that was missing petal! And you get props on the side to up the game!

This picture of my younger sister was stunning right?! 

More seating on level three, which looked like a different cafe! As my friend is a plant enthusiast, do expect greenery in the cafe, which did a marvellous job in mental wellbeing, I feel.

Back on level two, to have our drinks and desserts! 

Here's what we ordered; five drinks, two desserts (chocolate fudge cupcake and blueberry cream cheese cupcake), and missing one dessert which came slightly later. 

All the cold drinks were attached with a mini stalk of flowers and came with handwritten messages differing from cup to cup! My elderflower osmanthus tea was refreshing; not as sweet and in fact, a bit siap which I shall deem to be a sign of being very healthy for the body!

The cups were tagged with the old daisy mascot!

And yes, still missing a petal as promised. 

My family was pleased with the drinks and I shall now have my personal take on the cupcakes. Made from real butter, the chocolate fudge cupcake was dense and not as sweet; I preferred it to be sweeter, and fluffier though.

Blueberry cream cheese cupcake was better with a nicer texture, and I enjoyed the cream cheese that was accompanied by some blueberry jam.

What I love most was the last dessert - the date caramel bloom cake! The topping was like werther's original sweets in pasty form and even though it might seem dry, the taste was good. Reminded me of the date cake I had at P.S. Cafe in Singapore! 

Trinkets and souvenirs for sale too, near the entrance! 

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Address

177 Soi Ram Maitri, Pom Prap, 

Pom Prap Sattru Phai, Bangkok 10100, Thailand

(Walking Distance from Hualamphong MRT station)

Map

As above.

Operating Hours

10am till 6pm (Daily)

Social Media Page

https://www.instagram.com/olddaisy.cafe/

Menu

As above. 

LOT 175-180 (Thanh Thao Food Souvenir Stall) @ Han Market in Danang [Vietnam]

As part of the routine for any newbie, I brought my mom to famous Han Market, also known as Cho Han, in Danang when we visited back in May 2025. 

Similar to my first time, I just did a basic stroll as the place was just too cramped for any relaxed shopping therapy, and I have already gone past the age when good bargain is a necessity, and haggling is basic virtue. 

Instead of the more crowded middle, where the stress level increases, I sought for a friendly, hopefully trusting store, so that my mom can finally let it go and buy / sample all the Vietnamese food souvenirs for home! 

Eventually settled with the above lady who kept piling us with samples! Pricing wasn't as cheap as Con Market but quality / freshness was better assured, in my honest opinion, especially when this was five months ago! 

I would recommend the lady and store if you are interested; lot 175-180, at a corner of Han Market. Lotus seed was 250g for 150,000 dong, 500g for 250,000 dong for macadamia nut / cashew nuts with skins etc. 

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Address

119 Trần Phú, Hải Châu 1, Lot 175-180,

Hải Châu, Đà Nẵng 550000, Vietnam

Map

As above.

Turtle Mountain for the View @ Kaohsiung City in Taiwan

While walking towards the famous lotus pond at Kaohsiung City (Zuoying district), I noticed a hill with pathways going up. The amateurish photographer in me immediately thought there's a chance to be blessed with a great panoramic view on top! So, here we go! 

The sign confirmed what I had assumed and from the look of it; a 90-meter climb, in less than three minutes, would be totally manageable, and wouldn't elicit much complaint from the lazy ass (Alex, that is). 

Onwards we forged ahead! 

Information plaque stating that the hill we were on was known as the Turtle Mountain due to its shape and it's part of a route known as the Old Fongshan City Wall historic route which connected two ancient city walls with history spanning back to year 1722. 

Arriving soon! 

The scenic outlook platform; not exactly a good time to visit even though it was only about 9.30am. The problem was the unblocked sun! Temperature was surprisingly quite hot for January and I was breaking into a sweat. 

Scenery was fabulous; in addition to the iconic Dragon and Tiger Pagodas (龍虎塔), we also soaked in the sights of the Spring and Autumn Pavilions and the humongous statue of Xuantian Deity at the far end! 

Satellite map for ease of reference; there's even a confucius temple which we didn't manage to visit. In actual fact, we only visited (partially) the Dragon and Tiger Pagodas and the Spring and Autumn Pavilions.

No time to explore the rest, not even the interesting path leading up to a higher spot! Oh well, a valid excuse for me to spend more than just the four short days we have in Kaohsiung back in January 2025! 

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Address

Zuoying District, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan 

Map

As above.

Click HERE for 11 Days, 10 Nights Taiwan Trip: Summarised Itinerary for Chiayi Alishan (嘉义阿里山) - Kaohsiung (高雄) - Tainan (台南) - Taichung (臺中)