This café-cum-restaurant serves up English-style fare to the well-heeled of Sukhumvit. Décor-wise, the all-day diner gets the theme spot on: a white and baby blue color scheme, coupled with wicker furniture and retro wallpaper. The service, though, is almost painful. Once, we even had to remind them to bring menus and cutlery. For starters, you can’t get much more classically English than their asparagus soup (with bread and butter). Well, we’re told it’s asparagus, but while we love the smooth, creamy texture we could do with a bit more flavor. The trio bruschette, as the name suggests, offers three toppings: tomato, pesto and parmesan and duck liver pate. While the tomato and pesto are OK, if a little sweet, the pate tastes like it comes straight out of a can. Opt instead for a simple, yet appetizing, mini quiche. The roast chicken salad also gets our nod of approval thanks to its opulent portion of leafy greens and shredded chicken (go easy on the dressing though, its sweet-and-sour blend can make you shudder). Another English classic, the steak and kidney pie with mashed potatoes and chutney, is another major let-down due to the overcooked pie crust and flaky-looking mash. The filling tastes dry and the accompanying gravy salty—again, think twice before pouring it on. Prepared to golden perfection, the pork chop with sweet and sour sauce and rice is sadly ruined by the syrupy, plastic-tasting sauce and the accompanying diced carrots and green beans which didn’t taste fresh. The disappointments continue with the baked bananas Café Cassia. We expect a little more than a shriveled banana bathed in tooth-rotting syrup. Even the Dolce Vita ice-cream, available in a variety of flavors, all equally bland and artificial-tasting. When it comes to location and décor, Cassia Café hits the mark but, unfortunately, the food and service really seem way off target. No corkage.
