There’s a good chance you’ve been eating here since you were a kid, but that only goes some way towards explaining Patum Cake’s knack for serving satisfying comfort food, right in the heart of Bangkok. Most dishes sound tempting—Thai favorites with a homemade attention to detail. The food’s not all that elevated, but what they do here, they set out to do properly. The venue has all the feel of a time-worn institution with its old-fashioned décor—the blue and white canopy out front will remind you of a canteen of yesteryear. The brief menu highlights tasty Thai dishes like the impressive pad sator (stir-fried bitter beans with shrimp and pork, B160). The sator beans are well-picked: not too old and hard nor too young and bitter, rather they are wonderfully pungent. The slight touch of tamarind juice really makes the dish, which is understated yet rich in flavor. The same goes for the pad prik Thai sod pla (stir-fried dory with fresh peppercorn, B140). The fish might not be the very freshest or highest in quality, but the overall taste makes up for it. It’s well-balanced in flavor, while the green peppercorn ensures a delightful aroma. Not all the dishes are so successful, though; for example, the pad prik khing (stir-fried yard long beans with pork, B140) simply falls flat compared to versions we have had elsewhere. Slightly too sweet, the dish is not helped by pork that is too dry. Similarly, while the sen keaw tom yam kung hed kone (noodles in spicy soup with mushroom, B120) comes with a generous portion of lovely mushrooms, the tom yam is too bland, seemingly made from weak stock and served with underwhelming noodles. Of course, Patum Cake is perhaps best known for their Thai style pies, which are certainly delicious, tasting fresh and homemade. The texture is nice and crunchy, while there’s no hint of that old cooking oil smell you often find elsewhere. You should end your meal with the refreshing noi naa nom sod (custard apple ice cream in milk, B50), a tantalizing mix of milk and tropical fruit. Run by a mother and daughter team, service is fittingly smooth, with staff who are friendly (especially if you are, too). In short, Patum Cake provides a pleasant, casual dining experience, only your dinner time has to be very early as this place closes at 7pm. No corkage charge.
