On nearly every street corner, there's a soy milk shop serving warming drinks alongside some patongko (deep fried dough sticks), but 5am, launched in 2023, aims to serve these crowd favorite breakfasts with a little more finesse. 

 

 

At their Ban Mo branch, the venue fits right into the old town community, set up near a community of local florists so customers who walk in with flowers in hand get a free soy soft serve. 

 

The wooden shophouse cafe has two floors, capturing a rustic charm with the bare brick walls hung with a red neon sign. You’ll find vintage and modern movie posters from the likes of “In the Mood for Love,” “Parasite,” and “Pulp Fiction.” 

 

 

As they specialize in soy milk, the shop has what you can call a “dark roast” (B40) and “light roast” (B40) option—just like coffee. The dark roast has a heavier body with a soothing smoky aroma while the light brings nostalgic notes of downing a cup of soy milk before going to school. 

 

If you’re dining in, the drinks are served in pastel ceramic bowls, which makes it a lot easier to access the chunkier toppings like ginkgo, Job’s tear, and lotus root. 

 

For another pleasant surprise, opt for the soy milk in coconut water (B125). The extra ingredient lifts the soy milk and adds to the overall sweetness and fragrance. 

 

If you don’t want to stack soy on soy orders, the logan juice slushie (B75) is the right refreshment to go for after being out in the Bangkok sun.

 

 

Due to its early opening hours, the shop greets the breakfast crowd with a couple of patongko specials. We recommend the patongko honey lemon (B175), a similar concept to honey toast but topped with a light soft serve and drizzled in a blend of zesty syrup. Although the portion could be shared with a couple of friends, the combination of flavors will make you want to have it all to yourself.

 

 

In Dec 2023, the shop opened up another outlet in A-One Ari, still maintaining some of its Chinese antique decor but brightening the overall color palette to suit the contemporary cafe-hopping scene.