Three generations of the Phanphensophon family have made their mark on the evolution of the COCA brand, a brand which offers simple, healthy dining across Bangkok but also many other Asian nations.
Each restaurant offers a variety of Cantonese cuisine and local taste preferences and this is now available at the Blúport Resort Mall. We were able to explore the origins of COCA and experience the oriental fusion cuisine on offer with gracious host, Khun Pitaya Phanphensophon. It was the early 1950s when Pitaya’s mother, Patama, immigrated to Thailand from China’s food-proud province of Canton. Patama was a chef when she met Pitaya’s father, Srichai. They were married and opened their first Cantonese hotpot restaurant in 1957in Bangkok’s Surawong district. The couple decided on the name COCA, inspired by the Chinese words, “可口”, being ‘kou kow’ which means ‘tasty’ or ‘appetizing’. Cantonese food was hard to come by in Bangkok, so business took off in less than a year.
They then opened a larger hotpot restaurant round the corner, which changed to serve steamboats instead of hot pots. Steamboats, which are now commonly called suki (after the Japanese sukiyaki), have been around for thousands of years. “My parents used to go and buy all the food ingredients themselves every morning,” says Pitaya. “My father would go to get the meat whilst my mother went to the vegetable market.” Pitaya has sustained his parents’ legacy by choosing the optimum quality of ingredients, making them a high-end restaurant where all their meats and vegetables are hormone and pesticide free. COCA was also one of the first ThaiChinese restaurants to cut MSG out of their food. Coca is one of the only Thai chain restaurants that is ISO certified.
They also use rice bran oil as the healthiest cooking option. Khun Pitaya’s mother purchased a condo in Hua Hin some 30 years which meant frequent visits by Pitaya and some thoughts of a future retirement here, a dream he looks forward to realising one day soon. One of the driving forces behind Blúport, Mr. Suwat Liptapanlop has long been a COCA customer and so his influence was also behind this latest COCA venture.
This relationship also helped in securing a prime Blúportlocation with expansive internal dining areas as well as outside seating and barbecue options alongside the Blúport fish ponds. COCA’s Chief Operating Officer is daughter Natalie, who is the most involved 3rd generation family member and offers a Food Science and Nutritionist perspective. Father and daughter are very hands on with Khun Pitaya on site in Hua Hin from Thursday to Sunday and Natalie also directly involved in the restaurant’s development. Understanding the preferences of local consumers and accessing local produce is a part of that development.
Diners are encouraged to start their meal with a Chinese dim sum prepared by a Hong Kong chef. Cantonese flavours and styles in harmony with local cuisine is what COCA offers without compromise to cleanliness, food safety standards and family friendly. Dim Sum, Noodle varieties and Suki are the main styles to be savored with a vast menu to be enjoyed in a casual though sophisticated atmosphere which encourages lingering conversations.
December will see COCA starting an all day ‘Beer & Bao’ (a free Chinese bun with a beer) special and happy hour 5-8 pm (Singha or Heineken 3 pints for 300 THB, Hoegaarden or Punk IPA 200 THB per pint, red or white wine 190 THB per glass , cocktails 110 THB buy one get one free) .