Tessa Homemade Cuisine

Tessa is an interesting, multi‑faceted dining spot on Thonglor Soi 23, just a short walk from Soi Thonglor. The proprietor, Jutaporn Tejapaibul and her parents lived in Europe for a long time. Khun Jutaporn loves to cook and collected and devised recipes over the years.

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She eventually opened Tessa using her own recipes and some from her parents. The result is a cuisine that features homemade European-style food and a restaurant with a relaxed homelike feel. The moderate pricing makes this an ideal place to take a family or group who enjoy home cooking with a European twist.

A dish that really illustrates what Tessa is all about is the Homemade corned beef, a dish seldom seen in Bangkok. Prepared by Khun Jutaporn’s father, it is a tender and not overly salty rendition of an ageless way of preserving beef. Equally enjoyable is the Homemade pâté. Made on the premises, it has a fresh and wholesome flavor not found in imported pâtés.

There is a good selection of appetizers available; including a popular pan-seared foie gras that is served with tangy salad; there is also a large selection of pastas on the menu with pasta lovers having a choice of penne, fettuccine or spaghetti. We tried Squid ink spaghetti with seafood and found it delightful. Among the main courses Pan-fried imported Rainbow Trout on a bed of ratatouille is a real winner.

The restaurant’s desserts are legendary. A must for anyone visiting Tessa is the heavenly Warm chocolate cake served with homemade vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce. There are also some wonderful homemade ice creams available. Khun Jutaporn usually has about four different flavors on hand on Soi Thonglor 23 and about 18 different flavors at her K Village branch.

Speaking of desserts, Tessa has a ‘take-away’ bakery with a full selection of sweet goodies, plus savory items like chicken puffs and pizza bread. You can, of course, also take some of that delicious homemade ice cream home with you.

There is also a bountiful selection of deli items available on a take-away basis, including corned beef, smoked duck breast, smoked ham, chicken liver pate and a large selection of awesome homemade salad dressings.

Khun Jutaporn, as part of her program, offers ‘hands-on’ cooking lessons for groups of four adults or six children. The lessons are popular with Thais and Japanese who want to learn how to prepare Western-style dishes, especially pies and cakes. The three hours lessons are approximately 2500 baht and students are able to take home what they prepare. Call Tessa to learn more or to schedule a lesson.

Tessa is open daily except Monday from 9.30-22.00; breakfast is served 9.30-11.30; lunch from 11.30-14.00 and dinner from 18.00-22.00. In the afternoons it is an ideal place for tea or a snack. On Thursday, Friday and Saturday, there is live music with favorites from the 60s, 70s and 80s in the outlet across the street from Tessa’s main restaurant.

If you long for home-style European cooking served in relaxed and casual setting, Tessa has got to be high on your list. There is onsite parking; the nearest BTS station is Thonglor.

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