EMBER: THE 3D PRINTED CAFE

Ember: The 3D Printed Cafe

Taking a trip to one of Bangkok’s most interesting new Cafes in a 1967 Porsche 911S.

Located in one of Bangkok’s quieter neighbourhoods, Ember feels less like a café and more like a landscape — carved, scorched, and reshaped by time, which of course is all by design. Walls ripple like cooled lava, arches dip and rise like canyon ridgelines and the structure itself, designed with SCG’s 3D concrete printing, rejects the typical boxiness of urban hospitality. Entering into Ember feels like an exploration into nature, a momentary retreat from the city’s relentless grid.

“Given that the name Ember resonates with our passion for open fire cooking as well as our keen interest in wines from volcanic regions,” co-founder Calvin Fong told us, “we wanted to create a space that best portrays that image.”

They succeeded. Light and shadow pool through carefully placed skylights and window panels, shifting the room’s mood by the hour. The space isn’t loud, but it is expressive. It invites movement, curiosity, and conversation. “There are times that certain customers have taken a moment to walk around and noticed the minute details, ” Fong shared, “and have begun discussions with their friends and families at the table.”

It’s an atmosphere pairs well with the car we brought along — a 1967 Porsche 911 S, finished in its original Golf Blue. While Ember channels the raw tactility of volcanic terrain, this early S channels the distilled precision of Porsche engineering at its turning point. With only around 1,800 examples ever made, and even fewer in right-hand drive, this particular car sits at the origin of the S lineage, the performance designation that would shape every 911 to follow.

The 911 S of 1967 didn’t just drive better, it redefined what the 911 could be. A high-compression 2.0L flat-six, upgraded ports and valves, and Weber carburettors, all working together to push out 160 hp. It featured ventilated disc brakes, Koni suspension, a five-speed gearbox. By design, nothing was overdone, it was just refinement, layered over responsiveness.

Both the car and the café speak the same language: one of texture, contrast, and balance. Ember is not necessarily minimal, but it is intentional. Its textures don’t compete with one another but instead complement. “The architecture alongside the tone of Ember,” they said, “is drawn from the natural landscapes… the natural lighting that shines throughout the place helps enlighten the mood and create atmosphere that allows people to converse.”

The structure itself, designed with SCG’s 3D concrete printing, rejects the typical boxiness of urban hospitality.

Ember: The 3D Printed Cafe image text 1 image

Ember: The 3D Printed Cafe image text 2 image

Both the car and the café speak the same language: one of texture, contrast, and balance. Ember is not necessarily minimal, but it is intentional.

Inside the 911 S, a similar clarity reveals itself. Every line has a purpose: the Recaro sport seats, a rare and desirable factory option, offer period-correct support without flair. The cabin is black, understated, and perfectly preserved.

In both machine and space, there is a resistance to over-explanation. The menu at Ember, like the Porsche’s engineering, is born from experimentation and instinct rather than flash. “There is always trial and experimentation that goes into our menu,” Fong said. “We strive to create interesting menu items that would best complement each other so our customers can have a holistic experience.”

When light catches the Golf Blue bodywork just right, against Ember’s charred concrete walls or under a canopy of Bangkok haze, the car glows in soft rhythm with the building. Both reflect old-world craftsmanship reimagined through modern process — one poured, the other forged. Despite bringing this specific 911 to Ember in hopes of capturing bold contrast, we instead discovered a sort of cohesion, the kind that happens when fire meets form.