Sweets from the Streets with Layla

On Sunday afternoon, I took a trip to Thaitown with my practical brother and best friend, Rayne. Rayne and I have been friends since 6th grade, and have always talked about taste-testing some desserts from his culture. As soon as I had the idea to start this new column, the first thing that came to mind was to try to review desserts from Thailand. The only Thai dessert I had ever tried was, of course, what we all know and love, mango sticky rice. After seeing and hearing about so many different and unique desserts from Thailand, I took this opportunity to welcome my first guest and head over to Bahn Kanom Thai. 

1. Pui Fai

The first dessert I spotted as I walked into the bakery was a bag of what appeared to be these soft, lightly colored, muffin-type cakes. When I pulled them out of the bag, my expectations were high; however, I did not expect just how much flavor these little cakes had. Rayne, having tried most of these desserts before, had, of course, had these many times. “It's called Pui Fai, and it's sort of like a sponge cake, and I used to always make my Mom buy this, but the problem was I could never finish them…I'm confident that you’ll like them,” Rayne says.. And he was completely right! These steamed cakes had a delicate jasmine flavor, which I admittedly mistook for the taste of soap upon first bite. The best way I could describe the cake is like when you smell a body wash on a beautiful lady, and wish you could eat whatever soap she was using. This is what that tastes like. Refreshing, soft, and floral. Would I choose this dessert over something more elaborate? Perhaps not, however, for an average day little sweet treat, I will be picking these Pui Fai cakes. 

My final rating: 8.5/10

2. Luk Chup

The second dessert I tried was almost too beautiful to eat. These casually enjoyed jelly-coated mungbean delights are called Luk Chup, a very popular dessert in Thailand. Before trying Luk Chup, I was honestly a bit afraid that I would dislike the dessert because people had mentioned to me that it is similar to marzipan, which is a flavor I personally cannot stand. Despite my worries, I took a bite and fell in love with what I had tasted. As someone who is particular about textures in food, the jelly coating surrounding the creamy mungbean paste provided an incredible sensory experience for me. The taste is similar to the drizzle on mango sticky rice, with hints of mainly coconut and jasmine, paired subtly with the mungbean. Luk Chup is a dessert for when you are feeling like having something sweet yet still light. I would love it with an iced tea on a nice day with my friends. “There's definitely better Luk Chup in Thailand…" Rayne said. Which came as a surprise to me, because how could it taste better? “Guys, come to Thailand, I will send you to the better Luk Chup place.”

My final rating: 8/10

3. Kanom Krok

“This one is called Kanom Krok.” Rayne began to explain. “My family and I love this one, it’s a coconut milk, pudding-ish, thingy that they fry in a hot dish.” I honestly didn’t really know what to expect with this one, but it was definitely not what I tasted: It was better. Just from looking at it, I was expecting the Kanom Krok to be dense all the way through, because it looked like it was a more fried type of dessert. Although the exterior had a nice, subtle crisp to it, the interior was a creamy, soft, coconut pudding that had a similar texture to tapioca pudding. It was essentially two patties of dense coconut jelly stacked together that held a coconut flan-like center. It was absolutely delicious, and although the texture was a bit off-putting, I got used to it the more I bit into them. Kanom Krok may not necessarily be the best texture for picky eaters, but I think if I had warmed it up or fried it to make it freshly crispy, I would definitely have given these a 10.

My final rating: 7.5/10

4. Khanom Chan

Unfortunately, it's time to address one of the desserts I didn’t enjoy as much as the others. This cake is called Khanom Chan, a layered jelly similar to the texture of mochi, which many of us should be familiar with. The layers consisted of two different glutinous patties, a white coconut-flavored one and a green pandan-flavored one. The slices were a bit difficult to pull out of the container because the rice cake was so soft, which I honestly thought I would enjoy more than I did. The texture was a bit too gooey for my liking, as I prefer a tougher rice cake texturally. Rayne seemed to agree. “This one’s personally not my favorite…I think I ate it one time and it made me sick,” he says. The flavor mainly consisted of a light, floral coconut; however, I wished that a stronger pandan flavor came through. If the pandan was stronger and the floral hints were slightly lighter, I think I would have enjoyed the dessert better overall. I didn’t dislike it, but I wasn’t too impressed.

My final rating: 5/10

5. Khanom Tako

I have been waiting to talk about this one. This had to have been one of my favorite desserts I tried all day. This soft, coconut, tapioca dessert is called Khanom Tako. “Me and my family and my sister love this one…” says Rayne. “I’ve never seen it exactly like this, but I would recommend this to someone.” Khanom Tako consisted of a sweet coconut custard laid on top of a soft tapioca pudding, perfectly sweetened to wrap various fillings. The one I tried was corn flavored, and the sweet corn worked amazingly well along with the coconut and tapioca base. As soon as it put it in my mouth, I was met with this beautiful combination of flavors and was beyond happy. “I didn’t know if you would like it, I didn’t know if it was for everyone… usually they use real leaves around it,” said Rayne. But honestly, I do think this is for everyone. You must try Khanom Tako. The texture may not be for everyone, but the taste is perfect. 

My final rating: 9/10

6. Khanom Tokyo

This one was a delight. These pandan-filled crepes are called Khanom Tokyo, a popular street food in Thailand that can also usually be found with savory fillings such as sausage. However, as we are trying desserts today, I picked up a pack of the pandan ones (I also think that was the only option…) I would 100% recommend Khanom Tokyo to the pickier eaters who may be more afraid to step outside their comfort zone food-wise. The flavor mainly consists of a nice, calm vanilla flavor with a subtle but not too strong hint of pandan. The texture is also perfect for picky eaters: While it does look crispy, it's an incredibly soft crepe, with a creamy paste filling that perfectly pairs with the crepe's texture. I honestly don't have too much to say about Khanom Tokyo other than I finished the whole pack with my Dad’s Filipino girlfriend when I got home. Very good. 

My final rating: 9/10

7. Khao Tom Mad 

Completely unlike the last dessert, this one is definitely not for the picky eaters. Rayne and I both knew little to nothing about what we were about to try; however, I could not really tell if I enjoyed or disliked what I tasted. I was dependent on Rayne’s descriptions for the previous desserts, but since he didn’t know much about this one, I was going into it blind. Though not completely, as I did know what it contained. The dessert consisted of a large roll of very sticky rice, wrapped around a roll of taro paste, with red beans along the bottom. The interesting smell of the banana leaf it was wrapped in did make me a little nervous, but this column is all about trying new things. As I took a bite, I immediately didn’t really like the texture of the taro paste mixed with the sticky rice. However, as I kept chewing it, the flavor honestly made up for the texture. It was a light, sweet flavor that I truly can’t describe well. It tasted similar to red bean mochi, but the texture was very different. I did not dislike this dessert, but it wasn’t the best thing I think Thailand has to offer with its sweets.

My final rating: 7.1/10