Where to find mango sticky rice
My favorite mango sticky rice vendor is K. Panich. Another popular place is Mae varee which is in a convenient location, but I don’t love as much. Choir Sornkeeaw is also famous and does rainbow sticky rice if you love instagrammy things.
A lot of restaurants, especially generalist Thai restaurants and seafood restaurants, will have it on the menu, so always worth a look. Remember: in-season mangoes (Mar – May) are miles better than out-of-season mangoes so if you’re there out of season the mangoes have a chance of being sub-optimal.
Not going to Thailand soon enough? When it’s mango season where you live, make my mango sticky rice recipe which also teaches you how to make the rainbow sticky rice too!
11. Traditional Coconut Ice Cream with All the Toppings Coconut ice cream
I forgot to include this one in the video, but a Patreon member reminded me that traditional coconut ice cream in Thailand is the best coconut ice cream, period. In fact, when I came to Canada and had “coconut ice cream” from the supermarket, I was completely appalled, lol. They are not even the same thing!
“Traditional” is the key word here, as there are other more modern shops that put a lot of dairy into the coconut ice cream so the coconut flavour is diluted. And a traditional ice cream vendor will also offer traditional toppings which you should absolutely try, including sticky rice, peanuts, corn, candied sweet potatoes, among others. AND they should offer the option to have it on a fluffy bun!
My recommendation is to have it with sticky rice and peanuts at the minimum, and everything else is up to you. I love it on bun, but it gets messy so if I’m gonna be walking and eating, I opt for the cup version. If I’m at a sit-down place, definitely the bun.
The reason coconut ice cream is so much better in Thailand is because, as with Kanom stepfresh coconut milk makes all the difference. In the West, coconut milk used to make most commercial ice creams is highly processed, and the processing destroys the wonderful flavour of fresh coconut milk to a significant degree.
Where to find traditional coconut ice cream
Traditional coconut ice cream is typically sold from street carts or small stalls in food markets (indoor and outdoor). A clear sign that you’re at a “traditional” ice cream vendor is that they offer traditional toppings mentioned above, and they will most likely have only coconut ice cream, and not a lot of flavours to choose from. If they don’t have those toppings and they have a bunch of flavours, they’re more likely a modern, Western style ice cream vendor.
Some restaurants also have it on the menu. Yentafo Khrueang Song (many locations) have a great one, fully loaded with all the toppings and the bun. And while you’re there you can try Yentafo pink noodle soupanother noodle soup you should try while in Thailand!
And that’s it! I hope this helps you plan your next trip to Thailand!