Thai Sweets from Bhan Kanom Thai – LA

Just when you thought the Los Angeles posts were done, guess what?!, there’s more acomin’. The reason being is that after our first trip, we went again a month later. But don’t worry NY peeps, there’s only 3-4 more posts from the second trip, and after that, it’ll be all New York again.

So on our second trip, after a day of eating spicy crawfish, clams, and shrimp at The Boiling Crab, David and I went on the search for something sweet and cool to appease our burning stomachs. Unfortunately, when we got to Scoops, they had already run out of ice cream. WTF?! Well, no fear, after a few minutes back on the road, we soon found ourselves at Bhan Kanom Thai, a Thai dessert shop in Thai Town.

Bhan Kanom Thai sells lots of pre-packaged snacks and candies, but I was more interested in their housemade Thai desserts. I love Thai desserts. No offense to my people, but I think Thai desserts trump all Asian desserts. I mean coconut milk, tapioca, and tropical fruit? It basically incorporates everything I love.

It was hard to choose at Bhan Kanom Thai, and I was tempted to get my go-to Thai dessert, tapioca pudding with corn, but I decided to branch out and try some other things.

Kanom Bueng (7 for $3), folded over thin crepe-like cookies filled with meringue and coconut, had a satisfying crunch with a bit of chew at the center. Sweet, but not overpoweringly so, I could see these being good with a cup of hot tea. Shoveled into your mouth as you drive back to your friend’s house works also.

More filling was the Grilled Sticky Rice with Banana ($1.25).

The banana inside could have been sweeter, but the sticky rice was wonderfully redolent of coconut milk.

My favorite were the Pangchi (6 for $2.50), grilled taro cakes filled with corn and shredded coconut. At first bite, I found it a bit odd (I didn’t expect the mushiness), but after a few more, I was highly addicted. It was sweet, slightly salty, and sticky throughout except for the grilled sides which were crisp and chewy as grilled starchy cakes tend to be. It was reminiscent of Korean or Malaysian sweet rice cakes, but much less dense, and with much more texture because of the corn and shredded coconut. On my next trip, which I hope happens soon, it’s probably be the pangchi I’d gravitate to again. That and the tapioca pudding which I missed out on.

Ice cream can wait another day.

Bhan Kanom Thai
5271 Hollywood Blvd. (b/n N Howard & N Hobart Blvd; map)
Los Angeles, CA 90027
323-871-8030