Bangkok chefs tell us about their favourite desserts from their home country.
Jakthong “Mumu” Ubolsootvanich, Executive Chef & Co-Founder, Maison Bleue
“Som chun is my favourite as it’s very delicate and very ‘Haute Bangkokian’. It’s seasonal, which makes it contemporary, but most importantly, it represents the uniqueness of Thai cuisine the way scents from fruits and flowers and even vegetables are combined. It’s an explosion of tastes and a beautiful alliance between sweet and savoury—a concept which has served as a foundation for my own work for many, many years.”
Davide Caló, Chef de Cuisine, Kimpton Maa-Lai Bangkok
“My favourite dessert from Italy is the Pasticciotto Leccese, a traditional pastry from Lecce in the Apulia region specifically. It’s a small, oval-shaped pastry made with a shortcrust dough and typically filled with a delicious custard cream. Crispy on the outside, crumbly in texture, but with a creamy heart, it’s a real treat! This dessert proudly represents the area where I come from and every time I eat it, I feel right at home!’’
Anthony Burd, Executive Chef & Owner, Tony’s
“One of my all-time favourite hometown desserts is the warm cider donuts from Mackey’s Orchard in Belvidere, New Jersey. The warm, cinnamon-infused, soft, yet slightly dense donut with a hint of apple cider is a unique twist to the flavour profile. Only available for a short time in the fall season, it has always been my favourite seasonal treat growing up down the street from the farm.”
Sainisa “Jay” Sangsingkaew, Chef Patron, Restaurant Stage
“There are a few Thai desserts that I enjoy, but if I have to pick one, it would be mango sticky rice because it simply reminds me of my childhood. When I was a kid, my granny used to pick ripe mangoes from our mango tree and make sticky rice with freshly squeezed coconut milk. In the old days, they would make the sticky rice in a brass pan, over a traditional charcoal stove, which makes a lot of difference in terms of flavour. I can still remember the taste, and the thought already makes me crave one.”
Saki Hoshino, Pastry Chef, Samlor / Nawa
“I like so many desserts back in Japan because they use seasonality and lots of fruits. But the simple things that I’ve been enjoying since I was a child, like strawberry shortcake, crepes, and dango with sweet soy sauce are the best. The latter might be more of a snack than dessert due to it being heavy on the salty side, but I love to eat dango as a dessert because I’m a fan of salty-sweet!”
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