When we think of Chinese communities in Bangkok, we usually think of Yaowarat. But Supamas and Sattawat Suratuangchai, the siblings behind new specialty Deng Deng, want to put the spotlight on tea and shake up the Thai-Chinese community in Taladplu. 

 

 

The team behind the cafe have run a pre-ordering business for Chinese drinks and snacks since 2020, importing items that are not yet available or in stock. Pre-ordering takes longer than your average online shopping, so Deng Deng meaning, “wait a minute,” in Chinese just kind of stuck. 

 

The duo behind Deng Deng also run a page called “Thai born Chinese” which is all about the community’s cultural and historical tidbits. 

 

“We come from a Thai-Chinese family,” Supamas tells BK. “We want to showcase the type of food that our agon and ama would eat but repackaged it so it would be accessible to the younger crowd.”

 

The menu is 70% Chinese tea and 30% Taiwanese tea and focuses on uplifting the unique flavors in different kinds of tea leaves. The drinks can be divided into five categories: milk tea, herbal, fruity, non-caffeinated, and hot tea. 

 

 

The coconut flavor (B95) is the best seller in the milk tea department. It is a house blend pu’er (fermented tea) which usually has sweet and earthy notes but when mixed with the house blend red tea from Teochew and Hokkien, the original flavors are less intense, rendering a balanced sweetness that Thai people know.

 

 

If you’re more of a fruity tea drinker, you’d enjoy their oolong guava and salted plum tea (B85) which is characterized by its aromatic and tangy taste. For hot tea, opt for another best seller, Asian pear tea infused with sweet osmanthus (B95).

 

 

As a plus, they have a traditional Gongfu tea set (B425) that uses skillful preparation methods commonly adopted in Chinese tea ceremonies. It focuses on smaller brewing equipment, controlled portions, perfect timing, and a higher concentration of leaf to water ratio. The set at Deng Deng is served with dried fruits and contemporary renditions of Chinese-inspired desserts that are rare finds in Bangkok.

 

 

Their pia buns are a mix of Taiwanese and Shanghai style, with a touch of European in the dough. The moji with taro (B65) and the creamy salted egg with red bean flavor (B75) are a must-try that comes with a generous layer of fillings in a soft thin layer pastry. In another intriguing blend of old and new, their donut (B60) with strawberry and hawthorn berry filling will give those who grew up snacking on the addictive haw flake coins a blast from the past.

 

 

For a lighter dessert, opt for the szechuan jelly bowl (B150-175). The gelatinous base is made from traditional szechuan herbs that have cooling properties and help with indigestion. It is then topped with homemade candied fruits, roasted crunchy nuts, and a special syrup.