The menu at David Thompson’s Nahm (Metropolitan, Sathorn Rd., 02-625-3333) largely features old-school, slow-cooked recipes seldom found in the streets nowadays. But it’s a lesser-known fact that the desserts there, under the stewardship of dessert chef and long-time collaborator, Tanongsak Yordwai, are equally unusual and unusually paired. Here, Tanongsak talks us through one of the options currently available on their ever-changing menu.

1. Pa grim khem: raw coconut cream slightly salted to bring out the flavor of coconut and jasmine or rose
2. Pa grim waan: cooked coconut cream
3. Sakhu: tapioca balls, for a grainy, chewy texture
4. Rose petal for garnish
5. Fak thong cheuam: jackfruit glaceed in a saffron syrup
6. Maphrao on: strips of young coconut
7. Khai nok kratha: quail eggs deep-fried in a tapioca and taro batter

Get the Classics

Places that do quintessential Thai sweets.

1. Sri (G/F, K Village, Sukhumvit Soi 26, 089-923-5447). A cute little stall in the middle of K Village, this small-scale operation uses all-natural ingredients and no MSG to produce old-fashioned Thai desserts like chor muang, pieangpoon and other snacks from family recipes.
2. Bua Loy (Klong San Plaza Pier, Charoennakhorn Rd., 089-697-5971. Open daily 1-7:30pm). Folks often line up at this bua loy shop which offers seven colors of the little dumplings. Go for the bua loy khai khem or khai wan (both B20) which also come with young coconut, water chestnut and taro root.
3. Khanom Wan Talad Plu (1129 Terdthai Soi 25, Thonburi, 02-466-9332. Open daily 2-7pm). Around for 65 years, this little shop in Plu Market in Thonburi is run by the second generation of owners. They do preservative-free desserts like fak thong sankhaya (B70) and foy thong (B10).
4. Khanom Wan Sala Daeng (Sala Daeng Soi 1, 085-156-2473. Open daily 10am-2pm). On the left, down a busy food alley on Sala Daeng, a sweet lady has a set up of a couple of tables that are mobbed with office workers hankering for her black sticky rice, sankhaya, kluay buad shee and more (B10, B15 for take away).