Dishing up simple takes on Thai classics, Coconut Palm is run by the daughter of the owners of the delicious khao gaeng shop Somsong Pochana on Phra Arthit. Located right across from Wat Pho, the restaurant also serves up a few dishes you’re unlikely to find elsewhere (save Somsong Pochana), like kanom jeen sao naam (rice vermicelli in coconut milk with topping, B55), guay tiew Sukhothai (noodles in Sukhothai style, B45) and kanom bueng Sukhothai (fried pancake with minced pork, B60). But sadly, while a select few items are wonderful, far too many are disappointing—lacking heat and simply bland. The recommended pad cha talay (stir-fried seafood with finger root, B100), for instance, falls flat, tasting like extremely dull tourist fare. The pad prik khing (stir-fried pork with chili paste, B70) looks great but turns out to be just chewy pork in an overly sweet swamp. More enjoyable is the laab nang fah (spicy minced pork stuffed in roll, B90), which comes with a delightful stuffing—only for the flour rolls to be too chewy as if they were not quite fresh. Thankfully, there are a few definite hits, like the impressive khao pad namprik long ruea (rice mixed with chili paste, B50), which is great value for money. The well-balanced dish features some very addictive moowan (sweetened pork, B70) that goes great with the contrasting hint of lime. The crispy kanom bueng, too, is delectable—not too oily, it makes for a great snack. The highlights here, though, are the flavorsome desserts—khao fang (boiled millet served with coconut milk, B30) and inthanin (flour balls with pandanus in coconut milk, B30). Both are pretty hard to find nowadays and are worth the trek out here (do make sure you call ahead as they run out quickly). The clientele at this casual dining spot ranges from Thai families after some hard-to-find dishes to tourists wooed by the generally positive feedback on TripAdvisor. For us, though, the food’s lack of spice is a serious problem, but we’ll still happily visit for the heavenly desserts. No corkage charge.