Slightly less than 2 weeks ago, during my weekly visit to
Mega Bang Na, I chanced upon an ice cream stall like no other. It looked rustic,
playful and vintage all at the same time, and after tasting their concoctions, a
wave of excitement rushed through my brain, as it's been a while since a F&B
concept in Bangkok grabbed my attention in such a manner.
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Itim Lamoon's shop front at Mega Bang
Na |
Think of Thai sweets and you can come up with a few
names. Mango Sticky Rice, Thai Durian, Coconut and the ever-reliable Thai iced
tea. But having lived here for almost 6 years, there is much, much more. Take
Yakult for example. Back in Singapore, we are used to Yakult being sold
everywhere in assorted flavours, but here in Thailand, Yakult cannot be found
anywhere readily. There is only 1 flavour, the original, in a tiny bottle, which
can only be purchased when the Yakult lady appears in your neighbourhood. I
reckon if I were a little boy in Bangkok, I will be waiting eagerly for this
particular lady to appear at my doorstep everyday to have my favourite
drink.
Yesterday, I spoke to Danupon (more affectionately known
as Moo), the owner of Itim Lamoon, and was suitably satisfied to understand that
his concept is to weave together the childhood memories of local adults and
present them in the form of premium ice cream. His first signatures were coconut
cream, Thai tea and Milo, and he slowly came up with more and more flavours,
most of which carry a distinctive Thai soul. Some interesting ones will be the
Thai coffee (Oliang), Taro coconut, Sala(a red syrup carrying a similar identity
to rose syrup in Singapore but tastes different) cider with Lime, Rum and Raisin
(which uses locally-famous Sangsom Thai rum) and even a Red Bull
sorbet.
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Even his toppings have a vintage feel about them, from
crispy dough fritters to mug bean to rainbow
sugar |
Moo shared with me that his biggest challenge was to
convince the Thai locals that local Thai flavours are not always cheap, as even
though he tries to emulate traditional tastes, he uses imported raw material to
ensure his ice cream are as good as the premium home-made ice cream we can find
in other more internationally-established dessert shops. As a foreigner,
however, I feel that spending 49THB on a scoop of good quality ice-cream (with a
free topping, no less) that tastes uniquely Thai is more than worth
it.
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The ice-cream shop is designed to look like a vintage
playground. Kids are encouraged to play with all their
toys. |
Aside of selling ice cream by the scoop, Itim Lamoon also
comes up with their own vintage sundaes and drinks, all of which carry a Thai
traditional flair as well.
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Can you recognize this character from Kamen
Riders? |
One of their specialties really surprised me. I bet most
of you understand Affogato as an Italian dessert that involves pouring richly
aromatic espresso over some gooey vanilla Gelato. What if I told you the Lamoon
Affogato is pouring rich Thai kopi-O called O-liang over their signature creamy
coconut ice-cream?
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Lamoon Affogato looks and tastes
charming |
The
main reason why I have such a strong feeling over Itim Lamoon is because After
You and Mr Jones Orphanage have been hogging the Thai dessert headlines for far
too long. Both have legitimate reasons for success, with Mr Jones Orphanage
depending more on their atmosphere than cakes to attract customers. However,
both these big names have earned their reputation recommending foreign-style
desserts to the public. Finally, Itim Lamoon has a concept that brings local
traditional desserts to the next level, packaging it in a attractive way, yet
versatile enough to refresh their flavours as frequently as they wish.
All
said and done, at this moment, Itim Lamoon is certainly not the finished product
yet. The ice cream is still a wee bit too sweet for my non-Thai palate, and I do
wish they eventually come up with a proper ice-cream shop that allows customers
to enjoy their pretty desserts like the Lamoon Affogato in a more comfortable
space with their whole family. I also think they should start considering
opening stalls in places where tourists have more access to.
If
you do manage to see it though, please give it a shot, as it might transport you
back to your long-lost childhood. The Stranger in Bangkok's favourite flavours
are Thai Tea and Yakult Jelly.
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