Some of the old dessert shops have grown big now. One has adopted an English name 'Sweet Circle' and is opening outlets in swankier areas. Couldn't deny the man his sugar fix. Brought him to another old haunt in a residential area in Suan Luang Market around Chulalongkorn University. Of course. That was precisely why I chose Chula. I didn't drive back then. New to the city, I had to study and stay at accessible areas in town.
Years on, it isn't exactly an unknown dessert venue anymore. Cheng Sim Ei or Cheng Sim Yee (เซ็งซิมอี้), or whatever variation of its name, is one of the most popular dessert spots in the city known for its shaved ice stuff known as 'naam kaeng sai' (น้ำแข็งใส). Not a traditional Thai dessert place though. They offer so many assorted dried fruits, sago, jelly, etc to the shaved ice. Pretty much like the Chinese cheng tng and desserts.
When we got to Cheng Sim Ei, the man's eyes widened. He loved the colors. The man didn't mind these desserts, and was happy to literally inhale a bowl of shaved ice with jelly or gelatin, tapioca thingies. Then ordered a second bowl. The wonderful thing- the amount of sweetness could be controlled. Just remind the vendor to put less sugar syrup and watch him like a hawk. Or put it in a separate bowl to be spooned out to desired quantities. Me? Even I had a bowl with sliced dried lotus root and dried kiwi. Everyone also used a spoon and picked off every other bowl. There were six of us, and we uh had two bowls each. Plenty of flavors to sample. Hurhurhur.
Cheng Sim Ei (เซ็งซิมอี้)
15/298 Moo 9 Soi Soi Chok Chai 4/4,
Lat Phrao Road, Lat Phrao, Bangkok 10230
(It's really at Chula 5 between soi 18 and 20.)
T: +66 (0) 8-1934-8977
3 comments:
I didn't know you studied in Thailand! That is so cool.
I fell in love with the language! Started with the lang studies in nus, then fasterly acquired modules for a 1.5yr prog. :) And a Thai bf then, who accelerated my understanding of the laguage. Hehehehe.
Ahhhh. That always helps! :D
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