I’d Like to Propose a Toast… and Coconut Custard (Bangkok Eats)

Unlike the French-influenced Vietnam, Thailand really isn’t much of a bread culture. That being said, there are a number of nice pastry shops and bakeries here and there in Bangkok. But the place to go for toast is Mont Nom Sod. Going out for toast might not be something that comes up in conversation much on a travel blog [see Lonely Planet Thorn Tree for "Going on a RTW trip. Can anyone tell me where I can get TOAST in Nairobi?"] But when a Bangkok dairy bar has been banking on it since 1964, that’s worth noticing.

Mont Nom Sod is just a couple blocks east of the Giant Swing and Wat Suthat. They open at 2 in the afternoon, and while Krispy Kreme seems to be drawing lines at the door each day before they open, Mont Nom Sod gathers its own little crowd as well even after all these years.

In fact, there was a bit of impatient line-cutting at the counter when I made my first order there. (Many locals already know what they want or usually get — a traveler like me likes to look the menu over to make sure I’m not missing something. “Holy cow! They have peanut butter? But I already ordered coconut! Oh, the humanity!”)

The toast comes in thick slices of white bread and the toppings are as sweet as Thais like them, that is to say, very. Order by the slice and each comes drizzled with flavored condensed-milk creams. Coconut custard, corn, chocolate, orange jam, peanut butter, or just sugar or condensed milk. It is cut into little squares to be stabbed at with plastic forks. Many people get it to go, but there is plenty of diner seating if you want to relax and savor it while it’s still warm.

Along with the toast, Mont Nom Sod serves fresh milk. Cold or hot, straight up of flavored with strawberry, Thai tea, coffee and more.

Best time to go?

It’s open daily, no worries there. But Creamy Taro flavor is only served on Mondays, and a Creamy Pumpkin is only available on a full moon. A Full Moon Monday, therefore, is your best bet.