Beau Thai: Exotic Ice Cream From Chatuchak in Topwin Center, Sanlitun

Whether you were born with a sweet tooth, or dessert just isn't normally your thing, it's hard for everyone to resist a big scoop of delicious ice cream ... or even better, two. Chatuchak, which opened in the basement of the Topwin Center at the beginning of summer is still going strong with its 10 or so frozen confectionaries, each with a Thai twist.

Named after the eponymous famous weekend market in Bangkok, and sporting an elephant as their logo, Chatuchak proudly trumpets its Thai connection, and the flavors (RMB 32-38) proclaim it too – pandan leaf milk, golden pillow durian, passion fruit, lychee with rose, mango, longan, and dragonfruit. There are also two special flavors just for the Sanlitun location: cilantro, and cinnamon and carrot. Intrigued, we sampled them all (shout out to the patience and kindness of the waiting staff) and we were not disappointed.

The most interesting of the bunch, cilantro, wears its ingredients with pride and comes packed with a tongue-tingling herbal kick, almost as if someone had mixed cilantro with your favorite Ben & Jerry's vanilla ice cream. “Was that a prank?” you may be thinking while licking your spoon clean, but soon you'll be ordering a second scoop. The lychee ice cream was a little less out-there though rather floral in flavor thanks to the embedded rose petals.

Our favorite, however, was the cinnamon and carrot, which sports an alluring orange hue, a creamy texture, and just the right amount of sweetness. Customize your ice cream by adding a free topping from a choice of Oreo, pumpkin seeds, or cranberries; for this round, it seemed sensible to opt for roasted pumpkin seeds, which heightened the nutty notes and gave a nice crunch to the each bite.

Currently, Chatuchak has three locations: Shuangjing, Shibao Street in Zhongguancun, and the newer Sanlitun branch. If your really into your esoteric ice creams, it's worth seeking out each as the other venues have unique flavors such as rice wine and coconut. They also offer drinks like Thai milk tea and lime juice. So, throw your calorie calculator away; Chatuchak has just what you need for a hot summer's day.

Chatuchak
Daily 11am-10pm. B1, Topwin Center, Nansanlitun Lu, Chaoyang District (186 0000 1986)
朝阳区南三里屯路通盈中心B1

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Photos: Tracy Wang