Purple Foods: 5 Spots in Bangkok Serving Richly-Hued Treats That Are Both Healthy and Instagram Worthy
2017 is the year where Purple Sweet Potatoes, also known as Okinawan Potatoes, are dominating our plates and hitting up the taste buds of Thai people. The trend started off when a few street-food vendors got creative and cooked up some Thai Fried Sweet Potato Balls (Kanom Kai Nokkata) from purple potatoes. This resulted in a colorful street-food snack that many sought out for, and that was when the hit ingredient caught the eye of many cafes and restaurants.
Other than having a starchy sweet taste, purple sweet potatoes are low in carbohydrates and fat, and they are an excellent source of fiber and vitamins. They posses beta-Carotene, a precursor to Vitamin A (retinol) that gives us good eye health and vision, and Anthocyanins, an antioxidant with anti-aging properties, which is good for the heart. We would like to take you around Bangkok and visit the popular spots that serve beautiful and nutritious purple sweet potato snacks with our 5 favorite places listed in alphabetical order.
APBO Cafe
This Japanese-style café knows best when it comes to utilizing low-fat ingredients and getting creative with fruits. APBO is no stranger to Kakigori, or Japanese shaved ice, and have been one of the first to serve up the now popular Purple Sweet Potato Kakigori for Thais to rid the heat and get a little healthy at the same time.
Cafe Bora
Imported all the way from South Korea this mid-year, Café Bora has been quite the talk of the town even before the shop opened. Maybe because they’re truly the master when it comes to purple sweets, using purple sweet potato in all their menus including top picks like ice cream, bingsu (Korean shaved ice), and tiramisu.
Ring Café by Lumiere
Ring Café knows best about making things look beautiful and lovely, maybe because half of the shop is a fine jewelry store. The best seller here is the Kumamoto Lava Charcoal Toast where the toast is mixed with charcoal while the whole thing is topped with a generous portion of purple sweet potato ice cream. Also, the Purple Sweet Potato Latte here is a can’t miss as well.
Sweet Circle
This café originated from a famous Bua Loy (Rice Dumpling in coconut milk) shop in Yaowarat, that is why most of the menu here is old-school Thai desserts. The popular item here is “Miss Purple”, which is purple sweet potato pieces mixed with pumpkin Bua Loy and grass jelly all in fresh milk. This spot is very popular and is often full so be prepared to wait 30-45 minutes in line.
Sweet Potato Balls
This street stall sells the street-food snack that started all this purple food madness. The fried sweet potato balls made from purple potatoes look far more appetizing than the ones made from regular potatoes and tastes better as well! Even though there is quite a number of shops selling this item right now, we recommend you best grab it from here.