Mango Sticky Rice-Flavored Everything Is Trending in L.A. Right Now
Plus, I finally saw "Tony," some hot goss on the former Horses space, and more!
Hey all,
It is HOT in L.A. this week. I spent part of yesterday morning working on the newsletter out by the pool and was dying after about ten minutes (the humidity wtf?). Anyway, when it’s this hot in L.A. I like to (mostly) retreat indoors, see movies (more on that in a minute), make gazpacho, and eat ice cream (obv). Here’s what else has been going on this week in L.A.:
The latest meta food trend is mango sticky rice-inspired desserts. One of my favorite local writers, Patty Lee dropped her first story for Of All Places NYC this week on the very same topic. While classic versions are ubiquitous in L.A. (I’m partial to the one at Bham Kanom Thai as well as Anajak Thai’s), it’s the non-Thai spots where the “flavor” is suddenly popping up in unexpected ways (i.e. Van Leeuwen’s sold-out ice cream). Mango sticky rice-inspired cookies? Sure. Mango sticky rice-flavored shave ice? Why not! Here are a few around town to check out now:
1. Lei’d Cookies - This Culver City-based cookie shop that is also a Smorgasburg L.A. vendor is known for their popular mango sticky rice cookie that features fresh mango chunks and coconut chips topped with a house-made coconut rice sauce, and garnished with black sesame seeds. 8588 Washington Blvd.,
2. Jitlada x Junior Cookies - I wrote about this previously (which got me thinking about this trend to begin with!) but this bite-size cookie spot in WeHo is doing a mango sticky rice cookie collab with the iconic Jitlada until August 7th. (Sidenote, read my friend Jamie Feldmar’s heartwarming homage to Jitlada on Resy’s blog.) Also breaking news, Jitlada is now on Resy! If you love the Thai town fixture as much as I do, you’ll recall that it’s famously no-res, and milling around the parking lot with your friends waiting for a table is part of the whole experience. Anyway, this cookie collab was bonkers. Try it soon at all of Junior’s L.A. locations.
3. Pinecone Bakeshop + Cafe: This seasonal fruit tart specialist that gained a following during the pandemic just opened their first brick-and-mortar shop in Alhambra, brought to you Taiwan-born baker, Joyce Hsieh. They just rolled out their seasonal mango sticky rice tart made with Wong Farms Valencia Pride mangoes (swoon) Koda Farms sticky rice pudding with coconut milk, crème fraîche creme chantilly, and a pâte sucrée tart crust made with Tehachapi Sonora heritage grain flour. 116 W. Main Street, Alhambra
4. Mixtape, Questlove’s new better-for-you fast-food spot at fancy new food hall, Neighborly, is doing a special gluten- and dairy-free Mango Sticky Rice Saturdae made with passion-mango purée, coconut sticky rice, fresh mango, toasted coconut crispy rice, and salted coconut cream at both the Westlake Village and Brentwood locations. 11754 San Vicente Blvd. and 4000 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd, Space C1
5. Sidecar Doughnuts The Costa-Mesa-based doughnut shop with multiple locations just dropped a special doughnut inspired by Van Leeuwen’s mango sticky rice ice cream made with brioche dough dipped in a sweet mango glaze, filled with classic coconut Thai sticky rice, mango chunks and coconut cream sauce, and sprinkled with sesame seeds and puffed rice. Multiple locations
6. Kanomwaan - Possibly the OG of the trend…the ice cream spinoff from Thai Town institution Ruen Pair is going ham on mango sticky rice options (and Thai dessert-inspired creations in general!). Choose from the traditional dessert, a mango sticky rice sundae, a drink, as well as a mango sticky rice shaved ice at their East Hollywood location. 5261 Hollywood Blvd.
7. Series A Coffee - They’ve already done a few versions of this, but currently there’s a mango sticky rice-flavored matcha at the popular Beverly Hills coffee shop that’s known for its viral drinks. Theirs is made with mango puree, matcha, and a sweetened cream top. 8328 Wilshire Blvd.,
-I went to a screening of A24’s Tony last night which depicts Anthony Bourdain at age 19 during the life-changing Provincetown summer in which he decided to become a chef. I have to admit I was a little nervous going into this—it just feels like such a tall order to have anyone portray such an iconic and beloved figure such as Anthony Bourdain. However, it’s a sweet coming-of-age story and effortlessly watchable summer bop that honestly feels like more of an Antonio Banderas movie at certain points? (Which I’m not mad about, tbh.) It’s well-written, acted, directed and (for once!) well-edited—clocking in at a timely 106 minutes (an example for big-shot male directors worldwide lol). I was also pleasantly surprised by the cameo from Bourdain’s close friend (and total mensch) chef Eric Ripert (I won’t tell you when though). Tony, from director Matt Johnson, premieres in select theaters on August 7th.
-WeHo’s beloved Dialog Cafe has been devastated by a flood from the recent water main break and is raising money via GoFundMe. Please consider donating!
-Rumor mill: One of the partners from Alba Los Angeles has apparently acquired the lease for the former Horses space at 7617 Sunset Blvd. It will not be another Alba location, but a new concept that is TBD.
-Be Bright Coffee is opening a grab-and-go cafe, ramen bar, corner store, and coffee shop in Highland Park with Yi Cha chef Debbie Lee called Mokja in early August. From PR: “Mokja means “let’s eat,” and it’s part café, part grab ‘n’ go, part corner store, with a make-your-own ramen bar, “Seoulful Snackies” and pastries, pantry goods, and a Korean-inspired coffee program (think a Sweet Corn Latte made with a corn and condensed milk purée and a Misugaru Latte topped with mixed-grain cold foam, among others).” 715 N Figueroa St. #102. Opens August 3rd.
-There’s a new Japanese food hall called Yokocho coming to North Hollywood from real estate investor Guy Bachar and the owners of Yume Sushi Bar in Studio City. The 5,000-square foot space will attempt to recreate an authentic Tokyo market (filled with izakayas and various food stalls). The list of final vendors is TBD but a cool project, nevertheless! 11016-20 Magnolia Blvd.
i just had the mango sticky rice matcha at amai in glendale yesterday & it was good!