Every day before dawn, 80-year-old Panee Chiabchalard arrives at K. Panich. Following a routine honed over 50 years, she has a light breakfast and coffee, then starts preparing the sticky rice and fresh coconut milk for mango sticky rice around 5 a.m. – Thailand's famed dessert and the shop's signature dish. She works until about 10 a.m., sometimes later if business is brisk.

The small K. Panich shop has been open for almost 100 years. Photo: Michelin

The small K. Panich shop has been open for almost 100 years. Photo: Michelin

A machine blends ingredients like sugar and salt with meticulous precision, ensuring exact measurements instead of using cups or eyeballing. Ingredients are sourced from trusted suppliers of decades. The family recipe for the mango sticky rice remains a closely guarded secret. Panee still hand-mixes the coconut milk with a wooden tool before the machine completes the process.

K. Panich's sticky rice can be kept at room temperature for three days without spoiling, even without preservatives. "We use the highest quality ingredients and emphasize hygiene during preparation," Panee says.

The shop's sticky rice might be pricier than elsewhere, but this is due to the top-notch ingredients. A serving of mango sticky rice costs 125 baht (about 100,000 VND). Other popular items include sticky rice with traditional Thai custard at 65 baht for a box of 6 (55,000 VND), sticky rice with sweet dried fish, and sticky rice with seasoned shrimp at 50 baht per box (42,000 VND).

The fresh mango stand in front of the shop is also run by Panee's family. A kilogram of fresh mango sells for 230 baht (nearly 200,000 VND).

Panee and her daughter Anchalee sit beneath a portrait of K. Panich's founders, Kab and Sarapee Chiabchalard.

Traditional mango sticky rice. Photo: Michelin

Sticky rice dishes at K. Panich include mango sticky rice, sticky rice with various fillings, sticky rice with Thai custard, and sticky rice with seasoned shrimp. Photo: Michelin

Panee's parents-in-law, Kab and Sarapee Chiabchalard, opened K. Panich in 1927. The original recipes were learned by Sarapee from Li Khamamporn, her aunt who was a chef in the Thai Royal Palace during the reigns of King Rama V and King Rama VI.

In her early twenties, while working as a teacher, Panee was asked to take over the shop. Initially hesitant, her mother-in-law persuaded her, saying it would be a shame not to continue the legacy they had built and pass down their expertise to the next generation.

To this day, Panee upholds the long-standing traditions and emphasizes customer service – values she's instilling in the third generation of K. Panich owners. She taught her children how to make sticky rice from a young age, and her daughter now helps run the business.

In five years, when she retires at 60, Anchalee, Panee's eldest daughter and currently a health lecturer at Chulalongkorn University, might take over the shop.

Panee says her daughter still has much to learn but is about 70% ready. There's a lot to master, from ensuring the coconut rice is perfectly cooked to creating fragrant coconut milk and cream, and ensuring the glutinous rice from Chiang Rai isn't mixed with regular rice.

Generations of families have bought mango sticky rice from K. Panich. Even after mango season ends in June, customers can enjoy other traditional Thai desserts, all made in-house with family recipes: Thai milk candy, banana-filled sticky rice, four-layer coconut custard, and steamed banana cake.

A steady stream of customers visits Panee's small shop daily; some carry large bags, others stop for a quick treat by the roadside. Thais and tourists alike share an appreciation for the family's traditional product. Panee's dedication to this national dish seems likely to endure.

On Tripadvisor, the world's largest travel forum, many reviewers rate K. Panich as having the best mango sticky rice in Thailand. However, some find it "average" with smaller portions than other places. Address: 431 433 Thanon Tanao, Khwaeng Sao Chingcha, Khet Phra Nakhon, Bangkok.

Tam Anh (Michelin Guide, Tripadvisor)