Tile pattern ice cream: Must-try ice cream at Wat Arun in Bangkok
A Bangkok café and restaurant has created a delicious, arty ice cream to help support the education of monks and novices and pay for the upkeep of a well-known temple in the capital.
The Arun-Cafe Coffee & Restaurant has conjured a 3D ice cream which has been crafted to mirror the ceramic tiles adorning the central prang (which means tall tower-like spire) of Wat Arun, also known as the Temple of Dawn in Bangkok. The ice cream went viral among Thai people and tourists, especially Chinese and Japanese visitors.
Arun-Cafe Coffee & Restaurant, located close to Wat Arun, contributes its earnings to support the education of monks and novices. Additionally, profits are used to cover medical expenses for each monk, as well as the ongoing construction and renovation of temple projects.
The cafe started offering 3D ceramic tile pattern ice cream a few weeks ago. The ice cream showcases four main patterns inspired by the ceramic tiles decorated on the central tall tower in the temple which is known as Phra Prang Wat Arun among Thai people. With the flower-like pattern, the ice cream has the name “Flower at Dawn” which goes together with the name of the temple, Temple of Dawn.
The ice cream comes in two flavours: butterfly pea coconut milk, and Thai tea. The two flavours represent a popular beverage in Thailand, Thai tea, and the main ingredient of Thai dessert, coconut milk. Visitors can buy the ice cream at 89 baht each.
The person behind this popular ice cream is Tarn, the CEO of the ice cream shop named Pop Icon 3D Ice Cream. Tarn revealed during an interview with ThaiRath that she is a former marketing specialist who turns herself into a product researcher and developer. So, she used both skills to create the ice cream.
Tarn explained that she dreamt about being an ice cream seller and a traveller. Now, she mixes both passions to craft an ice cream that can draw tourists to a travel destination. Tarn added that in the future she plans to present the signatures of other travel destinations through ice creams and also plans to expand more flavours in her tile pattern-inspired ice cream.
For those who want to try the 3D ice cream, Arun-Cafe Coffee & Restaurant is located about 750 metres away from Itsaraphap MRT station or about a ten-minute walk.
