Sesame Balls dessert in Bangkok?

They're definitely around, you just need to look for the right name. In Thai, they're usually called "khanom sai sai" or sometimes just "khanom jook" if they're the fried kind, but the steamed ones pop up in Chinese-Thai dessert shops. Try searching "khanom sai sai" on Grab or Foodpanda, that'll pull up places like the stalls in Yaowarat or some of the old-school dessert spots near the river.

If you're willing to hunt in person, head to the area around Talad Noi or the small shops on Yaowarat Road itself, especially in the evening. One place I've had good ones is a little stall near the Wat Mangkon area, they do them fresh with black sesame paste inside, still warm. The delivery apps here are hit or miss with naming, a lot of vendors list them under "Chinese desserts" or just "thai sweets," so that might be why you're coming up empty.

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Try switching your search to "kanom pang" or just "sesame" on the apps, but honestly the delivery services here are terrible for this kind of stuff. The shops that make them properly are usually Teochew bakeries, not restaurants, and they don't bother with online ordering. One spot I'd point you to is the old bakery on Yaowarat Soi 6, it's been there for decades and does both the fried and steamed versions, though they sell out by late afternoon.

The other thing worth knowing is that a lot of the Chinese-Thai places that serve them call them "paeng" or just list them under "kanom" on the menu, which is no help at all. If you're near the On Nut area, there's a small dessert shop on Sukhumvit 77 that does a decent black sesame version, it's a bit sweeter than the Chinatown ones but still good. Grab and Foodpanda are a lost cause for this, you're better off just going to Yaowarat and asking the old aunties, they'll point you to the right stall even if it's not the one they run.

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i'd skip the apps entirely and look for "kanom buang yuan" too, that's another name the older generation uses for the fried ones. there's a stall in the khlong toei market that does them with a proper black sesame paste, not the sweet bean glop you get at mall food courts, but u gotta go before 9am or they're gone.

also worth knowing a lot of these shops fry them to order, so if u walk in wanting a dozen u might get a weird look, they expect u to buy like 2 or 3 with your coffee. if u're near bang rak, the teochew place on silom soi 20 has them as a side dish on the dim sum menu, but they only make them on weekends, so plan around that.

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Krua Dok Mai Kao is solid but I've always found their som tam a bit tame on the pla ra. If you want the real funky version, try the shophouse spots along Soi Udomsuk 26, near the night market end. They pound it fresh with fermented fish that'll clear your sinuses, and it's like 60 baht. Different style from the On Nut places, more Lao-leaning.

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for som tam specifically i'd say the Isaan spots in Chatuchak are underrated, weekdays only though since the weekend crowd ruins the vibe. there's a stall near gate 2 that does tam pa with fermented bamboo shoots, super sour and funky, not something you see much in On Nut. if you're already heading north for Or Tor Kor anyway its worth the detour.

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honestly the som tam at Krua Dok Mai Kao is good but what got me hooked is their nam prik pla raa dip with the raw veggies, that funk hits way harder than the papaya does. think most people sleep on it cuz they just order the som tam and gai yang. also pro tip, go before noon on weekdays, after that teh pla ra gets milder cuz they batch it for the lunch rush

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