MOOM MAAM - Artisanal Thai Gelato

Moom Maam Review: Find Experimental Thai Ice Cream Flavors in Torrance | Eater LA

"Dreamt up by scientist Saran “Darwin” Wai, this Thai gelato shop channels his molecular biology degree into ice cream, evolving from a Wat Thai pop-up to vending at Smorgasborg in the summer of 2023 before opening a standalone Torrance shop in 2024. Wai, who is Thai, prides himself on making flavors that feel nostalgic for Thai people while gleefully experimenting with ingredients he comes across as an Angeleno, and the resulting ice cream is inventive, expressive, and singular in Los Angeles. Riceberry horchata feels most emblematic of Los Angeles from its collision of cultural influences; in Wai’s words: “It’s a flavor inspired by a Mexican drink, using Thai rice, turned into an Italian gelato, and made by a Thai guy.” The first ice cream he developed, fior di coco, is a vegan coconut milk scoop that tastes like one you might find from a street vendor in Bangkok—impossibly creamy with a true punch of nutty coconut. For an out-of-the-box flavor that feels uniquely Thai, I go for khanom ping, inspired by smoked Thai cookies, and durian and mezcal hits the perfect Mexican–Thai blend in a single ice cream: pungent, smoky, creamy, and gently sweet. The coconut waffle cone is light, crispy, and gluten-free; get your scoop in a cone bowl to experience all the playful textures. Find the standalone shop on the first floor of Del Amo Fashion Center, right outside Macy’s—a quieter part of the mall worth seeking out for ice cream." - Kat Thompson