For many years Auntie Nim’s Desert Shop – ร้านของหวานป้านิ่ม (Raan Kong Wan Pa Nim) – in Nan was the perfect place to satisfy a sweet tooth or two. Located across from Wat Sri Pan Ton near the intersection of Chao Fa Road & Suriyapong Road, it served Thai kanom wan – sweet kanom – and ice cream. It was a great place to satisfy a craving after a good dinner.
Update: Alas! Auntie Nim’s is no more! The word is that Auntie Nim retired; it was closed when we visited in 2018. I’ll leave this blog up as a historical record.
(Click images to see larger version.)
Sign for Auntie Nim’s
Here’s Auntie Nim’s at night
I’ve included a couple pictures above of the outside – the one showing the street sign during the day and the second showing how I first saw the shop: all lit up at night and (as we saw when we approached) bustling with people, nearly all Thais.
Serving kanom
Serving the kanom
The main attractions here were the traditional Thai kanom served in a sweet coconut sauce. As you walked up to the counter, you saw a number of large bowls with various sweet things in them. Many of them were served by putting them into a bowl and adding sweet coconut cream to them.
Kanom Bua Loi
Kanom Pa Kim Khai Tao
These two popular items will give you an idea of the desserts here. On the left is Kanom Bua Loi – dumplings in a sweet coconut soup. The dumplings have a soft, interesting texture. To the right is Kanom Pa Kim Khai Tao. A couple of different kinds of noodles provide the texture to this dish.
Job’s tears with coconut sauce
Chocolate Ice Cream
Above left is another sweet coconut milk-based dish, this one with job’s tears. Like the two dishes above, the filling (Job’s tears, in this case) in the coconut soup provides texture and contrast to the sweet coconut milk. To the right we see their chocolate ice cream: it’s worth a try as well.
Where it was Located
ร้านของหวานป้านิ่ม – Raan Kong Wan Pa Nim
95/2, ถนนเจ้าฟ้า, ตำบลในเวียง อำเภอเมืองน่าน จังหวัดน่าน, 55000
95/2, Wat Sri Pan Ton Intersection, Chao Fa Road, Nai Wiang Subdistrict, Mueang Nan District., Nan, Thailand
You might enjoy my blog onThai (Sweet) Snacks – Khanom Wan.
Written by Michael Babcock, November 2014 & June 2020