A plate of mango sticky rice, shaped into cubes and covered in sesame seeds and a sauce

S.S. Gai

I love a good mango sticky rice. The Southeast Asian dessert typically involves a scoop of glutinously chewy rice, freshly cubed mango and a sweet coconut sauce. It’s fresh, bright and colorful enough to delude yourself into thinking it’s healthy. S.S. Gai, the Thai spot at the multi-ethnic pop-up location The Wash in East Nashville (with a stand-alone location to be opened in the coming year), gives the dish an innovative twist. Instead of a pile of sticky rice, the starch is shaped into a bite-size cube, fried and coated in palm sugar, coconut and sesame. Then it’s topped with a sweet mango sauce. You get all the chewy goodness, but with added crunch and a more concentrated mango-ness. Did mango sticky rice need a reboot? Probably not. But S.S. Gai gave it a shot, and came up with something delightful and new.

Like what you read?


Click here to become a member of the Scene !