Custard Nakamura Bangkok: Katsu Sandos, Custard Buns, & Baked Goods Galore

Situated off the bustling Sukhumvit Road (on Soi Sukhumvit 33/1) and easily missed next to due to its positioning next to one of the ubiquitous 7-11s of Asia, Custard Nakamura is a quaint, quirky Japanese bakery serving up a smorgasbord of sweet, savory, and traditional Japanese pastry (and sandwich) classics. 

I was recommended Custard Nakamura by my Thailand eating guru (shoutout to her), who texted me a comprehensive list of must-go spots in Bangkok (feel free to message me if you’d like a list of the places). After having one of the worst starts to a morning I can remember in a while, I knew I needed some TLC – tender-loving custard. 

I’ve mentioned in previous posts that I have been intermittent fasting for the last year and stayed relatively true to not eating during the day. However, I was so engrossed by Custard Nakamura that I decided to throw everything out the window and have a ‘Big Body eating day’. Here’s what I devoured. 

Suns Out, Custard Buns Out

I ate this outside so bear with me here.

It may be ridiculous that I am writing this post on the verge of heading to Osaka, Japan for the next one to two months but you know what? Japanese bakeries will always have a soft spot in my heart and can play for me any day. Custard may hands down be the best filling for donuts and pastries that exists – a hill I will die on. 

Japanese pastries and desserts balance the perfect line between overly sweet and not enough flavor and make for the perfect bite-sized morsel that leaves you feeling fulfilled, yet still able to walk and with all mental and physical faculties for the rest of the day. Custard embodies this to a T. 

This custard bun is a melt-in-the-mouth, creamy, sweet pillow packed with an explosion of flavor. It is a custard bath bomb. I went back for two more and ate one while walking home and hoarded the other for later that night. Thanks to the structural integrity of the sweet bun, I did not end up biting in and having the custard squirt over my black polo – a common occurrence for me with cream or custard-filled pastries.

The Katsu Sando: Juicy Pork Cutlets Covered in Tangy, Sweet Sauce Between Light Fluffy Pillows

For USD 1.50, this is a full meal in itself. I actually had to sit down to eat this because it was such a behemoth.

Let’s state the obvious. ‘Sando’ = ‘sandwich’. Now, the less obvious. ‘Katsu’ = ‘cutlet’ (typically a meat or vegetable covered in breadcrumbs and fried). Katsu Sandos are everything that is right with the world. A fried pork cutlet, fitted perfectly together between two pieces of fluffy white bread. Katsu Sandos are an amalgam of a ‘schnitzel sandwich’ and a ‘BLT’. Crispy, clean, juicy goodness, sandwiched together with sweet tomato slices and shredded lettuce. 

If you’ve read any of my previous articles then you know that I fear very few things more than I fear mayonnaise. It has never sat well with me and is widely known amongst my friends to be my personal kryptonite. 

For some reason, I will occasionally make an exception for Japanese mayonnaise. I tell myself it’s ok as it is slightly different, only using the egg yolks instead of the full egg. This typically results in a smoother, custard-like texture rather than a thick glob of sadness (as an American, I do fully accept any insults and/or fruits you would like to virtually throw at me for being ‘anti-mayo’). 

Coated with a sweet, tangy tonkatsu sauce, which feels more like an elevated BBQ sauce competitor, you are looking at one of the finest hybrid BLT and schnitzel sandwiches out there. And, it’s light. This is a sandwich that you can eat on the go or pair with a nice Chianti (I’m not sure about that) – there is no situation where this sandwich does not hit the mark.

The Menchi Sando: The Highly Slept-On Sando

Simple, juicy, and portable. That’s what I like in a sandwich. It is always important to be able to break into a quick jog if needed while eating a sandwich (hence the portability requirement).

This may be sacrilegious to say but the Menchi Sando at Custard Nakamura was my favorite sando of the two. A quick explainer: Menchi Sandos are seasoned minced or ground meat sandwiches that are breaded and fried (similar to the Katsu Sando). In Custard Nakamura’s case, it was a minced pork and beef combo (don’t quote me on this). 

Flavor-wise, it just hit the mark for me. It was slightly salty, yet sweet (due to minced onions thrown in the mix), and juicy. Think of the Menchi Sando as a hamburger and katsu hybrid. Due to the hamburger-like consistency of the minced meat, it retained a lot of the juiciness of the meat much better. Fried pork cutlets can sometimes tighten up after sitting for too long and lose a tad of the moisture that makes it one of the best meals served hot off the pan. 

Action shot right here.

Structurally, the Menchi Sando retained its shape better. This may seem odd since the Katsu Sando is fried but it was actually for this reason that there was an incompatibility between the lettuce and sauces that had me fumbling a bit. Don’t get me wrong, it was absolutely delicious – it just wasn’t a one-napkin type of shindig. 

A Taste of Japan Before….Japan

Website, Address, & Details: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Custard-Nakamura/161803177191817 

Location: 595/2 Soi Sukhumvit 33/1, เเขวง คลองตันเหนือ Watthana, Bangkok 10110, Thailand

After three custard buns, two minced meat sandos, and one pork katsu sando, I felt as spry as ever and was resilient enough to still put down a hearty Jamaican oxtail stew later that night. Keep in mind that Custard Nakamura is a bakery with countless different pastries – sweet, savory, salty, or something in-between, you name it and Custard Nakamura has it. 

Price-wise, this will not break the bank, with custard buns clocking in sub-30 Thai Baht and sandos coming in just under 50 Baht (USD 1.00 to 1.50)

I was undecided about whether I would be able to swing a month or two in Japan. However, after my double-take back to and double-order at Custard Nakamura, I knew I had to go. Several days later I booked my flight and accommodation in Osaka. If you want a taste of Japan right in the heart of Bangkok, you’ve found it. 

If you have any questions about other great Japanese spots in Bangkok, don’t hesitate to reach out to me in the comments or via email (info@palealetravel.com). I worked my way through several omakase dinners (shoutout to Nobu-san), izakayas, and sushi joints that were some of the best (and most sophisticated) eating experiences I’ve had the pleasure of coming across. 

Eat well,

Big Body