How to Make Diane Moua's Thai Tea French Toast
While she was born and raised in Wisconsin, chef Diane Moua didn’t become obsessed with food until she moved to Minnesota and kick-started her career at such influential restaurants as Solera, La Belle Vie, and Spoon and Stable. Now widely recognized as one of Minneapolis’ most acclaimed pastry whisperers — she’s received six James Beard Award nominations, including two finalist nods for Outstanding Pastry Chef and one for Best Chef: Midwest — Moua recently brought her entire background full circle with the aptly named Diane’s Place.
Diane’s Place has received top accolades from such tastemakers as Bon Appétit (Best New Breakfast Spots), The New York Times (America's Best Restaurants) and Food & Wine (2025's Restaurant of the Year). One of her most popular dishes is the Thai Tea French Toast, inspired by her childhood and love of the milk-laced drink.
Find out how to make it at home below, and check out Moua's favorite spots for international food in Minnesota here.
Ingredients
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A loaf of room-temperature croissant bread, Pullman bread, or challah
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3 c. heavy cream
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½ c. whole milk
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3 egg yolks
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1 whole egg
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1.5c sugar
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1 tsp salt
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1 tbsp vanilla extract
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½ c. loose-leaf Thai tea
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Clarified butter (ghee), or unsalted butter
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To finish: whipped cream, fresh berries, maple syrup
Directions
If your bread has been refrigerated, remove it and bring to room temp.
Cut slices of the bread to 1 1/2 inches thick.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Whisk together the cream, milk, vanilla, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil, then remove from heat.
Stir in Thai tea and let steep for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, whisk together 1 whole egg and 3 egg yolks in a medium heat-proof bowl.
After cream mixture is done steeping, test with a finger – it should still be somewhat warm.
Add a small amount of the cream mixture (around 1 cup) to the bowl with the eggs to temper, or bring the eggs slowly up to a warmer temperature. If you do not do this, you may accidentally make scrambled eggs!
Add the eggs and cream back to the larger saucepan with the cream mixture, mix well, then strain through a fine-mesh strainer, leaving the tea behind.
Slice your bread into ½-inch thick slices and place on a plate or sheet pan.
One by one, dunk bread into the cream mixture, flipping over and making sure each slice gets fully submerged. Lift, let excess soak drip off, then place on a plate or sheet pan.
Heat a large skillet (cast iron, carbon steel, or stainless steel will give you the nicest sear) over medium to medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons clarified butter and melt.
Sear French toast slices, careful not to crowd the pan, for 2–3 minutes on each side or until golden brown, then transfer to a sizzle plate or small sheet pan and put in the oven for 3–5 minutes to finish.
Plate, then top each serving with lightly sweetened whipped cream, berries, and maple syrup.