THE BANGKOK VEGAN MUST-EAT LIST
MUST TRY TRADITIONAL DISHES
Trying these national dishes & popular street foods is a non-negotiable! Look out for these vegan versions of traditional Thai meals and snacks.
Pad Thai
This one’s from Thipsamai in Phra Nakhon, Bangkok, where they claim to be the first place ever to produce the legendary dish. The vegetarian pad thai is marked jae on the menu, so it comes vegan already, as does their make-at-home vegetarian pad thai packs.
Pad Thai is a relatively new invention made to celebrate local Thai ingredients and promote rice noodle usage. Soaked rice noodles are tossed with vegetables and tofu often with egg and shrimp. The sauce is so simple: tamarind, palm sugar and vegan fish sauce or soy sauce.
I also tried the vegan pad thai at May Kaidee (where they teach you how to make it in the class), Baan Ying, So Vegan, The Kitchen at Yenakat, May Veggie Home and Alt Eatery then summarised my findings in my ultimate guide to making vegan pad thai at home.
Khao Soi
Khao Soi (meaning ‘cut rice’) is a curried rice noodle soup that’s similar to a Thai laksa and is often served with a crispy clump of fried noodles.
The one pictured is from Khun Churn in White: House of Vegetarian in Khlong Toei, Bangkok. I also found delicious versions at May Kaidee, Loving Hut and learning how to make a vegan version at Bangkok Thai Cooking Academy.
Tom Yum
Here’s one I made at the world-class cooking class run by Thai veg legend May Kaidee at her Bangkok school. Tom Yum is a spicy and sour Thai soup base that can be served with all sorts of additional broths, coconut milk, vegetables, tofu and traditionally meats or seafood like shrimp.
This is a menu staple in Thai restaurants in soup form, but the flavour base is often applied to other dishes like my all-time favourite tom yum fried rice.
Mango Sticky Rice
Dessert is served! You’ll finish every cooking class, large meal and casual evening stroll with one of these if you know what’s good for you. It’s cheap , delicious and available in most shops, restaurants or just by really walking anywhere until you bump into a stand.
Cool, fresh mango slices are served next to sweet, coconut spiked sticky rice (sometimes with pandan added) which makes it naturally dairy free. Crispy mung beans are added to the top if you’re lucky, which really makes this the ultimate way to end your day.
Roti Sai Mai
Fresh pandan crepes get sold accompanied with a rustic, rough and straw-like version of fairy floss/candy floss. You roll the floss up in the crepe and take a big bite!
These are popular at the jae festival as well as year round in Thailand, and are pretty reliably vegan friendly.
Tofu
Tofu is a popular protein source in Thailand, so you’ll find it everywhere! But don’t limit yourself to boring old soy beans (JK soy beans, I love you!) because there’s so many more to find! This mixed array from the Pim Tofu Shop included fried cubes of shiitake tofu, pumpkin tofu, black sesame tofu, seaweed tofu, taro tofu, purple sweet potato and carrot tofu!
Soy Milk
Just like tofu, the soy bean is celebrated in Thailand via the milk range, too! Look for street side stands that’ll sell you freshly brewed, hot soy milk with various interesting add-ins like the red beans I had mixed into the photographed version that comes in a little bag for you to carry home.
Coconut Products
Coconut is a locally popular ingredients and in tandem with soy, there’s a lot more dairy free options to choose from here! For example, this Greek style yoghurt shop called Coconeeded I ran into near my accomodation happens to be totally vegan friendly as they use coconut milk for all their yoghurts.
Come with me on a vegan foodie adventure in Thailand!
I’m hosting a group tour of like minded souls who want to come hunting for incredible vegan food with me! We’re off to the jae festival to see the best of Thailand’s plant based food and I want to show you all my favourite finds in person. Submit your details for trip information so you can secure your spot as soon as you can!
MUST TRY UNIQUE BANGKOK GEMS
Nowhere is doing it like these rare vegan experiences you can only try while you’re in Thailand. After a long hunting season, these are my top trophies for plant based finds in BKK!
Near Chatuchak Market is a totally vegetarian food court with food stands covered in yellow and red jae flags. Getting around here without speaking Thai is very difficult, but the general gist is you exchange baht for food stamps at the ticket office in a little vegetarian grocery store, then trade them for food at the stalls. It’s a real point and pray style of ordering, but the food you end up with is amazing.
With both a fine dining location and a casual dining location, this is a really unique jewel on the Bangkok vegan landscape. My favourite part? The epic vegan food challenges! Me and my local mate Molly rocked up to try the Boat Noodle challenge (pictured) - if you can eat 1.8kg of boat noodles in 30 minutes then the whole bowl is free! We.. failed spectacularly.
Neighbouring Vegan Ice Cream Shops
Imagine my surprise after trekking to Emquartier shopping mall to find a vegan ice cream shop to find it obscured.. by a second vegan ice cream shop, next door. Hebe Plant Bar and Molly Ally both specialise in dairy free creamy desserts and you can compare them directly to each other without taking a step! While you’re in the centre you can find savoury vegan Thai delights downstairs at Walee Vegetarian and even more upstairs at the legendary Banana Warrior cafe.
It’s vegan sushi central!
I don’t take vegan sushi very lightly, so when I give Bangkok full praise for being one of the best global locations for vegan sushi.. take note!! Golden State (pictured) is a REVELATION of a california-japanese fusion vegan sushi joint. Speaking of joints, they’ve also got a weed shop on top of the restaurant while you’re there. You also can’t leave without trying more world class sushi at Waki Waki vegetarian sushi restaurant.
It’s a plant based community centre in Watthana that hosts regular events like speed dating, clothes swaps, markets & workshops. Check out what’s on while you’re in Bangkok to meet some kind locals, or check it out anyway as there’s a permanent vegan cafe and grocery store on premises anyway. I tried this Korean cream cheese bun from Carrots Vistro at their pop-up still at an EKM6 event when I was last in town.
Nature’s Charm Cafe
For vegans around the world, the name Nature’s Charm is synonymous with delicious vegan food! My friends at Nature’s Charm are a totally vegan family that create dairy-free condensed milks, caramels, sauces and traditional Thai products all without animal products! Their official cafe is in Bangkok, so you can’t pass up the opportunity to try their global menu to discover where all the magic comes from!
So Vegan
No, not Ben & Roxy from the vegan recipe duo! There’s a totally vegan (the name gives it away) food court chain in Thailand to hunt for as it’ll likely be in a shopping centre food court somewhere close to where you’re staying! The menu is full of veganised Thai classics (like Northern Thai Sausage) that you won’t see elsewhere so I recommend that you find one!
Legal Marijuana
As one of the few places in the world with legal non-medical cannabis.. it’s a great place to holiday if you don’t mind a bit of green!
Pictured are one of the few vegan edibles available to be purchased, the vegan donuts from Leaf Cannabis Cafe in Sathorn, Bangkok. You can buy flower/bud with no worries at dispensaries on seemingly every corner, plus CBD infused drinks at most convenience stores as well a drink with similar effects called Kratom.
..and more!
There’s no shortage of dedicated plant based eateries to try in Bangkok. You’ve got Vistro where I ordered the pictured VAGYU SANDWICH based solely on the name, loads of locations for the Veganerie restaurant chain, Alt Eatery which has a fully vegan supermarket and ice cream shop attached to the restaurant and all the places listed on my google map list of vegan finds in Bangkok.. go have a hunt!