by : Reiko Japanese Food, Sweets

Vegan Taiyaki London Fog
Vたい焼きロンドンフォグ

My oven was delivered and placed in our kitchen, but emotionally I’m not ready to bake with it yet.

It’s always a bit intimidating to use a new appliance.

So, I made a treat by using something that was a little more familiar to me.

When we moved from the U.S., we got rid of a lot of things because we wanted to bring only what we “needed” and “absolutely wanted”.

This probably won’t make it into most people’s suitcases, but it did into mine. 🙂

The traditional filling is sweet Azuki paste.

But this time I wanted something a bit different.

It’s always fun to experiment with new things in the kitchen.

I decided to make earl grey flavored pastry cream.

It smelled so good in the kitchen.

I had to restrain myself from keeping eating after quick tasting.

They are so adorable!

They look so cute from this angle, too.

The spilled-out part is called “Hane”, which literally means “wing” in Japanese, and often times people purposely try to create it.

I like “Hane” too because it’s so crispy and yum.

Do you start with the head?

Or the tail?

When we moved in our new home, we needed a pot and a pan.

After looking at several options, I picked this Fika brand.

I’m so happy with the decision.

It’s a Korean brand, and the quality is superb!

I also love its look including the wood handle.

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by : Reiko Japanese Food, Noodles/Pasta, Soup/Stew

Kitsune Soba with Crispy Enoki
カリカリエノキののったきつね蕎麦

Soba soup is one of comfort foods for me.

It’s hot in Bangkok, but we keep our place comfortable thanks to air conditioners.

So, I decided to make hot soba noodle soup.

When we switched mostly to a plant-based diet, it took me a bit to figure out how to make broth without using any animal products.

Traditionally most people use some kind of fish products to make the base stock (or “dashi”).

To keep the dish plant-based I use seaweed.

You can buy dried “kombu” seaweed that is sold specifically for making stock; it’s usually called “dashi-kombu”.

I also like to use “shio-kombu” which literally means “salted kombu”.

I just grab a tablespoon or so and add it to water.

I won’t even bother to take them out.

Then, I flavor the dashi with soy sauce, sugar, and a little salt.

Simple, yet delicious.

This is my recent favorite things to keep in my pantry.

You can buy it at White Story Shop.

I believe there are several locations in Bangkok.

These are crispy Enoki mushrooms.

It’s delicious as is, and I often snack on it late at night.

The crispy enoki is packed with Umami, and I sprinkled it on my noodles.

It’s delicious as a crunchy topping, but when it sinks in the broth, it disperses umami to the broth.

By the say, I had an oven delivered a few days ago.

So I’m hoping to start baking soon!

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by : Reiko Drinks

Mucho Mango Coconut Latte
めっちゃマンゴーココナッツミルクラテ

I liked the mango powder I purchased online so much that I wanted to create something to really highlight it.

Initially I wasn’t sure about combining coffee with mango, but here in Thailand there is a beverage called orange coffee, so I thought this might work too.

I added the mango powder to coconut milk.

Using mango powder instead of fresh mango has an advantage because it does not water down the milk.

The powder has such concentrated flavor, and just a little amount does a fantastic job.

I’ve never been a barista, and I hardly ever go to fancy coffee shops, so I had no idea which goes into a glass first, coffee or milk.

But it all seemed to work out just fine.

It turned out to be an outstanding latte!

I absolutely loved this flavor combination.

Since we moved to our new home in Bangkok, we’ve been purchasing a lot of things just to start a new life.

There is a large shopping center near our place, so we go there a lot, but we utilize online shops as well.

Online shopping is very easy, and thankfully many sellers accept returns.

When I had to return something (which was rather large) because the quality was not what I had expected, I was nervous because I wasn’t sure exactly how it would go.

But the process was quite smooth, and I now feel pretty good about online shopping here.

Still, I wasn’t expecting to find live plants, but I found a seller that sells organic herbs in a pot.

Thank goodness.

It arrived quickly, safe and sound.

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by : Reiko Bangkok Restaurants, Eating Out, Restaurants

Hidden Gem – Plant Passion
バンコクの穴場的ヴィーガンレストラン

We found this restaurant by chance, and I’m glad that we did!

For some reason this restaurant does not show up when you google with “vegan restaurant”.

It seems because it is categorized as a “Thai restaurant”.

It’s located inside the same building as Kynd Kulture ( https://sideb.culinarytribune.com/2024/07/28/ ).

That’s how we discovered this restaurant.

It’s a small space with a few tables inside, plus a few outside (in the hallway).

We’ve been to this restaurant a few times already, and I would like to introduce the dishes I liked so far.

Well, actually all the dishes I’ve ordered so far have been all excellent!

This (above pic) Thai Noodle with Coconut Milk was the first dish I tried.

I didn’t know what to expect because I had never had anything like this before, but I was pleasantly surprised.

The beautiful purple noodles came with various veggies, vegan meat, and mango, and a bowl of coconut milk was served on the side.

I didn’t know exactly what I was supposed to do, but I poured the coconut milk over the noodles and mixed everything together.

I loved it so much that I will definitely order it again.

Their Caesar salad is one of my husband’s favorites.

The lettuce is so fresh and it’s served with tomatoes, olives, and crispy vegan bacon.

The dressing is mustard-based and thick, and it dresses the lettuce very well.

This Korean noodle dish is full of flavor and so satisfying.

It’s listed on the appetizer page, but it’s a perfect main dish for me as it comes with so many mushrooms and veggies.

This was another dish I didn’t know what to expect, but it sounded interesting on the menu, and I took the chance.

It was named Rice mixed with shrimp paste.

The flavored rice was so delicious!

It came with three different types of vegan meat, including super tasty “sausage”.

The fragrant vegetables that accompanied the rice included fresh ginger and chopped lime, which gave the whole dish a refreshing taste.

I can’t wait to go back to enjoy this dish again!

You can choose to order a “set” by adding a drink like this butterfly pea tea to your main dish.

And I highly recommend it.

They serve their butterfly pea tea with lemon juice and honey (on the side), and it’s so refreshing.

Plant Passion 26 Ekkamai 6 Alley, Phra Khanong Nua, Bangkok 10110

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by : Reiko Breakfast, Fruit, Gluten Free

Tropical Paradise Pancakes & Wax Wraps
と・こ・な・つ パンケーキ & 蜜蝋ラップ

My kitchen in our new home is not complete yest, but it’s got the basics and it is functional.

So, I decided to cook for the first time since we moved to Bangkok.

My husband had been requesting my banana-mango rice flour pancakes.

The ingredients are a few and simple…

-Bananas

-Rice flour

-Mango powder

-Salt

-Baking powder

The key is not add too much flour, which makes the pancakes dense.

Luckily, I was able to get all the ingredients needed, including 100% mango powder.

This is the mango powder, made in Thailand.

It has a bright color and taste!

It’s a simple recipe, but since it is my first time using the kitchen, it takes time to do anything!

So I set up the table while waiting for the pancakes to cook so that I didn’t have to scramble at the end.

My husband got our drinks ready.

He is so helpful around the kitchen!

(By the way, he did the dishes afterwards, too!)

Green tea for me, and butterfly pea tea for him.

The pancakes turned out great!

I was happy to see that the bright yellow color from the mango powder stayed.

Everything in general costs less compared to the U.S., except for certain things such as western foods.

For instance, maple syrup.

First of all, we couldn’t find maple syrup in regular grocery stores, so we had to go to one that is a bit fancy.

And it was the most expensive item we’ve bought at grocery stores in Bangkok so far. 🙂

On the other hand, beautiful dragon fruit like this is easy to find and much cheaper. 🙂

Here is a plate of paradise!

Unfortunately, I forgot to serve it with coconut milk, which I had bought just for this.

(I’m so angry with myself about this!!!)

Thankfully, I remembered later.

The creamy coconut milk went so well with all the tropical fruit flavors.

By the way, do you know wax wraps?

I had been interested in them for a while, and finally I decided to try them.

I was looking for something different than plastic wraps to cover food, and I thought this might be a good way to replace plastic.

What attracted me to this product are 1) organic cotton 2) plastic and silicon-free, 3) easy to wash, and 4) reusable.

I decided to start with SuperBee ( https://superbee.me/ )’s beginner set, which includes 3 wraps.

There are many different designs, but I liked this simple Hexagonia (with a little bee!).

Oh, I just found out that this is a Thai company, located in Chiang Mai!

This makes me happy because I’ve been trying to support products that are made locally, preferably by small businesses.

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by : Reiko Bangkok Restaurants, Eating Out

Vegan Ice Cream and Frozen Desserts in Bangkok
バンコクでヴィーガンアイスクリーム

Since I talked about vegan sweets in Bangkok in the previous post, I think it’s appropriate to have a post for frozen sweets.

I’m usually not a big fan of ice cream, but when it is 90 F degrees (or 30 C degrees) every day I do crave something cold.

Hebe Plant Bar specializes in plant-based ice cream.

It’s located inside Emquartier.

There are a lot of flavors to choose from, and each has a unique and fun name.

We tried Red Velvet and Salted Caramel (at the bottom).

The salted caramel was delicious!

(I was not a big fan of the red velvet, unfortunately.)

I will definitely go back to try other flavors.

One thing I did not like was that there was no place nearby to sit…

When we saw this sign, we had to stop and try it.

“Vegan” and “all-natural ingredients” are the two magic words for me (lol).

It was very good.

Super smooth, creamy, and delicious, yet, not heavy.

Thank you, “Thank You Cup”!

We found this shop inside Central World.

We found this plant-based ice cream shop called Botanico inside Siam Paragon by accident.

We were there after dinner, casually looking for an after-dinner dessert, although I was skeptical of finding anything vegan.

So I was pleasantly surprised when we found out this shop offers all vegan ice cream.

What’s more, their flavors were so interesting.

My husband and I decided to share a cup.

I picked Earl Grey Peach Sorbet, and he picked Butterfly Pea Coconut Vanilla.

I loved my choice, and he loved his choice.

This Earl Grey Peach Sorbet is probably my favorite frozen dessert I’ve had so far in Bangkok.

My husband saw this shop, Yole, which had a sign that said “vegan”.

It’s located inside Siam Paragon.

There were a lot of topping options, and he picked Yuzu honey.

The ice cream had a slight tart flavor, tasted a bit like yogurt, which I really liked.

He liked the honey, but I personally liked it as is without the honey.

This Ikea’s plant-based soft serve is one of our go-to frozen snacks when we are in the area.

It’s cheap, fun to make (you use the machine yourself), and tasty.

If you go in the afternoon, you may have to wait in line among school kids.

This is a bit different because it’s a sit-down place, but I decided to include it here.

This Veganerie’s Berry Twist Sundae is absolutely delicious.

A perfect dessert to share after dinner with your date.

This is probably the easiest to find because it’s often sold at Seven Eleven.

I’ve also found it at Max Valu.

I like that it’s clearly marked as “vegan”.

This durian ice cream bar was delicious!

It’s perfectly smooth and refreshing.

It has an unmistakenly strong durian flavor, so it’s great for durian lovers like me but not for others (lol).

(Brush your teeth after you eat it (lol).)

I’ve also tried the Mango flavor, and it was delicious, too.

My husband will not eat the durian version, but he does like the mango.

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by : Reiko Bangkok Restaurants, Eating Out, Products

Vegan Snacks I like in Bangkok
バンコクで見つけた私のお気に入りヴィーガンおやつ

The fried taro ball is one of my favorite snacks.

They are crispy outside and chewy inside, slightly sweet, and addictive!

Some vendors have these colorful versions.

They taste the best when freshly fried.

They will lose their wonderful texture after a while.

So don’t wait.

Eat them quickly.

This is candied cassava.

It’s chewy, sweet, and delicious.

I can’t find it myself, but a friend of mine found and got this for me.

It came with coconut milk on the side.

I took this picture (above) after I poured the milk over it.

But I personally liked it without milk.

I read about the Thai sweets called “Yoksod Ball” somewhere, and I spent a whole afternoon dedicated to finding it.

They come in two parts.

The green pandan balls are soft, chewy, and slightly sweet.

Enjoy them with coconut milk.

My husband found it at a shop called White Story which sells some interesting food and snacks.

These crackers are super tasty.

I’m not 100% sure if it is vegan, but I think it is…

White Story sometimes has a big sale like this, so I like to visit regularly. 🙂

This is something I just recently discovered.

It’s called Roti Sai Mai.

There are two parts.

The crepe-like thin pancakes are “roti”, and the long candy threads are called “sai mai”.

And this is how you eat it.

I was pleasantly surprised.

I liked it better than I had thought I would.

The texture is very unique as you can expect, but it somehow works.

It’s so unique that if you find it, you should try it at least once.

This is originally from Ayutthaya, but I’ve heard that there are several vendors who sell this in Bangkok.

I got mine from a vendor on the second floor of the Ekkamai Gateway mall, but he seemed to be a part of the temporary market, so I’m not sure how long he will be there.

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by : Reiko Bangkok Restaurants, Eating Out, Restaurants

Craving for Pasta You are Familiar with? 食べ慣れてるパスタが食べたいならここ。

I talked about a spaghetti dish which is uniquely Thai in the last post.

But if you want pasta that you are familiar with, you might want to check out VIBE Coffee & Plant-Based Food.

It’s off of a busy street, but because of this cute little guy, it’s hard to miss.

It’s not a huge cafe, but it is a comfortable place.

There are a few tables in this main area, and there are more in the left side of the space.

They serve several vegan pasta dishes.

My husband had vegan Bolognese, and he really liked it.

I had vegan Pesto, and I liked it very much.

The pasta was perfectly cooked, and the sauce was delicious.

I liked that they served it with cashew nuts.

We’ve been to this cafe for brunch too.

The vegan pancakes were delicious!

They were served with strawberry syrup and a lot of fresh fruits.

I will definitely order this again.

We also had vegan croissant sandwich.

It was filled with a lot of fresh and sauteed veggies, a slice of vegan “cheese”, and tomato sauce.

This was probably more suited for lunch than for breakfast.

We like this cafe because they offer many vegan western food for reasonable price.

We haven’t tried yet, but they have traditional Thai food as well.

And a lot of drink choices.

I could tell it’s a nice chill place.

I’ve seen some people working or doing their schoolwork with a glass of tea.

———-

Vibe Coffee & Plant Based Food – https://www.vibecoffeebkk.com/ (Thai and English)

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by : Reiko Bangkok Restaurants, Eating Out, Restaurants

Spaghetti You Should Try in Thailand – Talalaks
タイで試したいスパゲッティ

When it comes to food, you can find really anything in Bangkok.

So, it’s not a problem to find spaghetti dishes you are familiar with, such as carbonara, Bolognese, pomodoro, or red sauce with meatballs.

But if you come to Thailand, you should try something unique.

Many restaurants here serve this dish, and luckily I found a place that offers a vegan version.

The place is called Talalaks.

They have several locations, but I’ve been to two of them.

One was at Siam, and the other was at Phrom Phom (Emporium, 4th floor).

They were both located inside their food court.

They have some pre-made dishes inside the glass case, but you can also order food from their menu.

Their pictures and English descriptions at the bottom really help you decide what to order.

Here it is.

Spaghetti Green Cury Sauce.

85 baht is approximately $2.50.

The actual dish I got did not look like the picture, as in the picture there was a lot of sauce.

Nonetheless, it was delicious!

Even though there was no visible sauce, green curry flavor was definitely there, and I liked that there were a lot of veggies and mushrooms.

The level of spiciness was just right too.

I’ve been back to this place already just because I had craving for this spaghetti.

Another thing I like to order at this place is this Wonton Soup.

The soup is flavorful, and the dumplings have some kind of vegan meat filling.

We’ve also tried a few other dishes.

The soy protein skewers and vegetable gyoza seemed like popular dishes based on their menu and online reviews, but I found them just okay.

Talalaks – https://www.talalaks.com/ (English)

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by : Reiko Bangkok Restaurants, Eating Out, Restaurants

Vegan Khao Soi in Bangkok (Partial Report)
バンコクでヴィーガンカオソイ、比較調査のつもりが。。。

Khao soi is one of the most well-known Thai dishes.

I learned from my quick research that it originated in Northern Thailand, but you can find this dish at many restaurants here in Bangkok.

It is yellow curry soup with noodles.

Popular toppings often include shallots, pickled mustard greens, cilantro, lime, and crispy noodles.

I thought it would be interesting to compare various restaurants’ vegan Khao Soi in Bangkok and report my findings here.

Initially, I was planning to try at least three restaurants, but due to an unforeseen circumstance (I will explain later) this project ended after I tried just two.

But I picked two popular restaurants who serve vegan Khao Soi in Bangkok.

Khun Churn and So Vegan.

I talked about Khun Churn in this post -> https://sideb.culinarytribune.com/2024/07/25/ .

Apparently Khao Soi is a recommended dish here.

Reviews for their Khao Soi were really good too, so I was excited to finally try it myself.

It’s hidden, but a lime wedge came with it.

I like to add a little splash of fresh lime juice right before eating.

It was a milk-curry (I believe coconut milk was used?) type soup.

The noodles were perfectly cooked.

There were some vegan meat pieces (I believe it was gluten meat) found in the bowl in addition to the traditional toppings.

But the crispy noodle portion was large, claiming its presence in the bowl!

The soup was slightly spicy, but not excessively.

Overall, it was a well-prepared tasty Khao Soi.

I like noodles, and I know it’s the traditional way to serve this dish, but personally I’m not sure about this topping choice.

My favorite topping was the pickles.

Now let’s look at the Khao Soi served at So Vegan.

(You can find my post about this restaurant here -> https://sideb.culinarytribune.com/2024/07/22/ .)

Can you tell how different it looks from the Khun Churn’s?

The big difference is in the soup.

This one does not have the milkiness like the Khun Churn’s and the curry flavor is very strong.

It looks spicy, and it IS spicy, but it’s not excessively so.

The toppings are similar, but this one came with fried “chicken”.

No crispy noodles in So Vegan’s.

Interestingly, when we ordered the same thing on another day, it came without the fried “chicken”; they charged a little less.

They did not tell us anything about it, but we assumed that they were out of fried “chicken” that day and that was probably why they gave us the lower price.

Instead of the friend “chicken” the soup came with a lot of mushrooms, which I was perfectly happy about.

The Khao Soi at So Vegan was also an enjoyable dish.

My husband liked them both, and he has gone back to So Vegan to eat it twice already.

Unfortunately, I myself came to realize in the middle of this project that Khao Soi in general was not my favorite dish.

I have tried some other noodle soup dishes and found many I liked better than Khao Soi.

It’s totally a personal preference, but that is the reason why I ended this project a bit prematurely.

But I thought this report will be still helpful for those who like Khao Soi in general or who want to try this popular Thai dish, and want to try a vegan version,

If you prefer a strong curry flavor, go to So Vegan.

If you like something creamy, go to Khun Churn.

I’m not sure when, but I am planning another project where I will compare another Thai dish from different restaurants.

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