Eating Out

People in big cities tend to be fit.

I believe it is largely because they walk instead of driving

In Minnesota on a weekday, I would barely get 2000 steps at the end of the day if I did not put extra effort, because I would drive to work, sit in the office, and drive back home.

Here in Bangkok we walk everywhere because we don’t have a car.

Even if we have a car, I would avoid driving because the traffic is very heavy in many parts of the city.

Thankfully, the public transportation system is great, and we use it all the time.

So, even when we have a low-key day, I still get 10, 000 steps without trying.

I love this lifestyle.

BUT it’s hot here and currently it’s the rainy season, which adds humidity to the air.

So it’s really important to stay hydrated when you are outside.

Luckily, there are a lot of beverage options in Bangkok.

Today I would like to introduce a few places where you can get refreshing vegan beverages in the city.

ChaTraMue is probably the most well-known beverage shop here.

It’s a chain, and you can find it throughout the city.

Thai Tea is their signature drink.

It’s sweetened milk tea (black tea) served with boba, and it’s refreshing and delicious.

My husband and I usually share one, and we compete with each other trying to suck up the straw as many boba as possible :).

Their Milk Green Tea is also delicious.

As the label shows, they can make these teas vegan by using oat milk.

You can also specify the sweetness at certain locations.

ChaTraMue – https://www.cha-thai.com/en/

Cafe Amazon is a big chain cafe.

They serve coffee as well as tea.

They offer oat milk as well, although they charge extra for it, just like many other places.

Here you can choose the sweetness, too.

Apparently, it is a popular system.

We had iced milk tea with oat milk.

It was good, but it was not as rich/strong as ChaTraMue’s, and no boba.

But it’s a good option to have since not all the cafes offer non-dairy milk options and this chain is everywhere.

Cafe Amazon – https://www.cafe-amazon.com/index.aspx?Lang=EN

KAMU KAMU is not as easy as the other two above to find, but it is often located inside large shopping malls.

I was initially attracted to this shop because of its cuteness, from their logo to their shop decor.

We had Hojicha with oat milk, and it was very good.

It quickly became our favorite, and we have gone back to have the same.

Kamu Kamu – https://www.kamutea.com/

This cafe was discovered by accident.

My husband and I are both big green tea fans, and we drink hot green tea (sencha) every morning.

We don’t drink Matcha too often, but we do enjoy matcha once in a while.

So when we found this sign that said “Shizuoka” “Organic”, we had to try it.

Shizuoka is the region best known for its high-quality Matcha, and I didn’t expect to see it in Bangkok.

What a pleasant surprise!

The staff were so nice and friendly.

Their equipment looked authentic, which convinced us to try their tea.

Their Matcha was absolutely delicious!

You can tell that they use high quality tea.

I will definitely go back to this place next time I have craving for Matcha.

So! Matcha – https://www.facebook.com/shizuoka.somatcha/

This one is a bit different.

It’s not a cafe but a vending machine.

According to the menu on the side of the machine, it offers over 70 drinks.

Pretty impressive!

It’s also smart enough to adjust the sweetness according to your request.

Their website calls it “Your Robotic Barista”!

They cover all the basics for sure, but they also offer some unique drinks.

Have you ever had Iced Lychee Americano?!

We had plum lime soda.

The machine worked well, and we got what we ordered.

But unfortunately, the drink was too sweet.

We ordered it with 75% sweetness.

So, that was surprising because all other drinks we had at cafes were never too sweet even with 100% sweetness.

Being able to get a drink from a vending machine is a fun concept, and I am willing to try it again.

But next time I will definitely ask for less sweetness.

Tao Bin – https://www.tao-bin.com/en

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Let me know if there are any plant-based cafes or drinks I should try in Bangkok!

Last time we were in Bangkok we did some city-exploring, but it’s a big city and there was still a LOT more to see.

So this time in order to learn more about each neighborhood we decided to pick a train station each day and explore the area.

Most of the time we don’t make any specific plans.

We simply enjoy leisurely walk.

But when we picked the Phrom Phong station, I did a little research in advance and found an interesting-sounding restaurant, so we made our plan for the day with an intention to have lunch there.

It’s an 8-minute walk from the Phrom Phong BTS station.

You’ll find it on the main street, on the right side, and easy to find.

The restaurant is on the second floor, but before you get there, you will see this cool restroom.

Once inside the restaurant, you will quickly notice how bright it is because of the large windows on the street side.

In addition to the natural light, thanks to the high ceilings it feels more spacious than it actually is (the place IS a nice size, definitely not small by any means).

The white walls, wood accent, metal chairs, and a lot of plants work great together and create a hip atmosphere.

At this point I already decided that I liked the place and prayed that I would like their food as much as their decor.

My husband and I shared this as an appetizer, Fried Gyoza with Asian Salsa Verde, THB 240 (approx. $6.70).

There was something other than vegetables used for the filling, but we could not tell exactly what it was.

Because of the texture it was probably some kind of protein product.

He liked it, but I was not a big fan of that.

The Asian salsa verde was refreshing, and the spicy dipping sauce complimented the fried gyoza well.

My husband liked them more than I did, but I have to confess I generally prefer pan-fried or steamed gyoza to deep-fried one.

As a main dish he ordered 12-inch Masala Pizza.

The crust was nicely chewy and light.

The masala sauce and “cheese” were both flavorful.

Overall I liked the pizza more than he did.

He said it was missing something like sweetness or umami.

Also he usually likes his pizza with a lot of sauce, so he felt it was a bit dry.

I didn’t find it particularly dry, but I might like it better if there was a little more “cheese” on it.

The 12-inch was too big for us, especially with an appetizer and another main dish.

They had a very large pizza menu, and I have a feeling pizza is a popular item at this restaurant.

The star of our lunch was this dish, Mooping Soi 24, THB 280 (approx. $7.80).

I love this type of dish because it is unique, cooked well, served with the right amount of vegetables and carbs, presented beautifully, and you can enjoy the local flavors without compromising on your diet.

It took me a long time to decide on this because I never had Moo Ping before (vegan or not) and I didn’t know what to expect.

I went back and forth between this and a noodle dish, which is more familiar to me.

But I’m so glad I chose this.

First of all, the plate pleased my eyes with large skewered “meat” pieces, cute rice balls, and fresh veggies.

Moo Ping is a Thai-style marinated and grilled pork skewers.

Soy meat was used here, and it had a wonderful grill flavor, and the sauce that came with it on the side was delicious.

I believe that the texture is everything when it comes to vegan meat, and this soy meat had a great chewy texture.

It is also very important that I mention their papaya salad was one of the best I’ve ever had, vegan or not.

Some papaya salad is often flavored with too much sweetness, but this one was just delicious without any extra sweetness.

It was spicy, but good spicy, too if you know what I mean.

If I have a chance to go back, I will probably try noodles or sushi rolls next time, as their pictures on the menu looked very good.

As I said, this place is such a hip place, and it is perfect for lunch with girlfriends or a date to impress your boyfriend or girlfriend!

Vistro-Vegan Cafe & Restaurant – https://www.vistrobkk.co/

“Prices are subject to 10% Service Charge and 7% VAT.”

We were lucky to find this place on our first day in Bangkok.

We loved it so much that we went there almost every day during our 2-week stay in the city, sometimes twice a day!

They have a few locations in Bangkok, but this one is located inside the Gateway Mall at the Ekkamai station, on the first floor.

When you approach, you will notice a glass case in the corner which displays all the dishes they are serving.

The system is quite simple.

You can get rice with two dishes of your choice or three dishes and pay accordingly.

(You can simply point to the dishes you like, and they will make a plate for you.)

I’ve never counted, but I think there are always about 20 (or possibly much more) dishes to choose from.

I will categorize their food as Asian, but they have a wide variety in terms of flavors and ingredients.

They have a nice mixture of “protein” (tofu, soy meat, gluten meat, etc.) and vegetables.

The combination you can create is endless, and you may feel a bit lost because there are too many choices.

But the good thing is that I’ve never had a dish I did not like.

Last time (December 2023) we were here, the plate of rice with two dishes cost 50 baht ($1.40), and the plate of rice with three dishes cost 60 baht ($1.70).

Currently (July 2024) the two dish plate costs 65 baht ($1.80), and the three dish plate costs 75 baht ($2.10).

The prices went up, but they are still VERY reasonable.

Some of the pictures I share below were taken last December.

Thus, the prices on the picture reflect those at that time.

You can find some fun, unique dishes like this fried “chicken”.

Their fried “egg” is a must-try!!

I was skeptical first, and I waited to try it until the last day of our stay.

I kicked myself because it was so good that I regretted that I had not tried it sooner.

Luckily, we were able to come back six months later, and guess what I chose for my first meal back in Bangkok!

I have no idea what it’s made of, but it’s super tasty.

You can take away the food as well.

They charge 5 baht for the container.

Many people seem to choose food from their case, but they also have a set menu, and they serve some noodle soup dishes, which I am planning to try sometime soon.

I love this place so much, and it’s not exaggerating to say So Vegan is an essential part of our stay in Bangkok!

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July 27, 2024 – I did try Mushroom Noodle Soup from their menu.

The soup was tasty, and there were so many different toppings, including veggies, tofu, and mushrooms.

It was so good that I will definitely order it again.

It was only 70 BHT.

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So Vegan – https://www.so-vegan.com/ (Thai)