Eco Eats - The Urban Green Scene

Organic & Semi-Organic Restaurants in Bangkok

Some may say pickings for Green eaters, Raw Foodies, Herbivores are thin in Bangkok, but I say there are some hidden gems that make up for the lack in numbers. Below are a few Eco Eateries that stand out in the green pasture.

Anotai

When Anothai Kongwattana decidedto open a healthy vegetarian restaurant in Bangkok she ran into one minor problem; she couldn’t find any organic vegetables in the market. Her solution was to launch her own organic farm. With the help of her green-thumbed husband, Gaan Ritkhachorn, the couple launched the “Pluk Rak,” or “Grow Love” Farm in Ratchaburi, a two hour drive from Bangkok, in June 1999. By August 2000, it was supplying truck loads of organically grown vegetables to the Anotai Restaurant, now a well-established eatery among health-conscious gourmands. Many items on the menu, including desserts, are vegan. Try the brownies and butterfly pea tea.

Sustaina Organic Restaurant

Sustaina Organic Restaurant is located in Sukhumvit Soi 39. They use sustainable seafood and organic produce from their own farm Harmony Life in their food. From Japanese to Italian, vegan, vegetarian, the extensive menu at this restaurant should be able to satisfy your eco taste buds. They have great macrobiotic set lunch deals on every day. Check their facebook page for updates. In addition check out the Sustaina shop next door with lots of organic goodies to buy and take home with you!

1/40 Soi Sukhumvit 39 Sukhumvit Road, Bangkok, Thailand 10110 | 02-258-7516 (Shop) 02-258-7573 (Restaurant) | $$| https://www.facebook.com/SustainaOrganicRestaurant

Theera

Theera Healthy Bake Room is the perfect combination of wholesome food and a social enterprise. If you haven’t already been to enjoy their bakery and excellent service and ethos, it is a must. The Original Bake Room is in Sukhumvit Soi 42. They now have a second branch in Ekamai 10. Their treats are also available at Broccoli Revolution.

Organic Supply

Organic supermarket with a lovely cafe. Great smoothies and baked goods. If you are in the neighbourhood stop by and check it out.

Seven Spoons

Seven Spoons Restaurant is an exquisite gastrobar on the edges of chinatown. Modern cuisine, including Mediterranean influenced dishes and pasta, lovingly made from locally produced and organic ingredients wherever possible.

The partners behind wholefood home-delivery service Birds in A Row opened up this tiny, veg-friendly shophouse restaurant on the edge of Ratchadamnoen.

Jor Por Ror (JPR) and Chakkrapatipong (22-24 Chakkrapatipong Road) | 084-539-1819 or 02-628-4588| $$ |http://sevenspoonsbkk.com/ or https://www.facebook.com/sevenspoonsbkk

Khun Churn

Khun Churn – One of Bangkok’s only Macrobiotic restaurants. Healthy organic delicious vegetarian food. It is a branch Chiang Mai’s famous vegetarian restaurant of the same name. Inventive interpretations of Thai dishes, from tangy mushroom salads, to faux-meat mains like tofu-laden red duck curry and one-meal dishes like khao soy.

Ground floor, Bangkok Mediplex, Sukhumvit Soi 42 | BTS Ekamai | 02-713-6599 | $

Rasayana Retreat Raw Food Cafe

A favourite of hard core raw foodies, but for the rest of us, it may be a little too raw. This “raw food café” whips up dishes with a medley of fresh organic produce. Everything is cooked at 42 degrees Celsius, hence the moniker “raw or living food.” Specialties include Barley Sushi and Sun Burger. The Sun Burger features an almond-celery-sage patty encased in cabbage leaves. Spaghetti & Meatballs: zucchini “noodles” with meatballs made of almonds and topped with a marinara sauce. For desert, sorbet of strawberry, mango or passionfruit, there is Key Lime Pie crafted from avocados, organic honey and lime, and Carrot Cake, which is not baked but is instead a clever amalgam of carrots, raisins, nutmeg, cinnamon and macadamia nuts. All ingredients are vegan except for honey in some desserts and drinks. They have a great range of freshly pressed juices. Call before you go.

Na Aroon

Located at the end of Sukhumvit Soi 1, Ariyasom Villa is a traditional Thai style house built in the 1940s, with lush leafy green surroundings. The Na Aroon restaurant can be found on on the ground floor of the Villa, with teak wood floors, high ceilings and traditional open air Thai style design. Their menu has a great variety of vegetarian and pescatarian Thai dishes. While it advertises itself as organic, my visit to the restaurant and chat with owner David Lees, discovered its not quite that organic and they use a lot of soy based mock meats in their dishes too. Read my review of Na Aroon on our sister website Bangkok Greenie.

Ariyasom Villa, 65 Sukhumvit Soi 1, Sukhumvit Road | 02-254-8880 | BTS Ploenchit | www.ariyasom.com | $$

Sampran Riverside & Patom

Sampran Riverside (formerly known as Rose Garden) has a certified organic farm “Sookjai Farm” , Organic ACT and IFOAM accredited, on the grounds of their hotel, located near the Ta-Chine River in a peaceful part of Bangkok’s neighbouring province of Nakhon Pathom. They serve their own beautiful organic fruits and vegetables at their 4 restaurants with cuisines ranging from Thai and Western to Japanese. The view from all of their restaurants is very romantic and the food is great! (Personally recommended.)

In Bangkok they also have Patom Organic Living, which also sources all their ingredients from “Sookjai Farm”.

Patom Organic Living, 9/2 Soi Phrom Phak, Khlong Tan Nuea, Watthana, Bangkok 10110 Thailand | Tel: +662.084.8649 | Patom Organic Living | $$

Great Resources for Green Eating

100% Herbivores have taken the utmost step in the journey to complete greenness! Being Vegetarian and even more so being vegan is the greenest, most sustainable choice of all, reducing your carbon footprint by more than half.

You’ll be happy to know that there are many many vegetarian restaurants all over Thailand.

Happy Cow’s Compassionate Eating Guide provides a worldwide directory of vegetarian restaurants and natural health food stores with daily user reviews. Browse HappyCow’s database with over 250 listings for Thailand. This is a wonderful resource including maps and directions on how to get to the listed restaurants.