What I Ate In Bangkok: All Vegan and Gluten-Free
I live in Miami, FL. I’ve dined at pretty much every vegan restaurant in the city and I must admit, they’re damn delicious. Some of the best vegan spots in the USofA can be found in Miami. Let’s just say, I eat good at home. Real good.
But nowhere has satisfied me and my tastebuds the way Bangkok has. Not even Miami.
Bangkok is, by far, my favorite food city. From modern vegan cafes to self-effacing street stalls, Bangkok is here on Earth to feed the hardcore foodies who want it all. And they want it fresh, flavor packed, and f*&king delicious.
Getting my veggie on at Asiatique Night Market in Bangkok.
But I’m starting to realize it’s not just a Bangkok thing. It’s a Thailand thing. I’ll just come out and say it; It’s true. The food in Thailand is the best I’ve ever had. It’s stylish yet simple, grand yet humble, sweet yet spicy, cheap yet invaluable, complex yet straightforward.
It’s the best. Period.
Here, I present to you the beginning of my new food awakening in Thailand. It starts in Bangkok, the perfect place to launch a food awakening. Everything featured is vegan and gluten-free. Oh, and did I mention cheap and delicious!?
I didn’t know it, but my food life was about to change. Mango sticky rice with coconut milk ice cream at Asiatique Night Market in Bangkok.
Mango Sticky Rice
Bangkok will forever hold a special place in my heart because it’s where I met Mango Sticky Rice. It was love at first bite. Who knew such a simple dish of mango, rice and coconut milk could change lives? Oh, but change lives it does. It’s not JUST mango. It’s the sweetest, juicest always perfectly ripe and ready to eat mango. It’s not just any ol’ rice. It’s sticky, gooey, steamed to mushy perfection rice. It’s not just coconut milk. It’s Thai coconut milk, extra sweetened with Mother Earth’s sugar.
Combine all this sweet, mushy, juicy goodness into one bite and yea, your life will never be the same.
If you’re lucky, you’ll find a spot that tops this heaven in a dish with dairy-free coconut milk. This right here is some next level s*&t. The perfect quench for this Thailand year-round heat.
You can find Mango Sticky Rice just about anywhere in Bangkok, but my first encounter was at Asiatique, a riverfront market night bazaar that also doubles as a mall. I’ll admit, it’s a little boujee and touristy, but the food is absolutely divine. There’s also a local night market right across the street if you want more that “I’m a local” feel.
Spicy papaya salad at a night market in Bangkok.
Papaya Salad
That night market across the street from Asiatique is where I had my first papaya salad. Yes, as in ever. How have I been missing out on these flavors my entire life?! Refreshingly raw, papaya salads are a great change of pace from the hot and soupy curries and noodles. The added crunch of coarse peanuts is really nice too! You can find papaya salads pretty much anywhere around Thailand, but my faves have been enjoyed in the streets.
Here are a few things to keep in mind when selecting a street stall vendor:
How are they handling money? Because this is a raw dish, there’s no heat to kill off unwanted bacteria. This is one vendor in particular you have to be picky about.
Follow the crowd. Eat where it’s a packed. That’s a good rule in general when dining in foreign countries, whether it’s a street stall or a restaurant.
Don’t be afraid! Street food is a way of life in Thailand. These vendors know what they’re doing. A lot of them have been doing it for generations. They’re not out to get you sick. You’ll be fine. Enjoy!
Green curry at a cafe in Ari, Bangkok.
Green Curry
Oh my good Lord, green curry. I’ve had green curry at Thai restaurants back home, but I now realize that wasn’t green curry. Visualize and taste the green curries you’ve enjoyed back home, and now elevate every single flavor. The ginger punches you in the gut while the coconut milk soothes you and all the flavors in between assure you everything is going to be ok. You’re not sure if you can’t stand the heat or if you love it, but you’re guzzling down this green curry while whipping your brows. When it’s all over, you’ll want to do it again. And again. And again.
It’s not just the flavors in the green curry, it’s what the flavors do to you. They wake your ass up. They not so gently remind you you’re alive.
They remind you how GOOD it is to be alive.
Again, green curries are all over Thailand. I’m the most useless food blogger right now because I can’t remember where I had this curry. It was somewhere in Ari. I’ll be honest, not all green curries are the same. Ask your guesthouse or a local where to find good, authentic green curry. They’ll lead the way.
How impressive is the food styling in Bangkok? A smoothie bowl at my favorite restaurant in Bangkok, Broccoli Revolution.
Tropical Fruit Smoothies
Thailand knows smoothies. I thought Costa Rica knew were they were doing, but Thailand makes Costa Rica look more like a Smoothie Student than a Smoothie King.
Thailand wears that crown.
It helps that there’s an abundance of luscious, sweet tropical fruits in every corner. It also helps that there’s also a blender next to those fruits. Everywhere you turn, in between the noodle stands and the temples are smoothie vendors. They barely use milk or yogurt, but rather filtered water and ice. Just make sure to say ‘No Sugar” and you have yourself a refreshingly healthy treat for a little over $1.
The smoothie bowl pictured above was actually my very first meal in Thailand. Talk about setting the bar. It was at my now favorite restaurant in Bangkok, Broccoli Revolution, a super sleek, modern vegan spot serving up plant-based dishes made with organic, local ingredients. Not pictured are the gluten-free pancakes which are also to die for!
Iced Thai Coffee with Pistachio Milk at Coffee No. 9 in Ari, Bangkok.
Pistachio Milk
Ok, this isn’t something I technically ate, more like drank, but it deserves a spotlight because, well, PISTACHIO MILK. Here I am thinking America is paving the way for alternative milk, but no nut milk I’ve ever tried comes close to this untraditional approach. I first tried it in an Iced Thai Coffee at Coffee No. 9, a quaint coffee kiosk with affordable, quality coffee in Ari.
Mind. Frikin. Blown.
Side note, Ari is the cutest little hood in Bangkok serving up the best specialty coffee in town. I’m not a big coffee drinker, but it’s worth a visit and a sip.
Ok, back to this divine pistachio milk. It’s lovingly made by conscious Thai retailer 137 Degrees. They don’t only pump out pistachio milk, they’ve got walnut milk covered (I KNOW) and the classic almond milk too. Let’s not get started on the pistachio milk with double Belgian chocolate. Just don’t. Or the walnut milk with matcha green tea latte. Really, STAHP. They’re all sweetened with their signature coconut flower nectar and the entire line of milks are carrageenan free. I SAID STAHP!
Fresh veggie spring rolls at May Veggie Home in Bangkok.
Fresh Veggie Spring Rolls
I know this isn’t some special Thai dish. Veggie spring roles are a global dish in this day and age. But I have to highlight these veggie spring roles from May Veggie Home, because they’re the best I’ve ever had (cue Drake’s Best I Ever Had). I’m still running around Thailand trying to recreate that experience, but nowhere has come close to that peanut sauce. Because that’s the secret to a damn good veggie spring roll.
It’s all in the peanut sauce.
There were chucks of peanuts in this sauce. CHUNKS people. I’m salivating just thinking about it. It also helped that the greens and veggies neatly tucked in the rice paper were fresh and crisp.
So, who’s checking flights to Bangkok on Kayak tonight? We’ll start at Broccoli Revolution and end it with that peanut sauce at May Veggie Home. Don’t worry, there will be plenty of mango sticky rice in between. What do you say? Hungry?!
