Bangkok Vegan: May Veggie Home

This is an old review. I will update it when I can.

May Veggie Home

May Veggie Home has been around for awhile, operating only recently in a bright, new location practically next to Asoke BTS station. Prior to their new digs they had another cool little spot along off Sukhumvit, and that’s where I first encountered the kindness of the mother daughter team behind the restaurant.

Seriously, two of the sweetest people you will ever meet. It’s worth a meal there just for the kindness and security either of these women will bring you. When I first visited in 2012 and queried one of the ingredients, they immediately offered to take me to the market if I wanted to buy some for myself.

When I dined at their new location a couple of weeks ago they said any time there’s a problem with something in Thailand, come to them and they will try to help. These are genuinely lovely people.

And on top of that they happen to make excellent food.

The menu has been updated with the move to include plenty of Thai classics and Western comfort food. If you’re in Bangkok and just have to grab a burger and chips then May Veggie Home is the place to go. Bacon wrapped enoki mushrooms? Yes, please. Five times.

Tom yam and tom kha, curries, pat thai, grapow, and somtam, among other Thai dishes with which you may be familiar, grace the menu more suited to the local palate. Plus more.

Another new addition since the opening of their new eatery is the selection of non dairy vegan ice cream. Passionfruit and Thai iced tea are my recommendation, but they’ll happily let you sample flavours before making a commitment.

mayveggiehome.com

I visited on two separate occasions, once with my date the gigantic camera that weighs 492 tonnes, and the second time with two random vegans I happened across (and also my camera, duh). Visit number one involved a faux tuna salad with makrut lime, lemongrass, mint, and chili. Typical of Thai salads, it came with fresh vegetables (including the devil food cucumber). I've made a salad at home with vBites brand tuna that was similar, so good for me for doing it right I guess.

I'm pretty sure the vegan bacon used to wrap the mushrooms was Spa Foods brand (a faux meat producer with some restaurants in Bangkok). The combination of bacon and mushroom tasted somehow like bacon and eggs (the flavour of runny yolks). This dish with toast would be the greatest breakfast ever made in Bangkok.

I always want to drink Thai tea but it's one of the few things in the country that's guaranteed to have milk. May Veggie Home is one of the only places I've ever seen make a vegan version, which is fantastic and I want to stay for an entire day to drink 400 glasses of the only iced tea I've ever liked.

The people I had dinner with on my second trip were vegans who were best friends with rice. I'm not sure if they knew any other people because that's how dedicated to rice they were. Rice is apparently great for people who cycle and run a billion miles a day.

Nice people, and I enjoyed them for the entertainment of watching two people consume at least twenty portions of rice between them (that might actually be an under-exaggeration).

Kaprow is one of my favourite Thai dishes, but only if it's done right (I am so used to places back home messing it up that I rarely order it anymore). May Veggie Home rocks up a great version that's recommended. If you want enough rice to feed a village, however, please note that the portion that comes with this dish is for one person.