May Veggie Home might be a new face in Bangkok's meat-free gastronomic circle, yet in the years since its 2012 launch the eatery has built a strong reputation among diners — local and international — as one of the city's most popular spots for vegetarian fare.
The simply decked out eatery is frequented by expats, tourists and office workers.
The restaurant claims to be vegan, so it doesn't use any animal products, including milk, eggs or honey.
Its menu is a homey hodgepodge of 60 comfort dishes from various cuisines, yet with the zesty Thai fare as its highlight. My two vegetarian friends and I checked out the 50-seat restaurant a week ago. Even on an idle Monday, the modest venue, lulled by contemporary bossa nova tunes, was half-packed.
The first dish to arrive was described in English as fried vegetarian "chicken" with cashew nuts in spicy and sour sauce (159 baht). Though prepared without any meat, it scrumptiously conveyed the flavourful pungency of larb, a traditional Thai entree made with minced meat, sawtooth coriander, lemongrass, shallots, mint, roasted rice and chillies.
Vegan ice cream.
The tasty dish, which went as nicely with rice as it was enjoyed as an appetiser, featured deep-fried, soy sauce-marinated cubes of imitation chicken, tossed with all the usual herbs and spices. The dish was lent a sweet crunch by roasted cashew nuts and sesame seeds, while fresh vegetable sticks, which were served on the side, helped give the spicy dish a bracing finish.
Next up was the bacon-wrapped enoki mushroom (129 baht), recommended unless being reminded of bacon's flavour profile is upsetting in any way. Dressed with teriyaki sauce, the dish looked and tasted exactly like how you would expect from its description, with the succulent, meat-free "bacon" rolled around bite-sized bunches of clingy needle mushrooms.
From May's "recommended premium" dishes, a list containing a half-dozen items including chicken steak, spicy tuna salad and barbecued chicken breast on skewers, we went for the gindara fish steak (220 baht).
The European-style dish exhibited a hefty deep-fried, breadcrumb- and coconut-crusted soy meat "fish" fillet, accompanied by vegan mashed potatoes and Thousand Island dressing. The fillet boasted a firm texture, which was enhanced nicely by its crispy coating. While the mashed potatoes (I wondered how they came up with such nice-tasting mash without using dairy products) had a mild hint of coconut milk to it.
One of my lunch companions, a long-time vegetarian, complained that there wasn't a dish on our table that didn't scream "meat wannabe".
In fact, the menu has quite a good selection of straightforward, unmasked delicacies. Among them, we later sampled the stir-fried mixed vegetables (159 baht) — baby corn, sugar snap peas, onion, broccoli and carrots — and were satisfied.
Spicy salad of fried soy meat ‘chicken’, herbs and cashew nuts.
We were very pleased also with an order of vegetarian Vietnamese noodles (149 baht). The dish was listed on the menu as "pho yam", but it was neither noodle soup nor had anything to do with sweet potatoes. The appetising dish, which was great as a personal entree, was actually a meat-free serving of bún thịt nướng, Vietnam's famous dish typically featuring vermicelli noodles topped with grilled meat, egg rolls, fresh herbs and vegetables, and dressed with sweet and sour sauce.
At May Veggie Home, the meat and egg roll toppings were substituted by mushroom fritters, while the vermicelli was replaced with regular rice noodles. Yet the imitation dish successfully captured the internationally cherished flavour profile of the original.
Presumably because of its tourist-packed location at the Asok intersection, the restaurant also offers a selection of meat-free burgers served on whole wheat English muffins.
Other than the signature multigrain veggie patty, it also has a few additional options, including vegetarian "fish", "chicken" and even "premium steak" patties.
We had heard that May boasted a good variety of dairy-free desserts, especially its vegan cakes. Unfortunately, the only option available during our visit was ice cream (45 baht per scoop), which is also gluten- and soy-free. From choices of flavours that included Thai milk tea, cacao, banana and durian, we settled on black sesame, coconut and passion fruit, and were impressed by their rich consistencies and flavourful tastes.
Service was efficient, with the staff being able to recommend dishes for first-timers. Though the dining room seemed airy, we later found out (from the food odour that lingered on our clothes) that ventilation was in need of improvement.
The gindara ‘fish’ steak.
‘Bacon’-wrapped enoki mushrooms.
Vegetarian Vietnamese noodles with mushroom fritters.
