Yum Cha-om Thord

While many traditional Thai dishes incorporate some bit of meat, it’s usually simple to prepare them without, add in tofu for a hit of protein or substitute meaty for hearty mushrooms and aubergine. Throughout the country, local vegan Thai restaurants are identified with a red and yellow “เจ” sign. (เจ (jay) means vegan in Thai while มังสวิรัติ (mung-sa-wee-rut) means “vegetarian”.) At these simple eateries, all dishes are made without any eggs, fish sauce or oyster sauce but often include substitute meat products made from mushrooms, soy, tempeh or textured vegetable protein.

With eating plant-based meals and veganism becoming more in vogue, plenty of mainstream restaurants (especially within holiday hotspots such as Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket and Koh Samui) also offer a range of international and Thai vegetarian, vegan and raw dishes packed with nutritious ingredients.

Ever tried beetroot tartar or vegetable larb? What about northern Thailand’s iconic khao soi but without the customary stewed chicken leg? Even if you’re a carnivore, these dishes from some of the country’s top hotel dining venues will still delight with their myriad flavours, eye-catching colours and careful presentations.

To bring out the farm fresh flavours even more, each dish listed below highlights a pairing recommendation of our favourite fruit-based libation selected from the respective restaurant’s wine list.  

VILLA MAHABHIROM CHIANG MAI

Thai cuisine can offer a constant feast for one’s senses, yet it’s also surprisingly easy to fall into a rut of seeing the same dishes wherever you go. Villa Mahabhirom’s Krua Mahabhirom spices things up using authentic Thai flavours and ingredients from the Royal Project to create new combinations even Thai diners will marvel at. Thai Chef Somkamol 'Noi' Kamana's Yum Cha-om Thord, or deep-fried cha-om (climbing wattle) salad, for instance, surprises the palate with delicately fried climbing wattle paired with minced tofu in a sweet and spicy tamarind sauce. The unique combination makes it clear why this dish has quickly become a house speciality.
 

Wine companion:

I like the look of the 2016 Riverby Chardonnay from New Zealand. Golden in colour, this wine offers great balance with sufficient acidity to counter the brightly-flavoured tamarind sauce. Aged in French oak casks, this rich wine has creamy characters of citrus and peach notes.

villamahabhirom.com