Cherry Tomato Crispy Tart

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.  

PHULAY BAY, A RITZ-CARLTON RESERVE KRABI

The layers of Executive Chef Nathan Chilcott's Cherry Tomato Crispy Tart served at Jampoon Restaurant at Phulay Bay, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve in Krabi, make for a particularly alluring vegetarian dish. Flourishes of fresh greens sit atop grilled cherry tomatoes and a lentil hummus, beneath which crispy baked tarts sandwich a tabouli-style salad. Cutting into this dish provides a satisfying crunch, a sensation which continues to its mouthfeel. While the separated layers create an outstanding visual appeal, it’s the harmonious way the bitter yoghurt sauce blends into the herby lentil hummus and sweetly acidic tomatoes that truly makes this dish sing.

Wine companion: This multifaceted dish has strong Mediterranean influences with its hummus and tabouli components, which I love to combine with a fruity, sweet wine from Alsace. The list at Jampoon has one of my favourites: Réserve Willm’s, Gewurztraminer. It is supple yet fresh, with floral notes (violet and rose) accompanying the fruit.

For more: ritzcarlton.com/PhulayBay