Let’s go vegan

Centara Grand at CentralWorld
Centara Grand at CentralWorld is taking part in the annual Vegetarian Festival celebrations, a time for spiritual purification and compassion, with a selection of delightful vegetarian dishes at Ventisi Restaurant.
Ventisi honours this tradition of purity with a special à la carte menu which is available alongside the restaurant’s regular Italian and Thai cooking stations, as well as its diverse international selections, ranging from appetisers, salads and soups to a tempting array of desserts.
Classic meatless treats include deep-fried taro spring rolls, spicy mixed mushroom salad, coconut milk and galangal soup with vegetables, and fried tofu in mixed vegetables gravy sauce.
Must eat: Fried noodles with vegetables in a rich brown sauce which not only satisfies the palate but also offers hearty benefits.
Call 02-100-6255 or email [email protected].
Waldorf Astoria
Front Room, a modern Thai restaurant with an open kitchen at Waldorf Astoria Bangkok, is participating with a special à la carte menu inspired by the restaurant’s signature dishes.
Must eat: Lotus stem, cherry tomato and fried taro spicy salad; plant-based roasted duck in red curry with pickled grape; plant-based meatballs in coconut broth with bird’s eye chilli; plant-based pork belly fried with bitter bean and shiitake mushroom; and steamed tofu with bok choy and chilli oil.
Call 02-846-8888 or email [email protected].
JW Marriott Bangkok
Chefs from the hotel’s Bangkok Baking Company (BBCO) and JW Café have created a variety of vegetarian dishes that celebrate the rich flavours and textures of plant-based ingredients during this auspicious period. At BBCO, à la carte menus with creative vegetarian dishes are available with focus on wholesome, plant-based ingredients. Meanwhile, JW Café will incorporate a wide variety of vegetarian options into its international buffet, which is available for lunch and dinner. Guests can savour a diverse range of plant-based dishes, including stir-fried soy protein with red curry and long bean, stewed cabbage with shiitake mushroom, fried rice with taro and ginkgo, stewed tofu in soy sauce with mushrooms, stir-fried yakisoba noodles with vegetables, stewed bamboo shoots with soy protein and more.
Must eat: Spicy salad with cowslip creeper flowers and crispy tofu; stir-fried large noodles with Omni meat gravy; southern-style stir-fried mushroom with yellow curry paste; and vegetarian red curry with tofu and vegetables.
Call 02-656-7700.
InterContinental Bangkok
Under the masterful guidance of Michelin-accomplished executive Chinese chef Shui Wing Yau, Summer Palace — a Cantonese restaurant inside the hotel — is featuring a selection of seven vegetarian dishes. Each of the dishes is prepared with the same standards and selection of meat-free ingredients.
Must eat: Double boiled ginseng, bamboo pith and morel mushroom soup; Chinese yam and fresh lily bulb with osmanthus honey sauce; spicy king oyster mushroom and premium tribute dehydrated vegetables; crispy stuffed lotus roots with omni meat; stir-fried chickpeas and cauliflower with kung pao sauce. Vegetarian festival fundamentals like Buddha’s delight (lo han jai), and zha jiang soba noodles with fresh mushrooms are also available.
Call 02-656-0444 or email [email protected].
Holiday Inn Bangkok
Ginger, an all-day dining venue at Holiday Inn Bangkok, offers lunch, dinner and Sunday brunch buffets featuring a rotating selection of meatless options throughout the 10-day observance. Available are classic dishes including green curry made with hearty bean curd as well as mock protein stir-fried with chilli paste.
Must eat: Thai corn cake with red chilli curry paste and a spicy glass noodle salad.
Call 02-656-1555 or email [email protected].
Avani Ratchada Bangkok Hotel
Vegetarian dishes are specially crafted by chefs at the hotel’s Cantonese restaurant Nan Yuan.
Must eat: Vegetarian buddha’s delight (lo han jai), clay pot tofu with shiitake mushroom, pineapple fried rice and stir-fried ginkgo nuts with salt and chilli.
Call 02-641-1500 or email [email protected].
The Standard, Bangkok Mahanakhon
Mott 32 executive chef Lee Man Sing together with executive Chinese chef Han Long Hua have crafted plant-based dishes for lunch and dinner at the hotel’s Cantonese restaurant Mott 32 Bangkok. Starter dishes include crispy sweet and sour lotus root; smoked mushrooms; fried Ginkgo nuts sprinkled with sea salt and chilli; marinated wood ear fungus with aged balsamic vinegar; and bird’s nest soup with black truffle and wild mushrooms. For the main course, guests can choose between fiery five nuts stir-fry; wild mushrooms tossed with noodles; and black truffle fried rice.
Must eat: A dim sum selection (offered at lunchtime only) featuring morel siu mai dumplings with water chestnut and assorted mushrooms; four seasons dumplings seasoned to perfection; and crispy cheung fun with mushrooms and carrot. Other dim sum highlights include wild mushroom spring rolls, and pan-fried wild mushrooms with black truffle and tofu skin rolls.
Call 02-085-8888 or email [email protected].
Courtyard by Marriott Phuket Town
Chinese chefs at Yue Restaurant & Bar have crafted a special à la carte menu with more than 20 vegan dishes, including fresh salads, soups, appetisers, main course and desserts.
Must eat: Gingko with black and white fungus salad; Yue’s signature stir-fried tofu with Chinese chilli paste; wok-tossed jute leaves with shimeji mushroom and capsicum; and lily bulbs with fresh milk.
Call 076-643-555 or email [email protected].
NH Boat Lagoon Phuket Resort
The celebration of the Annual Vegetarian Festival in Phuket is huge. It’s one of the province’s most exciting, most awaited events featuring vibrant parades, delicious vegetarian dishes and thrilling rituals such as fire-walking and bladed-ladder climbing. Harbour Restaurant inside NH Boat Lagoon Phuket Resort joins the celebration by offering special meat-free dishes.
Must eat: Thai assorted appetisers (crispy vegetable spring rolls, fried tofu with bean sprouts, and deep-fried spicy betel leaf with sweet corn), vegetarian kua kling (wok-fried spicy minced plant-based meat with kaffir lime leaves and young pepper), and vegetarian mee sapam (stir-fried yellow noodles with vegetarian shrimp and mixed vegetables).
Call 076-239-888 or visit world.nh-hotels.com/en/nh-boat-lagoon-phuket.
Avani Pattaya Resort
The Garden Cafe inside Avani Pattaya Resort will showcase an array of vegetarian cuisine, featuring a corner at the breakfast buffet, complemented by standard vegetarian dishes. All dishes feature farm-sourced nourishment to promote optimal heart health.
Must eat: Sweet and sour soup and fried tofu.
Call 038-412-120 or email [email protected].
Phuket’s Vegetarian Festival returns
From now until Oct 11, Phuket celebrates the Annual Vegetarian Festival with lots of activities. The province is known for celebrations that embrace cultural and culinary richness.
For this occasion, the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau invites visitors to experience the rejuvenating traditions of Phuket through the annual Vegetarian Festival, or Jia Chai. This event, which spans the first to the ninth night of the ninth lunar month of the Chinese calendar, showcases creative food and activities from various shrines across Phuket. Last year, more than 650,000 people participated.
During the Vegetarian Festival, devotees abstain from meat and have the opportunity to participate in sacred ceremonies and grand processions that embody traditions and beliefs passed down through generations.
The festival begins with the Yew Keng Ceremony, a revered street procession organised by various shrines. This procession symbolises a visit from the Nine Emperor Gods, including the presiding deity Kew Ong Tai Tay, and allows households and the public to receive blessings. Villagers set up altars in front of their homes and kneel silently to receive blessings as the procession moves through the street.
The second ritual is the Koi Hoi, or the renowned Fire-Walking Ceremony, meant to cleanse negative energy from the body. The Koi Han Ceremony or purification ritual takes place after the fire-walking ceremony which involves cutting paper effigies representing each devotee and inscribing their names. Devotees carry Chinese chives and walk across a bridge while spirit mediums expel evil forces. The ceremony concludes with an imperial seal stamped on the back of the devotees’ shirts.
Finally, the Farewell Ritual, or the ceremony to send off Kew Ong Tai Tay back to heaven, features a procession through town from various shrines in Phuket. As the procession departs to return the gods, all lights in temples are extinguished, and the main gate is closed. Roads in Phuket Town become crowded with people coming to bid farewell to Kew Ong Tai Tay. This ceremony is a must-see, especially along Thalang Road, Phuket Road, the Clock Tower Roundabout and the path leading to Saphan Hin.
Another highlight of Phuket’s Vegetarian Festival is local delicacies, given that the province has been recognised by Unesco as a Creative City of Gastronomy. From street food to Michelin-starred restaurants, visitors can enjoy a health-focused dishes prepared with plant-based ingredients.
Must-eat dishes at the festival include deep-fried tofu stuffed with fried bean sprouts; fried sesame balls; vegetarian curry cake; fermented soy bean dip; Hokkien noodles; vegetarian gaeng tai pla or southern-style curry with plant-based fish and vegetables; vegetarian yellow curry; stir-fried rice noodles; and pomelo spicy salad.