BANGKOK — Craving juicy fried mushrooms, fancy deep-fried bananas, meatless som tam or faux meats?
Full or part-time vegetarians – or just the veggie-curious – can go wild in the streets all over town starting a day early on Friday. Vegans can confidently partake as well – dairy eggs and other animal products are verboten in Thai jae food.
Look for the yellow flags festooning street food carts during the nine-day Vegetarian Festival and head to a number of venues from Chinatown to Siam Square One for some guilt-free bites.
Here are some places to make the most of the festival.
1.Chinatown
Through the day and into the night, Chinatown becomes even livelier than usual with table after table piled high with delicious eats past while in the street pass dancing dragons, divine parades and more.
This is the place to go for the proper Vegetarian Festival experience with the biggest celebration running all nine days and all nine nights along Yaowarat Road. Walk or take a moto from MRT Hua Lamphong or park at Odeon Circle and start wandering. It all begins Friday and runs until Oct. 9.
2.The Nine Center Rama 9
While shopping malls may not be the most culturally enriching places, many really go all out for VegFest. Sample and shop everything vegetarian from crispy “pork”and spaghetti dishes to burgers and more at a community mall on Rama IX Road.
J Food Good Taste runs Saturday through Oct. 9 at The Nine Center Rama 9. Watch a dragon dancing performance Saturday, and hear Chinese zithers and fiddles played Oct . 7 and Oct. 8.
3.Siam Square One
Step off BTS Siam to wander around 50 booths of vegetarian food, drinks and plant-based health products at the Vegetarian Food Festival.
The food-on-street fest is open 10am to 8pm daily from Saturday through Oct. 9 at Siam Square One.
4.Q. House Lumpini
Twenty booths selling veggie food and desserts will set up near Lumphini Park on Sathorn Road for five days starting
The Gin Jae Festival will take place 8am until 6pm daily Monday through Oct. 7 on the first floor of Q. House Lumpini. The lifestyle mall is located in front of MRT Lumphini exit No. 2.
5.Tang Hua Seng, Thon Buri
More than 50 kinds of food will be sold from 30 booths at Im Boon Im Jae for 10 days. It runs Friday through Oct. 9 on the basement level of the Tang Hua Seng shopping mall in the Thonburi area.
