Pai - where to get great vegan food during the rainy season
Pai is a haven for vegan food, however a lot of places shut up shop when the rains come.
Since we were in Pai during the so-called rainy season (we only got wet once), we visited a lot of places only to find them abandoned for the season. The good news however is that some of the places that were still open were serving incredible food. Staying for only four days at the time of year that we did means we couldn't put together a particularly extensive list of places to eat , but these are our three favs.Earth ToneWe ate here every day, because look at that food. Everything had flowers on it and the cutlery was wearing a little hat. The waffles were a particular highlight, especially with homemade almond butter and coconut yoghurt. The curry, the raw desserts, the pesto pasta, the salads, the shakes. Oh my GOD. The staff here are wizards in the kitchen. Genuinely wished there were more hours/meals in the day so we could have tried more stuff. They also have a little shop area which sells all kinds of goodies including toiletries, accessories, jewellery and whole foods.
Art in ChaiThis place is packed full of books, which you can sit and enjoy while you sip THE BEST COCONUT MILK MASALA CHAI in the world. Seriously, it's like a decadent hot drink slash dessert that will transport you to India and back.
Art in Chai actively encourages visitors to use the space to be creative. Read a book, paint a picture, make new friends. Hippy AF and it works. Although not completely vegan, there are various vegan food options, including this brilliant fry up.
Good Life in PaiWe stumbled upon this place on a bit of a whim and ended up eating there at least three times. They specialise in incredibly delicious kombucha, wheatgrass and other healthy drinks. The menu is a mixture of traditional Thai dishes as well as some western meals, nothing fancy but if you're craving a straight-up good green curry, this place is a good choice. Not a vegan or veggie place, but a lot of the food is meat-free and the staff are happy to make most veggie things vegan.
So there we have it, a short and sweet guide to three of our favourite places to eat that will still be gettin' their tofu on even when it's the rainy season.