Pun Pun Vegetarian Restaurant - Chiang Mai, Thailand

I was considering posting a detailed analysis of all the vegetarian/vegan options in Chiang Mai, Thailand after my recent visit to the city.  However, truth be told, after visiting all the 'so called' best vegetarian eateries in the city, there was only one that stood out as being completely spectacular.  The rest were either average or slightly above.  Pun Pun Vegetarian Restaurant, though, would easily rank in my Top 3 list of best vegetarian eateries on the planet - It is that good.  Be warned, if you're a Buddhist vegetarian, then you will have a tough time at Pun Pun (and all vegetarian eateries in Thailand), as they don't follow avoiding onion and garlic.  So make sure to specifically ask for no pungent spices when ordering.  Some items also have egg, although most don't.






Pun Pun Vegetarian Restaurant
Location: Suthep Road (opposite Chiang Mai University)
Contact: 086-1816051
Opening Hours: Daily 10.00am-9.00pm 


If you don't have your own transport, then travelling to Pun Pun is a bit of a journey, that can't be achieved on foot (from the main tourist stretch).  There are actually two Pun Pun restaurants along this same road.  One located at the back of Wat Suan Dok temple and one at Suthep Road (at the Base of Doi Suthep).  The latter is the original masters restaurant, while the former is managed by his apprentice.


The setting of Pun Pun is a quiet, peaceful garden setting.  If you're visiting in the evening then mosquitoes can be an issue.  The staff will even give you mosquito repellent.  During the day this is not an issue though.  All the ingredients at Pun Pun come from their own farm, which is located on the outskirts of Chiang Mai.  They encourage and subscribe to the philosophy of sustainably locally grown produce.
The menu at Pun Pun is so vast and amazing I decided to take a picture of every single page.  Check it out...








We first decided to pick out an appetizer, which was the Deep Fried Herbal Spring Roll with Tamarind Sauce.  The spring rolls were nice and crispy, but I couldn't really detect what herbal flavour they had - They more closely resembled the generic style of spring roll.  The advantage that Pun Pun has, however, is their ability to use fresh and vibrant produce, which was used inside the roll.  The tamarind sauce was quite flat and forgettable though.

Price: 60B.      6/10
Easily the most visually spectacular dish I ordered from Pun Pun was the Salad Dok mai.  Long time readers of my site will know that craving salad (or anything green) seldom goes through my mind - Therefore, for a dish like this to 'wow' me, means that it is very special. 
The dish is a beautiful, colourful mix of deep fried edible flowers, raw flowers, chick peas, onion, pomelo, lettuce, carrot and various nuts.  I loved how this felt healthy, yet slightly sinful.  The fried flowers were not too heavyand went perfectly with the fresh leaves. 

Price: 70B.     10/10
Pun Pun also have a limited number of items that are Western, this is the Homemade Tofu Steak with Coconut Milk & Black Pepper Sauce.  Once again the presentation of this dish was faultless, with four triangular tofu slabs literally drowned in a mild coconut based sauce.  For some the sauce could probably have done with an extra kick.  But there is no doubting the quality of the tofu, which was perfectly charred prior to being plated.

Price: 80B.     7/10
The next dish falls under the 'special dishes' category and is called Homemade Fermented Mushroom Sausage.  This is a dish that I think will divide people down the middle, you are either going to love this or hate it.  If you're not used to (or don't like) strong tasting pungent items, then you will detest this dish.  If you are someone like myself, who loves items like petai, Japanese natto, 臭豆腐 etc then you should enjoy this.  The shredded fermented mushroom has a really overwhelming taste, which almost resembles raw garlic.  When matched with the lime, cashew nuts, ginger and raw red onion and green chilli it really becomes something quite delicious though.  This is an acquired taste, that can very quickly become addictive.  I loved it, but order with caution.

Price: 60B.     8/10


One Thai curry that I recently discovered and quickly fell in love with is Musaman Curry.  This curry, also spelt massaman, was original introduced into Thailand by Muslim immigrants - This curry is thick and rich, with distinctive peanut flavour.  Like any good Thai curry, this dish manages to effortlessly balance the essential components to any curry - Sweetness, sourness, saltiness, spice and umami.  There was a lovely array of ingredients inside, and I was ultimately rendered to licking the bowl dry like some starved canine.  Definitely a dish you must order when visiting Pun Pun, one of the best curries I have ever eaten.

Price: 60B.     10/10






Conclusion - Pun Pun wisely utilizes the one key advantage Thailand has over other countries - Fresh ingredients.  The dishes are presented in a quite stunning fashion, and taste just as good as they look.  Truly one of the best vegetarian eateries I have ever had the privilege of frequenting.  If you're in Chiang Mai (or Thailand for that matter) you would be insane not to visit Pun Pun.

Overall Rating
Food - 9/10
Ambiance- 8/10
Service - 8/10
Value - 9/10