COCONUTS CRITIC’S TABLE – Here in Bangkok, we often find ourselves subject to a revolving door of new restaurants that quickly lose their luster. However, it’s the smaller eateries with greater staying power that wind up dictating a burgeoning city’s culinary scene, and Demi Restaurant is one of these unassuming mainstays.
This eatery borrows its name from its owner, a Taiwanese native who originally came to Bangkok many years ago as the head chef of the city’s first Taiwanese restaurant. Soon enough, she opened her own place specializing in vegetarian and vegan cuisine.
A small, lime green sign marks Demi’s dominion near the top of Sukhumvit 49. This advertising seems quaint in comparison to the surplus of new hotspots on the soi. Demi is a lot smaller than many of its newer neighbors. The entire restaurant could fit into a condo’s living room. One peek through its tall, glass windows will reveal that a mere half-dozen tables crowd around its small bar. If you get a look past the swinging kitchen door as waiters rush in and out, you’ll find that the space Demi cedes to food preparation is pint-sized.
In stark contrast to its diminutive grounds, Demi’s menu is packed with over a dozen items, all of which advertise themselves as belonging to the school of “Taiwanese vegetarian dining.” This label could be just radical enough to turn a few potential customers away, but it’s actually a misnomer. There are a few meat dishes on Demi’s massive menu as well, such as stewed beef noodles and pork rice. Nonetheless, I decided to forsake my carnivorous habits and go vegetarian for my latest visit.
Though the dishes at Demi are simple, picking only a few was a struggle. Items span everything from soups to bean curd (more widely known as tofu) to stir-fried vegetable dishes. Taiwanese vegetarian cooking specifically relies on fresh veggies and tofu, not mock meats. There is, however, one imitation chicken dish served at Demi. Thankfully, the dishes are all meant for sharing in the traditional, family-style fashion.
The restaurant also has a minimal drink menu, which includes Asahi, Tsingtao, Singha and Heineken beers (THB100), ice tapioca with pearls (THB30) and a couple soft drinks from Taiwan. I recommend the apple cider (THB50), which tastes similar to carbonated apple juice. It’s not too sweet or sugary, something that I very much dislike about the juice drinks produced here in Thailand.
The dishes came out one after the other in a quick progression, bam-bam-bam, and I started digging in left and right. The cucumber salad (THB70) was the first to hit the table. Its bright chunks of green cucumber came packaged in a serving bowl and dressed with a few thin slices of chili. The sauce was light, tangy and nearly devoid of spice. It thinly coated the cucumbers and sank down to the bottom of the bowl. Taiwanese food is also known for presenting the original flavors of its ingredients, untempered by heavy seasoning or condiments.
My favorite dish was the eggplant in Szechuan sauce (THB150), which looked just like a goulash and fell from my fork to my plate in thick globs. The sauce tasted amazing – slightly sweet but deeply rich in flavor. The eggplant was also cooked to a smooth consistency and melted right into the sauce.
The server recommended to us a couple of the more popular tofu menu items, like the bean curd with paprika (THB180) and the fried mustard with bean curd skin (THB150). The first dish consisted of piles of dark brown tofu cubes, festooned with paprika, chili and cashews. On its own, this dish came off as a little bland, but the homemade roasted chili sauce that comes on each of Demi’s tables livened it right up. The fried mustard and bean curds was also light and tasty. I found myself mixing everything into the Szechuan sauce from the aforementioned eggplant dish.
Demi’s food was delicious and its service responsive but the best part of the meal was the moment the bill hit the table. Given the restaurant’s titanic portions, you’d think the price would be exorbitant, but the case is actually the exact opposite.
At meal’s end, I left with my wallet feeling as comfortably filled as my stomach.
FIND IT:
Demi Restaurant
21/14 Sukhumvit Soi 49, Bangkok, Thailand
Tel. +668-1890-7787, +668-9530-8666
Open 11am to 10pm daily
Photos: Barbara Woolsey
