The yellow flags of the Bangkok Vegetarian Festival have begun popping up around town like toadstools, prompting inevitable complaints about hated meat-substitutes and the supposed impossibility of getting a decent meal during this time of year.
I for one embrace an infusion of vegetables into the diet and the blast of minerals and fiber that they offer.
What’s so bad about it? The chance to eat a little less meat makes one feel lighter in the stomach and more fleet-footed and nimble, not unlike a cat. Plus, you don’t have to eat it! There are plenty of old-fashioned flesh-eating establishments open and serving dead animal everywhere around Bangkok, even in the heart of Chinatown. And for those who are seeking out je (vegetarian) treats, there’s nowhere better than Chinatown’s main thoroughfare.
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From now until Oct. 23, Yaowarat Road is a Boschian Garden of Earthly Delights for fans of things like root vegetables and leafy greens. Plump, purple sweet potatoes (taro?) simply roasted over open coals offer a pasty, rich delicious snack. Split off a chunk and throw it in your mouth to hold you over as you search through the stalls for something more substantial. That can come in the form of khao geng, if you like, featuring khapao moo with the dreaded fake pork meat, a curry of a spinach-like green, and stewed, mildly sour cabbage. The khapao is standard but tasty with the faux-meat providing some needed protein. But the dishes really shine when it comes to the vegetables, of course. The spinach-like green has a spicy and rich depth of flavor that belies its simple appearance – it’s obviously been heavily spiced and expertly cooked. The cabbage dish is more basic but the quality of the vegetable is a stomach pleaser. The once tough chunks of cabbage can now be easily sliced through with a spoon and ladled into the mouth with a little rice for good measure. Several neighborhood old-timers are sat at the khao geng stall’s tables eating the spinach and cabbage also… always a good sign.
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Special fresh fruit is on display and for sale throughout Chinatown for the festival. Vendors continually squirt down the produce with water bottles with pinholes in the caps to make the fruits look commercial-worthy and succulent. Oranges flown in from Canada are going for a premium, as well as first-rate, stinky durian. Freshly squeezed pomegranate juice is ubiquitous, and offers a cold and sweet ultra-refreshing blast of antioxidants (and added sugar, most likely). Also available are pickled, spicy fruits.
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Moving on, many popular stands sell an assortment of fried noodles. Big piles of every iteration of noodle, from mama to pad see oo, are interspersed with a crunchy mix of cabbage, shredded carrots, and sprouts. These greasy fan favorites, like the yams, are best consumed while moving. Shovel them into your mouth from the styrofoam box, but be careful as the walkway around the stands is quite crowded and, this being Chinatown, residents are not afraid to administer a shove. No one needs a plastic spoon embedded in their cheek. This is not the Phuket Vegetarian Festival and that kind of thing is frowned upon around here.
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Those who still want desert can choose from Chinese-style peanut brittle candy or deep fried dough or a million other sweet treats. But the real stars of this fest are the vegetables and fruit.
Kin je haters: Care to reconsider?
