If you’re anywhere near Sri Thanu on Koh Phangan, Thailand, around the yoga centers: Zen Beach, Haad Yao, or Salad Beach—make time for Street Vegan. It’s vegan and so satisfying that one meal might convince you that eating plant-based is not a compromise. I suggest for any vegan restaurant owner or chef to come to this modestly-priced venue to learn from a master.

I’ve been to Koh Phanghan a handful of times but things there change fast. Street Vegan was recommended through our musician friend Harel Shachel, who spends a lot of time on the island performing (and eating), and it turned out to be one of those easy, memorable family meals you don’t overthink, you just go back.

Street Vegan is right on the main road and easy to reach by car, scooter or the shared taxi trucks. Inside, the vibe is relaxed but special. The upper floor feels like a treehouse, looking down onto the kitchen and you can actually see the food being prepared, which gives you confidence that nothing rushed, and everything made with care. You can say that about Thai food in general but this place is a cut above.

We went around midday, the hottest month of the year, with the kids and ordered a mix from the menu to share.

The tofu cubes topped with fried onions were a hit—crispy, savory, simple but really well done. Another standout was the sautéed tofu served in cabbage leaves, fresh and nicely balanced. My daughter ordered dim sum, which was light and well made and filled with mushrooms I believe, and we also tried the sweet potato gnocchi with pesto which surprisingly good. Everything in the restaurant is gluten-free and meat and animal-product free.

The highlight for everyone was the chocolate cake. Which I do have have a picture of, sadly because we attacked it.

I’ve made vegan cakes with coconut butter and tofu but this was hand-down taking the cake. I might reach out for the recipe. The cake was creamy, rich, with a delightful crust made from coconut and nuts, and honestly hard to believe it was vegan. One of those desserts you end up finishing even when you’re full.

The guy beside us ordered the Buddha bowl and he looked like a satisfied regular.

What stands out at Street Vegan is the quality of ingredients. Thailand has incredible produce—fresh fruits, vegetables, coconut oil, palm sugar—and you can taste it here. But it’s also the effort behind the food. You can see the kitchen working, step by step, and it shows in the final dishes. The chef told me it’s endless work when I thanked her.

Street Vegan not trying to be fancy or trendy. Just solid, flavorful vegan food in a great setting. It’s open many hours until the night. I hope the owner can hold her stamina because it’s a place worth protecting and sharing. I remember years ago telling everyone to eat at Mama Poos. Now it’s the mama at Street Vegan.

If you’re on Koh Phangan, especially around Sri Thanu, this is a must-stop.

Getting to Street Vegan

Street Vegan House is located on the west coast of Koh Phangan in the Hin Kong area (near Sri Thanu), known as a major vegan hub. It is situated along the main road, easily accessible by scooter or songthaew taxi from Thong Sala or Sri Thanu and offers Vietnamese-style plant-based street food (open Mon-Sat, 1 PM-10 PM).

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Now there’s Zööba, a “hip” new restaurant in Zamalek that takes the heart-stopping edge off street food while maintaining both the tradition and the fun. Using mostly seasonal produce and only the freshest ingredients and spices, this tiny concept eatery founded by Chris Khalifa and Moustafa El Refaie offers up wholesome dishes that come with a side of Egyptian pride.

“Zööba is redefining Egyptian street food by producing it with the freshest ingredients available, taking old staid recipes and reworking them to incorporate spices or flavourings that are locally inspired but have never been paired together,” wrote Brownbook magazine.

“Such is the case with the areesh – a kind of cottage cheese – made into a sandwich with cumin, orange zest and honey. The bread comes in its regular form as well as pink or green varieties that have been hand-flavoured with beetroot or spinach and that nestle comfortably in small basket frames of latticed wood.”

A tiny space decorated with colorful tiles, black boards with scribbled notes and menus, welcoming blue doors, and rows of handmade pickled beets, artichokes, tomatoes and other goodness that caters to vegans, vegetarians and meat eaters, the restaurant features only one large table that encourages a sense of camaraderie and community.

Founded by a reformed banker and a chef who had never previously cooked Egyptian food, the place has soared to success already and the duo have employed an army of selective chefs to scout out new locations for more branches.

Potential new dishes are on the horizon too, including an artichoke salad adorned with hibiscus flower and desert wraps with tehina.

Khalifa told Brownbook that part of the challenge so far has been identifying those foods that are authentically Egyptian, but they have incorporated foods that are considered standards in the country. Of course, this varies regionally, which is what allows the team to experiment with such a diverse menu.

There’s hope that this new concept will create a cultural revival, or at the very least divert the attention of Egyptians from imported cuisine to what they can produce with their own, exciting palette of spices, vegetables, salted breads and other drool-inducing morsels.

We’re convinced. How about you?

:: Brownbook Magazine

All photos via Zööba Facebook Page

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