Where: Amrita Garden, 2/1 Samlan Soi 5, Chiang Mai, Thailand
When: 9th March 2018
Amrita Garden is a little paradise hidden down a street in the south west of the old town in Chiang Mai. An emphasis on macrobiotic and vegan food, the menu and the surroundings hold a special attention to detail.
The vegan cafe serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, makes their own soya yoghurt and have a policy of no toxins or chemicals, vegetables are organic and even dish detergent is toxin free. They have a small retail area and also have rooms to rent. The cafe itself lives up to its name of garden as you are surrounded by beautiful leafy plants as you sit at the comfortable teakwood tables.
This was another instance where we ordered too much food because we weren’t used to the prices yet! So I ordered the macrobiotic lunch set – fresh and seasonal vegetables with rice and a ‘detoxification soup’ (99 bhat) – papaya leaf tea and a lemongrass and pandan kombucha; he ordered fried rice, rice balls, miso soup. Needless to say it ended up a huge yet fresh and healthy feast. Delicious! If we’d had more time in Chiang Mai we would have revisited, they had some great looking vegan desserts too.
Nearby are two small Buddhist temples – Wat Muen Ngoen Kong and Wat Puak Hong, worth a visit for getting a contrast to the beautiful, impressive ruins of Wat Chedi Luang, but remember to respect the rules of entering temples in Thailand including dress code of no tank tops, shorts or short skirts amongst others and take off shoes when entering temple buildings themselves.
The Greedy Herbivore 