alt.Eatery is a new plant-based cafe located at the top of Sukhumvit Soi 51 that focuses on yummy comfort foods and refreshing drinks, offered at wallet-friendly prices. The vibrantly decorated venue held a grand opening weekend on May 21-22, pulling in a large number of foodies from the local area, eager to pay a visit to the neighborhood’s latest food spot.
The owners of alt. hope that the eatery, which also features a plant-based shop, becomes the perfect space for Bangkokians who are interested in healthier lifestyles to gather and come together as a community, whether they are Thai or an expat calling Bangkok home.
With alternative cuisine being all the rage these days, the plant-based foods to sample at alt. are sure to appeal to many as they are not only better for you, but also for the planet. They use less land, less water, and produce less CO₂ than venues aimed at meat-eaters.
A Sukhumvit Cafe Offering Healthier Alternatives to Meat
If you are one of the new generation of consumers who is interested about health and the environment then this latest addition to Bangkok’s plant-based food scene will be right up your street, as the growth of vegetarianism, veganism and flexitarianism continues to rise.
alt. was founded by Nutra Regenerative Protein Co. Ltd (NRPT), which is a joint venture by Innobic (Asia) Co. Ltd and Nove Foods Co. Ltd, leaders in the fields of food innovation and production in Thailand, in cooperation with Sansiri, Thailand’s leading property developer. NRPT utilizes technology to advance the taste and texture of their plant protein products.
Appearance, texture and flavour are the three main challenges food scientists face whilst developing plant-based products, and alt.Eatery have succeeded in overcoming them by devising items that taste similar to meat but without the high levels of fat and cholesterol.
From the two pictures above, you shall see in the first one the immaculately presented alt. Beef UFO burger, with french fries that are made from protein-packed chickpeas. It tasted delicious, with the UFO-shaped bun made from pumpkin bread complimenting the pattie, and the pickles offering salty, sour and tangy undertones: it’s a bargain for just THB 235.
In the second picture, you can see two different dishes: the dish on the left is the alt. Chic Tender Green Curry Fried Rice, a tasty plant-based twist on the popular Thai classic. Both creamy and fragrant, the sauce on top of the alt. tenders was superb – it costs THB 135.
The other dish seen to the right of the photo above is the alt. Chic Tender Korean Noodle also featuring the alt. faux meat tenders, but with korean noodles this time instead of rice, and an excellent vegan kimchi specialty sauce to jazz it up, again costing only THB 135.
Many of the tastiest alt. dishes feature alt. Chic Tenders or alt. Chic Pops, also available to purchase in their shop to rustle up your own at home, as are alt. Gyozas and alt. Nuggets. The meat alternatives are made from textured soy protein and plant fiber, benefiting from an effort to keep salt levels at a minimum, giving an improved taste and nutritional profile.
Lighter bites at alt. are very popular and great value. The photo above shows two options worth trying: in the center you will see the Korean Tenders, coated in a spicy/sweet sauce and costing THB 89, while on the right are the tasty Sweet Corn Pops for the same price.
You can also see above the alt. Matcha Latte Frappe, a particularly refreshing drink which is sure to quench your thirst on a hot Bangkok day: it’s made with oat milk, offering a nice neutral taste that compliments the matcha. THB 89 is great value for this level of quality.
Taste a Bite of Tomorrow, Next to Thong Lo BTS Station
Having really enjoyed the appetizers and mains, we were excited to try some plant-based desserts. The waffles looked great, but the selection of donuts lured us in, especially with the popularity of the doughy treats being at an all-time high in the Thai capital these days.
The two standout donuts from the four seen above were the Blue Monster Donut, a tasty bright blue creation that had a moist, soft texture and a delicious blueberry filling – it cost THB 49. We also loved the Almond Joy Donut, the chocolate morsel above that’s topped with almond slices: a bargain at THB 49, it’s plant-based, vegan and absolutely delicious.
A walk around alt.Eatery’s mini-mart is a nice way to complete a trip to this hub of culinary innovation. Some of the top products on offer include Nootri smoothie cups, Grin oat milk, LumLum organic condiments, Flogurt soy yogurts, and Flying Peanuts’ range of spreads.
For now, the cafe is the only place where you can buy alt. take-home items that we spoke about earlier. Chic Pops and Chic Nuggets are our favourites: tasty on their own, or with a meal, they do not contain genetically modified organisms (GMO), monosodium glutamate (MSG) or preservatives – they’re 100% plant-based, priced at just THB 89 per 170g bag.
Another remarkable thing about alt.Eatery is that they generate clean energy by having a solar roof, to further boost their sustainability credentials and give diners yet more reason to support this fantastic venture. The food, the prices, and the concept are all on-point.
Take a look at the alt.Eatery Facebook or alt.Eatery Instagram pages for more information on this new venue, open daily from 9am to 9pm. Parking is available, or you can take exit number 2 at Thong Lo BTS station, and then it is just a one minute walk to the cafe.
