I’d heard about Pun Pun, behind the Monk Chat building in Wat Suan Dok, for months before I actually went there.  It was only open for lunch, kindof far from where I lived, just too much trouble… if you’ve thought the same thing, get over it and go to Pun Pun for lunch today.  Pun Pun is small, with about eight outdoor tables and a lot of monks.

Pun Pun Vegetarian Restaurant is part of the Pun Pun Centre for Self Reliance which their website explains is “a small organic farm, seed-saving center, and sustainable living and learning center” (http://www.punpunthailand.org).  If you’re interested in vegetarian cooking, sustainable agriculture, meditation, and conscious living, check out their website for their Chiang Mai projects.  Pun Pun restaurant does not necessarily serve produce from their organic farm outside of Chiang Mai, but they do buy and serve heirloom varieties of organic vegetables from around the region.

Massaman curry with brown rice and ginger-cinnamon tea

More importantly for your lunchtime concerns — their food is delicious and their prices are low.  They serve a wide variety of Thai and Asian noodles, fried-rice dishes, and curries, along with Western-style fresh salads and interesting blends of teas and juices, from 30-55 baht.  I haven’t found this quality at this price anywhere in Chiang Mai.

One disclaimer — Thai food never tastes exactly the same if it is vegetarian, and while the flavors at Pun Pun are well-balanced, you can’t replicate the flavor of shrimp paste or fish sauce in curries and fried dishes.  Losing the meat flavors, though, makes Thai vegetarian food taste lighter, fresher, and often less greasy.  Most dishes substitute tofu and several varieties of tofu for the meat components.

The fried spring rolls, with a single kaffir lime leaf visible through the crisp fried wrapper, are a stand-out dish and it seems like every table orders them.  They also run out early.  In fact, show up around 11am if you want to pick from their entire menu, as a lot of food runs out after the lunch rush.

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