BANGKOK RESTAURANT REVIEW: Cabbages and Condoms

After arriving into Bangkok, one of the goals of my trip was to locate vegetarian food. Was it possible?  Would I find real food or would it be difficult to find plant based choices in Thailand? On my first day in Thailand I quickly located Cabbages and Condoms, a restaurant I had researched before making embarking on my trip.

This is an unusual restaurant which has an incredibly strange name and an equally unusual slogan:

Our food is guaranteed not to cause pregnancy.

From their website: “Established in part to support the activities of PDA, the Cabbages & Condoms (C&C) Restaurants offer a pleasant dining experience in several locations around Thailand. Not only do the restaurants offer excellent food, but they also promote the health and safety aspects of condom use in a fun and amusing manner. All proceeds from the restaurants are used to fund the social development programs of PDA.”  PDA is the Population and Community Development Association, a family planning organization in Thailand.

Yes it was the name of the restaurant that attracted me there to visit, but that’s clearly not the only reason to go. Once you step inside Cabbages and Condoms, you realize that this is no ordinary restaurant. To the left is a large gift store, which you’ll want to check out after you eat.

A staff member walked us past the condom decorated mannequins at the entrance to one of the available tables.

That’s right. It’s all decorated in condoms. It’s kind of hard to miss the the message as it’s all around you and all over the restaurant.

With seating both inside and in the courtyard, despite the gloomy clouds overhead, we chose a seat outside. They also have private rooms available for special events or parties.

As the wind picked up, I was convinced I’d get rained on, but it never happened. It was a hot summer day in Thailand, but it was far cooler under the shade of the trees overhead.

To start my meal, I decided on a Thai iced tea, of course. Mr. TSG chose a pitcher of beer for a mere 250 THB or about $7. It was hot out, he was thirsty, and I couldn’t argue with his logic. My iced tea was perfect and he seemed pretty happy about his beer.

We were hungry when we sat down and pretty much ordered everything on the menu. First up was the Po Pia Tod or crunchy vegetable spring rolls with vegetables and glass noodles, served hot and crispy with sweet chili sauce. I was feeling bad about having ordered so much food until I saw a table of three young men nearby. They literally had the entire table covered in dishes. They’d eat, finish a plate, and then more food was brought out.

TSG Tip: All the food comes out at the same time so be prepared for starters and entrées to come to your table at the same time.

Cabbages and Condoms has a dedicated vegetarian menu and we ordered several items off it, including the Tod Mun Khao Phod Mungsawirat or deep fried vegetarian corn patties, which were crispy and light.

For my main course, I chose the vegetable green curry, which was filled with yummy veggies. I purposely avoided ordering rice as I wanted to fill up on vegetables and not carbs although I probably wasn’t as successful as I would’ve liked.

Mr. TSG likes his food hot and ordered the Panang mushrooms with tofu and it was crazy hot just the way he likes it.

We also ordered the Tao Hoo Sam Rose or deep fried soft tofu in hot and sour sauce. I’m not usually a fan of cooked silken tofu, but it was still quite good.

At the end of your meal you’ll get your check and yes, Cabbages & Condoms provides a condom for each person in your party.

Don’t forget to check out the gift store on the way out. In addition to an assortment of condom related items, they also have a wide variety of other items available for purchase.

The food at Cabbages and Condoms was fresh and tasty and I was extremely pleased that they had a dedicated vegetarian menu available. While some might be scared away by the name, I like what they are trying to do and felt like my visit helped support a good cause and was what drew me to an otherwise overall non-vegetarian restaurant. I would definitely recommend visiting Cabbages & Condoms with their large menu and huge restaurant if you’re planning a visit to Bangkok.

Cabbages and Condoms
Sukhumvit 12 Alley, Khwaeng Khlong Toei, Khet Khlong Toei, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon 10110, Thailand

In addition to several restaurants in Thailand, they also have two locations in the UK with a restaurant in Oxfordshire and one in Cheltenham. Have you ever been to Cabbages and Condoms in Bangkok or anywhere else?