Kunda (Chiang Rai)

Address: 372 Trairat Road, Chiang Rai, 57000, Thailand

Website: https://www.facebook.com/kundaveganvegetarianchaingraithailand/

Opening Hours: 9:00 – 5:00 PM Tuesday – Sunday (last orders at 4.30 PM)

Cuisine: European Vegan and Vegetarian

I first visited Kunda on Koh Lanta a few years ago and have been back there a few times since. I really enjoyed it so I was very pleasantly surprised to hear that they opened another branch in Chiang Rai, just a few hours drive north of Chiang Mai. This is obviously much easier to visit then going all the way down to Lanta!

Just like Koh Lanta, Chiang Rai has limited vegan and vegetarian options, especially compared to nearby Chiang Mai. Kunda comes as a real gem. I was glad to see that the menu is the same as the other branch. You won’t find food like this anywhere else in Chiang Rai, or even Chiang Mai! For me, I’ve never eaten this kind of food before apart from back at the other branch!

All food is vegan, although some dishes have a vegetarian option. The food is a little pricey for the North of Thailand but the quality is so supreme that it is unquestionably worth it. The dishes are also very generous portions as well as wholesome and hearty. I have tried the vegan medi which is an open sandwich with vegetables and a very tasty pesto. On the side is a huge salad (not the usual ingredients that you see in the Thai salads here) with an amazing sauce which I believe was made from coconut and avocado. Lena, the European owner, really works some kind of magic with her food to get it to taste this good.

She also has an amazing (sugarless but still perfectly sweet) chocolate cake, tea and coffees with plant milks as well as plenty more dishes of course. The venue has a downstairs floor looking out over to the temple opposite and a more chill out area upstairs with a balcony. A wonderful place to watch the world go by and indulge in some of the tastiest food you’ll have ever had.

Kunda should be your number 1 place to visit if you come up to Chiang Rai. Have a chat with the owners too, they are lovely and make you feel very welcome. Can’t wait for my next trip to Chiang Rai just to visit this place again.