Vegetarian Restaurant
the idea
At Pun Pun seed saving is our main objective. We realized that we save seeds, propagate them, and promote other people to grow them, but other people grow them and don’t have anywhere to sell them as they are not known to the general public anymore and middlemen do not buy them like they do cash crops. We realized there is a need to create a market for local indigenous organic vegetables. So we opened a restaurant called Pun Pun to be a place to bring the vegetables that we or other people like us grow and to be a place for education for the public as well.
Consumers are able to know that we have these kinds of local vegetable varieties, this is what they taste like, and are able to try them themselves. It’s a place to learn for consumers and producers. So we are trying to create a system of market that will be a sustainable system. The aim is not to make a profit but to create a market that will be able to take care of our seed varieties to exist.
We are also trying to create a delivery system to send produce to people’s homes in order that our communities are able to have food that is safe and clean. Their consumption supports our seed varieties to continue to exist. We felt like it was important to think about the market as well because the market is very important in linking consumers and producers. And markets can be tools in making local seed varieties to be able to survive and be developed.
what it is
what the restaurant is:
Pun Pun Organic Restaurant is a project aimed at supporting local organic farmers, farmer networks, and propagating biodiversity. By producing organic produce on our own farm as well as buying from farmers producing organically, we support farmer’s transition to sustainable food systems. Since we ourselves are a seed center we aim to propagate rare and indigenous varieties of edible plants for the public to reintegrate into their diets, improving our health and stabilizing our environment through biodiversity.
Our food is:
- Organic as much as possible coming from organic farmers’ groups
- Supporting local food systems
- Diverse containing various rare or indigenous herbs and plants
- Healthy – meaning we use NO MSG, NO GMO, and NO PRESERVATIVES. We don’t use white refined sugar and use unrefined whole grains such as brown rice and whole wheat flour.
- Vegetarian – we use no meat products but offer eggs and dairy in certain dishes. It will be clearly marked on the menu if dishes contain dairy or eggs.
- Fresh – focusing on raw and lightly cooked foods which maintain their nutritional value.
- Primarily homemade including tofu, soymilk, yogurt, butter, cheese, bean sprouts, fruit jams, baked goods, and salad dressings
where it iswhere the restaurant is: When looking for a location for the restaurant we were lucky enough to have talked with the progressive abbot at Suan Dok temple about our idea. He was gracious enough to offer us to open the restaurant inside the temple grounds. So now Pun Pun Restaurant is nestled inside the temple grounds in an outdoor courtyard under a large old Boddhi tree (the Boddhi trees were kept as sacred trees known to be the tree the Buddha himself was enlightened under). Pun Pun Restaurant is located inside Wat Suan Dok temple (on Suthep Road between the Suan Dok Gate on the moat and the Chiang Mai University- if you are new to the city you can just tell the driver of the red trucks to take you to Wat Suan Dok, it is very well known). Walk back into the temple on the main road to the back and on your right you’ll see a Monk Chat building. Keep walking and on your right you’ll see a sign for the restaurant and the courtyard inside. The restaurant is open everyday 9am – 6pm, except closed every Wednesday. We serve primarily Thai vegetarian food, fresh coffee, herbal drinks, and fruit shakes and smoothies. There is also a small shop of local fair trade products and products from Pun Pun farm and other organic farmer groups. reviews : from stomachsonlegs.blogspot.com |