With its high ceilings, abundant natural light and jungle of ferns barely clinging to the ceiling, this upmarket vegetarian restaurant (no meat, eggs, dairy, oyster sauce or fish sauce, but some honey) stands out from its backpacker-oriented peers. So, expect to pay a bit more for Broccoli Revolution’s diverse, though far from comprehensive, menu of meat-free Mediterranean, Western and Southeast Asian dishes.

 

Health pretensions aside,  there’s enough sin going on to make the saintly sounding soups, salads and mains exciting—even for meat eaters. The broccoli quinoa charcoal burger (broccoli quinoa patty, mango tomato salsa, dill spread, cranberry charcoal bun, B250), the restaurant’s social media star, is a touch sweet but we enjoy its firm, flavorful patty and crunchy bun. It’s bettered by the moreish parsnip, potato and turnip fries, which are crisp without being too oily (though we’d prefer a homemade ketchup). The tofu satay skewers (B160) are another success: lightly seasoned and grilled with a mellow peanut sauce, and accompanied by pungent pickled cucumber salad.

 

Although presentation and texture tend to be on-point, some dishes are pretty bland, as if targeted at only the most masochistic of healthy eaters. The Lebanese mezze platter (hummus, baba ganoush, tabbouleh, tzatziki and marinated olives with pita bread, B290) is one such pedestrian selection, with the under-seasoned baba ganoush and dried-out pita the biggest disappointments. The broccoli apple walnut salad (B250), piled with craisins and sultanas, too, is crunchy and fresh but one-dimensional, lacking a citrus-y edge to cut through the sweet dressing.

 

The wide range of cold-pressed juices (B100-180) are a real hit—try the super-green No 4 (kale, iceberg, romaine, green oak, celery and lime). Desserts come from trusted names Veganerie (cakes, from B75) and Farm to Table Cafe (vegetarian ice cream in out-there flavors like broccoli and sweet potato, B50/scoop). The drinks now include coffee (from Roots), organic wines, beers (some gluten-free) and a long list of mojitos (kale mojito, anyone?).

 

While we’re not so fond of having to order and pay upfront at the counter, we do admire the slick service. Broccoli Revolution is a sure bet for solid, mostly vegan food in a cool environment that beats a trek to the sweaty tourist badlands of Khao San. Corkage B300.

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This review took place in November 2015 and is based on a visit to the restaurant without the restaurant's knowledge. For more on BK's review policy, click here.