Suan Pak Nam

This restaurant is run by a friendly (and healthy) uncle who started the hydroponic farm some 14 years ago, long before the practice was in vogue. Even though the venue is simple and small, with only a few wooden tables in the al fresco area, the greenery of the veggies on display makes it a real feel-good spot. As the owner likes to say, healthy food doesn’t have to be bland, and this is reflected in the recommended dishes, likes the pasta which comes with a variety of sauces like mushroom and garlic (B80) or salted fish with herbs (B80). The drink options are really refreshing; try the juices like apple and greens (B35) or beetroot and passion fruit (B35). Or just buy some butterhead, red oak or cos to take home, together with some healthy salad dressing that features a liberal amount of black pepper.
17/136 Sukhontasawas Rd., 02-907-9989, 081-816-6741. Open Fri-Sun 10am-1pm

Home Fresh Hydro Farm

Decorated in girly floral prints, the dining area here is more polished than most on this list. It overlooks a pretty large hydroponic garden where filey, red oak and green oak grow. Choose the time of your visit wisely as the place usually packs out at lunchtime on weekdays with hungry hordes coming to feast on classic nosh like Caesar salad (B185), salmon steak (B320) and pasta (from B210). Naturally, the homegrown veggies feature prominently while some other ingredients are imported.
2 Ramkhamhaeng Soi 167, 02-917-2445, 081-844-8801. Open Mon-Fri 11am-2pm; 5-9pm; Sat-Sun 11am-9pm

My Home

Bored of the city? Why not make the trek out to this charming restaurant tucked away on a small soi close to Don Muang Airport. My Home is actually part of the owners’ home and has a nicely relaxing vibe thanks to the garden and its pond where the resident geese offer a natural soundtrack. A large greenhouse sits in the middle of the front yard, and the vegetables grown here make their way into dishes like the kai jiew tod krob (crispy omelet with spicy sauce, B75) and hom kum (onion and pork sausage, B95). The hampers, in their wooden baskets, also look pretty nice and start from B350 with butterhead, green oak and cos.
17/4 Kosum Ruamjai Soi 23, 02-981-0200, 085-123-4458. www.myhomeveg.com. Open Mon-Sat 7:30am-7pm

Rasbit Hydro

Those more adventurous might like to set aside their weekend to visit this far-flung restaurant with a hydroponic garden out back. The place is only a few years old, but that doesn’t stop the many budding gardeners from dropping in to ask the owners for pointers on growing veggies—something the owners are all too happy to help out with. While you’re there you might as well try the dishes like mee pad pak wan (stir-fried noodles with vegetables, B70) and stir-fried cos lettuce (B70) or sample the mushrooms the owners grow. End your meal with their homemade ice cream (B45) in flavors like lemongrass. Call ahead for directions or closely consult the map on their website before setting off.
36/10 Pinklao Nakhonchaisri Rd., SamPran, 084-666-0771, 089-791-5107, 087-356-4224. www.rasbithydro.com. Open daily 10am-10:30pm

Guay Jub

Compared to the famous version served in Yaowarat, the soup here is more full-bodied and, as a result, more scrumptious. You’ll get a bowl (Chinese noodles, B40) with a good balance of shredded pork, sliced pork, sieng jee (kidney) and properly cleaned and perfectly cooked intestines. But we recommend you ask for some extra parts (B10) as portions aren’t the largest and, really, too much is not enough.
081-859-1480, 086-557-1466. Open daily 6pm-10pm

Haa Bai Tao

Noodles again, you moan. But these are no ordinary noodles. This recipe comes from the five sisters who gave the shop its name. What’s so special about it? The noodles (B30) are wonderful—chewy but not too soggy. The place really demonstrates how good stock makes everything better, while the entrails are delightful and the moo krob (crispy pork) addictive. Just make sure you get there before 1pm, otherwise, the moo krob will have run out.
02-438-6840. Open Tue-Sun 10am-1:30pm

Sor Suki

Don’t let the grumpy uncle scare you away from one of the best street suki (B60) joints in town. Claiming to serve “authentic” suki, the place definitely provides a unique taste through a very balanced suki sauce. The pork, too, is amazing—juicy and tender throughout. The price might be slightly high, but once you try it, one dish is never enough. Opening times are really uncertain, so we suggest you drop by before nightfall.
02-437-6434. Open daily 10am-9pm

Khao Tom Pla Tha Chalom

This bowl of porridge is sure to delight you. The owners tell us that the fish is bought daily and we believe it because the fish here has no fishy smell at all. The soup is naturally sweet with a pleasant touch of garlic. As for the tao jiew (salted soy bean), it’s tastily homemade and not too salty, unlike the bottled variety.
Open daily 5pm-midnight

Jay Joo

You might have heard of this famous noodles stall. The most popular dish here is yen ta fo (B40) which comes with flavorful bean curd, while high quality condiments are in good supply and the morning glory fresh and crisp. We recommend having it in the tom yum style.
02-393-9722, 084-071-5183. Open daily 10:30am-9pm

Porn Jaroen

Under the same roof as Jay Joo, Porn Jaroen is a must-try for the sweet toothed. The place serves up coconut milk ice cream (B25) which is rich and succulent. The most popular topping is the corn soup.
02-393-9722, 084-071-5183. Open daily 10:30am-9pm

Tee Aoun

Get ready to stand your ground because you’ll never know when the Thai-Chinese aunties will try to cut the queue for this real deal soybean milk (B8). This place really offers the authentic taste of healthy nam tao huu: just breathe in the aroma of the soybean and taste the natural sweetness. Make sure to ask for the tofu skin, too.
02-860-3861, 086-544-7778. Open daily 9am-11pm

Kanom Jeen Hai Lum

A hard-to-find dish (rice vermicelli in Hainanese style) that here is very well executed. It’s no surprise this place has been opened for more than 15 years. The kapi (shrimp paste) sauce is tasty, the noodles delightfully chewy and the meat tender, while the nuts are fresh and the pickled cabbage not overly sour. No need to order pork, stick to the beef (B40) as it’s much more flavorful.
02-437-5391. Open daily 8am-7pm