Farmer to consumer Thai style

I visited Wat Suon Dok today, one of the largest of the innumerable wats, or temples, around Chiang Mai. Wat Suon Dok is special because it is one of the biggest outside the old city walls and for me, because it is also home to Pun Pun's resturant.

Bridging the gap between farmer and consumer Pun Pun and friends created a very humble little resturant to serve totally fresh organic vegetarian Thai dishes. The food is so delicious that a food writer even discovered it a few years ago and wrote it up glowingly in the New York Times. Impressive right? And what's more it is cheap, delicious, and without a shred of pretension. Rather it just an open air patio with a few tables under an ancient banyan tree with a kitchen on the side. It is a favorite place to eat for the many local monks also, brightly adored in their orange robes at lunch hour adding a special element to the place.

Happily distracted from working again, my friend Yoko from the farm called and came to visit and also Bart. I'm arranging to go on a visa run with Yoko next week and Bart and I are still finishing up our little Pun Pun film project. Of course along the way we ate so much delicious healthy food: green curry and brown rice, salad greens, fruit shakes and these here are spring rolls with tamarind sauce and banana flower salad. YUM!