Day 2: Cabbages & Condoms Restaurant

I had read about this unique themed restaurant online and was intrigued by the daring concept. In a region where sex and condoms are done and used rampantly yet seldom discussed, I thought it refreshing to have a restaurant set up by someone or some organisation apparently big-hearted and broad-minded. So I made it a mission to visit this restaurant for lunch after Chatchuchak.

The restaurant was conceptualised by the Population and Community Development Association (PDA), a non-governmental organisation founded in 1974 to, in part, promote better understanding and acceptance of family planning and to generate income to support various development activities of the PDA.

We had returned to the hotel to put down our purchase from Chatchuchak. After that, we took a cab down from our hotel to Sukhumvit Road. 90+ baht for the trip.

It was a narrow lane. We actually missed this sign on the right hand side.

We drove past this sign and William insisted he saw a 'condoms' sign, but I dismissed his claim since he's obsessed with condoms all the time.

The cabbie reached the end of the lane (soi) and drove from in to out of the lane again to search for the restaurant.

The secret-garden entrance

The grand entrance within The table set-up The alfresco dining area
Written on the pamphlet: 'Our food is guaranteed not to cause pregnancy'
Coconut juice

Heart-shaped rice

Chicken fried rice Deep fried sea bass with tamarind sauce Grilled pork neck (150 baht) Sauce that comes with the pork neck Deep fried soft-shelled crab with chilli (abit) and basil leaves Mango and sweet rice (90 baht)

The total bill was 1470 baht. It is not the practice of Bangkok restaurants to give a breakdown of items in a receipt. Although they did show an itemised receipt when you foot the bill, the final receipts that we got from all the restaurants simply stated 'Food and drinks - (total amount)'.

Review of Cabbages & Condoms:

We did not know what to eat since Thai food was foreign to us. The young and handsome English-speaking waiter made a few chef's recommendation to us and William commented that their dessert looked delicious, so we tried the dishes above.

I must say we are not fans of Thai food, so my review of Thai food should be taken with a pinch of salt. I have read raving reviews on this restaurant but I thought the grilled pork neck was too hard and not as 'delicious' as the waiter had claimed. It was alright, similar to the taste of deep-fried fatty portion of pork.

The sea bass and soft-shell crab were average to us. I guess we still prefer Singapore style or simply Chinese cooking. It was the first time I ate Thai food. I am not sure how 'delicious' Thai food ought to be, but the taste did not go too well with my critical and particular tastebud. I would give it a 'pass' I suppose, since I did not find them repulsive. However, we could not finish the main dishes.

We shared the classic Thai dessert, Mango with sweet rice. The rice was covered with sweetened conunut milk and the mango was soft but not mashy. It was a wonderful dessert! We loved it and finished it even though our stomachs were exploding with the lunch.

I felt embarrassed that the waiter was standing nearby, watching how we were enjoying (or not) the food. He asked how the food was and commented that we could not finish the food (?). I felt obliged to thank him for the recommendation and politely said that the food was good for the great service he'd kept up with. I am usually not a person to speak diplomatic but I felt that I ought to with this guy. I was very grateful that there was an English-speaking waiter at all. It was painful to have to speak in very broken English for that 4 days to be comprehensible to most men ('no spicy', 'no Bangkok Palace', 'no Chong Nonsi', 'I want go this/here', 'I no want this').

I am no themed restaurant fan either, but I enjoyed this restaurant's daring concept and decor, and for good causes too!

The restaurant was littered with caucasians while we were there from 4pm onwards. It seemed to me that foreigners were more familiar with this restaurant than the locals. Even my tour guide had not heard of this restaurant. But I thought the restaurant worth a visit. The service was good and the ambience soothingly quiet. The dimly but amply lit restaurant had a hint of romance - it would be novel for a first, or any other, date.

I went around the restaurant to take pictures of its unique decor Mannequin dressed in condoms Condomed lamp shade Only William could interpret this poster that immediately and effectively Condom ship at 'Condom Captain Bar' Directional signs made of condoms

Condomed mannequin

Do you realise the hands are covered with contraceptive pills? Condom flowers

They didn't forget Tiger Woods

Elephant A: Think Big

Elephant B: Think Condom

Two sizes: Republican size and Democrat size

(Don't ask me. I didn't bother to find out more about the sizes)

In their souvenir shop ... Birds & Bees honey.
From the souvenir shop - a humour mug which I bought home

We were given two packets of condom after we paid for the meal!

How to get there:

Cabbages & Condoms

6 Soi 12, Sukhumvit Road , Bangkok, Thailand
(Official address: 6 Sukhumvit 12, Klongtoey, Bangkok 10110)
Tel: (02) 229-4610

Opening hours: 11 am - 10 pm

About five minutes walk down Soi 12. Nearest transport is either the BTS skytrain stop at Nana, or the BTS skytrain and MRT underground interchange at Asok.