Sunday, January 9, 2011

Our Food Is Guaranteed Not to Cause Pregnancy

I'M BACK! The reason I wasn't able to blog the past couple weeks was because I was busy spending the holidays IN THAILAND. I've only been home a couple days and am still a bit jet lagged, so this one will be short. I'll get to the things that require more in-depth explanations in the coming weeks. I know that the majority of you are in the St Louis area, so rather than a month in a row of posts about Thailand, I'll be mixing it up throughout the next few months.

Photobucket

So, we were out for a walk in Bangkok one night when we stumbled across Cabbages and Condoms. I'd heard about it from guide books but didn't realize how close it was to our hotel. Sounds a little odd, eh?

Photobucket

Well, it is unusual, but it is also a really nice restaurant. The food was excellent, and they have an absolutely stunning outdoor patio. It's only when you look closely that you realize that many of the decorations are fashioned from multicolored condoms.

Photobucket
sorry for the quality. I only had my cell phone with me but HAD to blog about this

Photobucket

Photobucket

Why cabbages and condoms? The answer is surprising. Proceeds from the restaurant (and the Birds & Bees resort in Pattaya) support a program called Population and Community Development Association (PDA), a private charity founded by Mechai Viravaidya to promote family planning. Mechai believes that successful family planning programs must make contraceptives as accessible as vegetables in the market. Get it?

Photobucket

These days, PDA has expanded their services to include community empowerment, environmental conservation, HIV/AIDS education and prevention, and water management and sanitation. The restaurant also has a gift shop that sells handcrafted items from Thai villages, and also offers massage services.

Photobucket

Now for the "craves"! As I said, this was an impromptu visit and I didn't have my real camera or any way to take notes, so I'm kind of winging it with the help of their online menu. Here we have, I think, is an appetizer called Chaw Muang, which is minced chicken and onion dumplings. Yes, they are purple. Purple and delicious!

Photobucket

The next one is called Kai Hor Bai Teoy "in herb leaf bikini", according to the menu. This is fried chicken wrapped in pandanus leaf. My mom gave it a thumbs up. My dinner was pad thai, which most of you are probably already familiar with. That was actually the only time I ate pad thai in Thailand. It had to be done.

Photobucket

The menu at Cabbages & Condoms, as with most Thai restaurants, is extensive AND affordable. I think the most expensive meal on the menu was 350 baht, or about $12. Most appetizers are $3-4 and entrees $7-9. You generally pay more for a mai tai than a plate of pad thai in Bangkok.

Photobucket

So if you ever find yourself in Bangkok or Pattaya, check out Cabbages and Condoms for a great meal that supports a great cause!

5 comments:

  1. The food looks so interesting. I bet those purple dumplings were tasty. I <3 dumplings :)

    As for Cabbages & Condoms, it's great that they have a mission and a sense of humor!

    Looking forward to the next Thailand installment!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Great post. Good read and nice pics.
    This is the best restaurant in Bangkok. I ate there four times on my trip to Thailand. Got a mug from their souvenir shop, it has written name and slogan "Our Food Is Guaranteed Not to Cause Pregnancy" :) Can't wait to go back!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Wonderful article. Fascinating to read. I love to read such an excellent article. Thanks! It has made my task more and extra easy. Keep rocking. حوامل

    ReplyDelete
  4. حوامل Wow, cool post. I'd like to write like this too - taking time and real hard work to make a great article... but I put things off too much and never seem to get started. Thanks though.

    ReplyDelete
  5. This is my first time i visit here. I found so many entertaining stuff in your blog, especially its discussion. From the tons of comments on your articles, I guess I am not the only one having all the leisure here! Keep up the good work. I have been meaning to write something like this on my website and you have given me an idea. cultured ghee benefits

    ReplyDelete