Chams House

Koh Kood is one of those islands that you’ll definitely want to visit; think pristine white sand beaches, friendly local life and a laid back pace of life that’s irresistible. You can leave Bangkok in the morning and be relaxing on the beach by the late afternoon, yet the island still retains a remote island feel.

Chams House on the Western side of the island, is a great place to head to if you want to escape from it all and relax. There’s everything you need for a perfect, chilled getaway; infinity pool, spa, gorgeous beach and well designed, modern rooms or villas depending on your budget.

But even views as good as these won’t hit the spot if the vegan food and vegan friendliness of the service isn’t up to scratch. We took our Vegan Food Quest there to check out how suitable Chams House is for vegan travellers like us.

Did we leave feeling we’d missed out or were we amazed?

The Vegan Food

Breakfast each day consisted of a selection of tropical fruits, fresh juices, great coffee and soya milk too. The chef offered to prepare us vegan noodles and vegan fried rice which we happily accepted, both were very tasty – a perfect start to our day at Chams House.

The menu at Chams house already contained some vegetarian options which were vegan and so we were able to order with little planning or notice (always a good thing for a traveling vegan). We picked this vegetable and hot basil dish which was deliciously spicy and full of Thai basil, garlic and sweet soy flavours.

But we always like to give a Chef the chance to flex their culinary skills and so we asked if we could try a selection of vegan dishes which had been adapted from non vegan items on the menu. With a bit of notice, this was no problem at all and the amazing vegan food was flowing.

We ate delicate Japense tofu, seasoned with soy sauce, chilli and peppercorns; sweetness and saltiness blending perfectly with the spice from the peppers and the creamy soft tofu.

We loved this fruity version of a traditional ‘Som Tam’ made using local fruits and cashews but with the same garlicky, spicy lime dressing that you get in a green papaya salad. Pumpkin and tofu kebabs, threaded onto lemongrass skewers were covered in a spicy rich Penang sauce, they looked beautiful but tasted even better with a coconut smooth, peanut laced sauce giving a spicy, velvety coating to the chargrilled vegetables.

Now we know this next dish doesn’t look as glamorous as others but never let looks deceive you. These humble looking cabbage rolls were stuffed with shiitake mushrooms and vegetables and were swimming in the most delicious umami rich gravy.

We actually wanted to lick the plate.

We also tried the vegetable red curry, which is definitely not for the feint hearted. This dish was super spicy, but then you don’t come to Thailand and not expect a bit of spice. Creamy coconut, fragrant basil and lots of chilli with crunchy fresh vegetables and bonus pieces of fresh pineapple inside – a lovely twist on the usual recipe. It was so good that even though our mouths were on fire, we couldn’t stop eating it.

The Vegan Essentials

Our deluxe ocean view room was bright and modern with a small balcony that looked out to sea; our bed had non feather pillows, and some of the bathroom amenities were made by Thai skincare company Thann and appeared to be made from vegan ingredients, not tested on animals and free from paragons.

The Vegan Food Quest Verdict

Check in to Chams House for a perfect escape from the city and enjoy the vegan friendly service, the pristine beach and some very tasty Thai vegan food!

We were guests of Chams House but please rest assured that their generosity in hosting us didn’t influence our views

Chams House
Koh Kood
Thailand

Telephone: + 66 (0)81 651 4744
Email: info@chamshouse.com
Cost From: £120 / $180 per night (June 2015)