Bangkok Restaurant – Cabbages and Condoms Review

Cabbages and Condoms. Get your mind out of the gutter people, we are talking about a restaurant here! And, it is a fabulous restaurant indeed. We couldn't not visit the establishment when in Bangkok. Reviews had been read and we honestly thought we were going to enter a run of the mill tourist trap haven that maybe had a cabbage and a condom placed in a far corner of a restaurant. Luckily, we were wrong.

Cabbages and Condoms Restaurant was introduced as yet another way to promote family planning in Thailand. In particular, the use of contraception. The restaurant also generates income to support a non profit organization in Thailand, the Population and Community Development Association (PDA).

Khun Michel, or the Condom King, the founder of Cabbages and Condoms says that “birth control should be as accessible and as easy to buy as vegetables in the market!” Hence the name of the restaurant “Cabbages & Condoms.” Khun Michel has certainly raised a lot of awareness for birth control over the last few years. Not only does he have a restaurant in Bangkok, there is one in Pattaya and in Chiang Rai, and he also has a resort or two to his name and quite a few gift shops. All of the businesses apparently help fund the Population and Community Development Association. What a good man.

Walking sown the dark path way to Cabbages and Condoms Restaurant, we were certainly ready for the worst. However, we were pleasantly surprised! The restaurant and garden areas were decorated with humorous art work all in the name of safe sex. Light shades made out of condoms, a number of mannequins displaying fabulous condom outfits, posters of safe sex campaigns from all over the world, and of course, imitating table flowers. We thought it was wonderful!

We were shown to a table in the garden area. The restaurant was very large. An outdoor garden area shimmering under fairy lights, and at least three different indoor areas you could sit in. All the indoor tables that we saw were just as busy as the garden area.

The menu a C&C was very extensive. Not only could you get the obligatory Kaew Pad Gai, you could get Keaw Pad Gai with brown rice! Ok, we know this may not sound exciting, but, when you get handed a menu in Thailand and you are able to get dark rice instead of white rice, you know you are somewhere special! At a restaurant who cares about your body.

It took us ages to choose what we were having for dinner. Andrew chose Tao Hoo Phad Med Mamuang Himapan – Sauteed bean curd with cashew nuts. Tanya chose Nam Phrik Kapi Platu – Shrimp paste chilli dip, served with vegetables and deep-fried mackerel. We teamed it all with dark rice and soda water. A very healthy meal indeed. And it was extremely delicious! As they say in the menu… “And remember, our food is guaranteed not to cause pregnancy.”

The below is a very blurry photo of our meal that we had. It was dark, we were hungry, and just had to take the photo quick before we ate the camera itself.

Entertainment was provided also. We were lucky enough to be seated right next to a lovely lady playing the Thai Xylophone. We really enjoyed the music sitting under the twinkling lights and condom light fittings in a beautiful garden in the middle of Bangkok. It was dreamy!

Special mention to the Cabbages and Condoms Restaurant for not handing out mints in their check folder. Instead, they hand out condoms. Now, that is taking family planning seriously. We loved this! On the way out, past the Tiger Woods mannequin, you could take more condoms with you. Free condoms? Yes please!

Take note of the shop just outside the Cabbages and Condoms Restaurant. You will find a heap of awesome stuff that you can buy. All proceeds from the locally made handicrafts from the rural areas of Thailand are used to fund PDA. Quirky mugs, pictures, notebooks and mouse-pads amongst other things displaying condoms can also be found here.

Check out our video below to see Cabbages and Condoms Restaurant for yourself. You must visit if you are in Bangkok, Thailand. For a themed style restaurant, it is great!

Cabbages and Condoms Restaurant in Bangkok can be found at:
10 Sukhumvit Soi 12, Bangkok 10260, Thailand Tel: 66 02 229 4611
Open daily from 11:00am to 10:00om

View Bangkok, Thailand in a larger map