The Banana Warrior Vegan Restaurant, Bangkok

Tucked away in the corner of the concept store Another Story on floor 4 of the EmQuartier’s Helix Building, The Banana Warrior Café is almost literally a hidden gem (it took us a couple of attempts and an enquiry at Customer Service to locate the café, though the effort was certainly worth it). But while its presence is understated, it wears its ecological heart on its sleeve, with its personal touch and the promise of ‘words, love and tools’ to connect people with their bodies through food.

There is an emphasis on organic and environmentally sustainable ingredients – even the straws are made from tapioca flour – with a permeating sense of spiritual positivity: feel-good messages are wrapped around the cutlery and lovingly tied up with parcel string, and each table is given a name, with ‘Wonderful Table’, ‘Stunning Table’ and so on. There are gluten-free options and a tempting display of sugar-free desserts, including their signature Warrior Pie.

Two-seater wooden tables characterise the seating arrangement, although groups are catered for too, and a number of tables look out on to Phrom Phong BTS Station and the EmQuartier’s sister building.

With such dietary attention to detail, the staff are justifiably proud of their menu and will enthusiastically recommend certain dishes. Acting on their advice, we tried their Dippy Dips (roti and a trio of homemade sauces) and were pleasantly surprised at both the artistic floral presentation and the arresting taste, with wonderfully moist, warm roti and piquant dips you could spend the best part of an hour savouring. The artistic theme continued with the main course: a Buddha Bowl of flavourful veg and tempeh, and Smoke That Salmon, whose taste was ingeniously close to the piscine version. To help wash it all down, there is a self-service water machine dispensing complimentary flavoured water, and the staff are only too happy to fill up your glasses for you.

All in all, The Banana Warrior is an eating experience that leaves you feeling a tad sorry for the café for being so shockingly undiscovered, while half hoping it remains so, so that you can keep it all for yourself.