ON A LIQUID DIET

PAAK SERVES UP VEGETABLE DRINKS THAT WILL SURPRISE YOU

Unless you’re really health-conscious, on a cleanse or you’re watching your weight, vegetable juices probably aren’t your drink of choice. After all, they’re not necessarily appetising. The taste of most vegetable juices take getting used to and after making numerous faces because of the odd tastes, you may start enjoying them. However, that’s not the case for Paak. In fact, they may be the reason you start drinking vegetable beverages on a regular basis.

Aside from serving up healthy drinks, the co-founders of Paak wanted to develop an alternate way of eating vegetables to make sure we get some fibres in our system. The result? Veggie drinks, but not the ones you’re used to seeing or perhaps tasting. These drinks boast a no-syrup and no-ice recipe, which preserves the taste and while some ingredients may be familiar to regular veggie drinkers, there are a few twists to surprise you.

The menu is split into three categories: the Thai Blend, which takes inspiration from local ingredients and tastes; the Royale Paak Blend, which comprises the chef’s special concoctions; and the Salad Drink, which is pretty straightforward. They’ve also got vegetable-inspired cocktails and cold press juices.

I tried the Bangkok summer (B180), which falls under the Thai Blend category and gets its lead from the iconic Thai dish, tom yum. Yes, it’s basically a tom yum drink. Weird? Sure. Does it work? Definitely. The right amount of spice hits you at the back of the throat and the taste of lemongrass, which gives it that signature tom yum flavour is present but too overwhelming.

For those who want to hit full-throttle on the green veggies, look no further than Cero green (B180), which is chock-full of all the green vegetables you can think of. I felt as if I was some sort of vacuum cleaner sucking up all the leaves in a garden as I drank it and I’m not gonna lie, I felt three times healthier after a single sip.

Under the Salad drink is the Hail Caesar (B220). By its name, you probably already know what it is. To think of a liquefied Caesar’s salad is odd, but this drink doesn’t just make it work, it makes it delicious. There are bacon bits and cheese smattered on top so maybe it’s not as healthy as the other drinks but I’m not complaining. While you can taste what seems to be the dressing that’s present in its salad version, it’s not too overwhelming so that it doesn’t feel like you’re slurping some sort of heavy, icky mayonnaise mixed in the drink. I also tried the Paser (B160), which has ginger and gives it a bit of spice, as well as coriander, which lingers as an aftertaste.

Paak does serve up healthy snacks as well, like the Crispy vegetable dips (B150), which are addictive. Onions, broccoli and cauliflower are lightly fried in tempura and served with tom yum and sour cream sauce. It’s easy to just chuck ’em one after the other in your mouth. They also have the Baby spinach salad with sous vide chicken (B220), a great balance between leafy and meaty. There’s a generous amount of spinach drizzled with a sour-and-sweet passion fruit vinaigrette while the chicken is extremely soft and delectable.

Paak aims to be a new café and bar concept where you can chill with friends, read a book or maybe do some work while sipping on some of their signature healthy drinks. The price for some items is a tad bit higher but it’s worth it because you’re not getting added preservatives, artificial sweeteners or ice (cold drinks remain cold though, don’t worry). You’re definitely getting your money’s worth in terms of quality and quantity. Pay them a visit and who knows, maybe you’ll end up wanting to drink veggies than actually eating them.