Eating Healthily in Pattaya: Tips From a Health Food Restaurant Owner

I own Cajun Life Cafe, a health food restaurant in Pattaya, as well as three pubs. Here's my take on eating well here.

Is it easy to eat healthily in Pattaya?

These days, yes. It wasn't before, though you could say that about most of the world. Now there are plenty of healthy options, and it's as easy as in any other big city.

Even at Hemingways, which is a pub serving mainly pub food, we offer lighter choices like salads and pan-fried fish.

Is Thai food healthy?

Not as healthy as people think. A lot of it is cooked in plenty of oil, and that's the trap.

The healthy part, in my opinion, is the portion size, which is usually quite small. And it's lighter: more vegetables, rice and fish, compared with something heavy like bangers and mash.

How did Cajun Life Cafe start?

I didn't open it. It was started by Jeff, who's from Louisiana. He got stuck here during COVID, and his work in oil and gas was in jeopardy. There weren't many healthy options in Pattaya then, and no Cajun food at all, so he opened a restaurant. He knew Cajun food, but he'd never run a restaurant.

As we came out of COVID, the oil and gas jobs started coming back, and he decided to go back to it and sell. I knew him, so I was one of the people he asked. Of course I was interested, and I bought it from him.

Who eats there, and what do they order?

Mainly gym-goers, generally a younger crowd, eating plenty of protein.

What sets us apart is a custom menu. You can order exactly how many grams of chicken, prawns or sweet potato fries you want. Not many places do that, and if you're on a strict diet, say for building muscle, it makes life much easier.

Where should you go?

There are healthy options all over the city, but Pratumnak has the biggest concentration. Of course I'd put Cajun at the top, and it's one of the busiest. A few more healthy restaurants have opened in the area recently, including a national chain, which shows how much demand has grown.

For more, read staying fit in Pattaya, where a restaurant owner eats in Pattaya and the best area to live in Pattaya.