Phuket I’m Vegan Delivers Thai Flavors in Frisco

Yok Tositrakul, owner of Frisco-favorite 246 Thai Grab & Go, first set up shop on Frisco’s Warren Parkway in 2019. It was only a few months later that he launched his own virtual store, a fully vegan delivery service offering plant-based versions of classic Thai dishes. Cleverly called Phuket I’m Vegan, it’s named after the Thai province of Phuket (pronounced ‘poo-ket‘), located just off the west coast of the mainland. When asked about the virtual storefront, owner Tositrakul points to a love for Thai food and a passion for making Thailand’s delicacies available to more of Dallas’ population.

“We’re a family-owned business first,” he says. “So we want all families to be able to enjoy the food we cook … vegan or not.”

246 Thai is already a popular spot among Frisco locals. The physical restaurant concept (also interestingly named) represents a mythical 246th Street of Thailand, where you can indulge in any and all types of Thai food. Explore plates of noodles drenched in Thai sauces, potato-pea curry puffs wrapped in flaky puff pastry or huge bowls of tom kha soup laced with hints of lemongrass in a rich coconut broth.

Eight different varieties of noodles and fried rice cover almost every geographic variant of Thai dishes, ranging from a sweet tamarind pad Thai to its spicier sibling, a Sriracha-drenched kua gai. Different colored curries, teas and desserts come in vibrant orange, red and green hues.

While much of the menu is already suited for vegetarians, Tositrakul has made it his mission to make his food more vegan-friendly – a drive that climaxed in Phuket I’m Vegan. The virtual storefront offers many of the same dishes as 246 Thai but prepared with fully vegan-friendly ingredients. Orders can be placed through DoorDash, Uber Eats or Grub Hub.

Fried tofu, spring rolls or papaya salad (made with long shreds of unripe papaya) all lead nicely into a vegan tom kha or tom yum soup, both perfumed with Thai spices and textured with blocks of tofu. Classic Thai street foods like stir-fried cashew nuts and spicy fried rice are other contenders on the completely plant-based menu, alongside a vegan-ified pad Thai and pad see ew.

In almost every way, Phuket I’m Vegan mimics the traditional sit-down experience. Even simple dishes like the fried rice and papaya salad came packed with Thai flavors, despite being delivered at room-temperature. The fried rice, lightly scented with soy and garlic, proved to be a crowd-pleaser, sating that yearning for a comfort food while also delivering the delight of a greasy takeout treat.

We’ll also be back for an order of the panang curry, boasting a coconut-milk base interspersed with pockets of nutty flavor. You’re free to choose both your preferred protein and spice level when you order, but caution is advised when personalizing your meal. The online ordering system warns you that 246 Thai takes its spice just as they do in Thailand: seriously.

The only caveat is the virtual business model. Phuket I’m Vegan’s menu can be accessed only by third-party delivery apps, which unfortunately means a heat-in-the-microwave type of deal. Dishes are delivered with plastic cutlery and paper napkins for a Thai-food-and-movie type of night … just make it vegan.

While Phuket I’m Vegan is lacking (to our disappointment) in the space of plant-based desserts, we might suggest you also order some vegan desserts from Jeff’s Vegan, the Chinese spot across the street. Their vegan cheesecake and doughnut balls aren’t too shabby for a vegan night in.

Phuket I’m Vegan, 9370 Warren Parkway, Frisco. Daily, 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.