Vegan Thai in the 209!

Thaiburi opened in Modesto’s Wood Colony Plaza in 2024. With the addition of Vallarta Market in the same shopping center this year, I found the restaurant bustling with patrons dining in and picking up, even on a Monday. The restaurant name “Thaiburi,” is a combination of two words, “Thai” and “Chonburi,” a town in Thailand renowned for its cuisine. Their menu professes, “We started Thaiburi to be more than just a restaurant. It’s our way of inviting you into our hometown. Every dish tells a story and we’re proud to share the taste of where we come from with every bite.“

While Thaiburi is not a vegan restaurant, they offer menu items that are vegan as-is and are clearly marked on the menu, in addition to things that can be made vegan with modifications, such as omitting fish sauce. I was with a friend who is also vegan, so we ordered a few things to share, and as always, the appetizers were my favorite part.

To start, we shared the ‘Popcorn Tofu‘- crunchy fried tofu served hot, ‘Spring Rolls‘- deep-fried and stuffed with silver noodles, cabbage, carrot, and mushroom, a classic staple starter, and their newest menu item, ‘Thaiburi Samosas‘- crispy pastry filled with a mixture of potatoes, peas, and herbs, all are served with a sweet chili dipping sauce, that makes for a sweet and savory combo in every bite.

For our mains we chose the ‘Panang Curry‘ and ‘Green Curry‘. The Panang Curry is made using panang curry paste and coconut milk, then topped with bell pepper, onions, and kaffir lime leaves. It’s a warm and nutty curry broth with a kick of peppery heat, and the coconut milk provides a nice balance. The Green Curry is made with green curry paste and coconut milk, and topped with eggplant, bell peppers, white onions, and basil leaves. It is much milder, with an earthy herbal flavor. For our protein, we chose tofu, of course, making these dishes vegan as-is on the menu. I have since also tried the ‘Pumpkin Curry‘ with tofu and requested that it be made mild. It is also a nutty broth with a kick of heat, made with red curry, coconut, pumpkin, bell pepper, and white onions. This is my new favorite main!

I am thankful for another restaurant within our community that is familiar with vegan diners, and would recommend Thaiburi tenfold.

Have you visited Thaiburi or even ordered from them for delivery? What did you try?

Vegan as-is at Thaiburi:¹

Vegan Appetizers at Thaiburi:

• Roti– crunchy, crispy roti bread served with yellow or green curry sauce, and topped with fried shallots
• Popcorn Tofu– crunchy fried tofu, served with a sweet chili dipping sauce
• Spring Rolls- deep-fried and stuffed with silver noodles, cabbage, carrot, and mushroom, served with a sweet chili dipping sauce
• Sides: White Rice, Sticky Rice, Brown Rice, Steamed Noodles, Steamed Vegetables, Roti

Vegan Curry at Thaiburi:

• Thaiburi Samosas–crispy pastry filled with a mixture of potatoes, peas, and herbs, served with a sweet chili dipping sauce
• Green Curry (with Tofu) –green curry paste, coconut milk, eggplant, bell pepper, white onions, and basil leaves, served with rice
• Pineapple Curry (with Tofu)– rich coconut red curry with tart juicy pineapple, zucchini, and bell pepper, served with rice
• Panang Curry (with Tofu)– panang curry paste, coconut milk, bell pepper, onions, and kaffir lime leaves, served with rice
• Pumpkin Curry (with Tofu)– rich coconut red curry, pumpkin, bell pepper, and white onions, served with rice
• Red Curry (with Tofu)– red curry paste, coconut milk, bell pepper, green bean, pineapple, and basil leaves, served with rice
• Yellow Curry (with Tofu)– yellow curry paste, coconut milk, zucchini, white onion, carrot, and crispy shallot, served with rice

Thaiburi Location:  3900 Pelandale Ave #155, Modesto, CA 95356

Thaiburicuisine.com

1. Please note that while these are the menu items labeled as vegan on their menu (making for easy online ordering), other items can be made vegan with slight modifications, such as omitting fish sauce. Just ask your server! ↩︎