Life Cafe

VIKASA LIFE CAFE

VIKASA Yoga Retreat’s flagship restaurant Life Café, is central to our holistic approach to a healthy lifestyle. We believe food philosophy is a crucial element of a well-rounded holistic lifestyle, and an integral pillar of the global VIKASA community. Our local Samui tribe thrives on the unique and delicious creations we offer in support of a healthy lifestyle – a benefit we aim to spread and share with any and every one seeking inner balance, purity and happiness. We are open 9am to 10pm, on the main road between Chaweng and Lamai.

Green. Local. Organic.

Our food is only as good as the ingredients we use. We’re genuinely passionate about using locally produced ingredients such as coconuts, coconut oil, and an assortment of veggies from Samui’s organic farmers. We take pride in the knowledge our food is fresh, fair trade, and pesticide free. We hope to bring people together from around the world to enjoy the experience of clean and socially responsible eating. We have excellent access to tropical fruits, organic food and fresh local produce, which is conducive to transformation, healing, detox, fitness or just healthy living. You will feel a physical transformation just by eating our delicious and healthy food every day during your stay.

Something for every 'body'

Our menu was designed with an open mind. Everybody is different and requires varying nutrition. We offer creative ways to enjoy diets that are vegetarian, pescatarian, vegan, raw, dairy free, gluten free, or whichever way of life you choose. We also provide locally inspired Thai meals and meat dishes. We’re confident you will find something to love on our menu. We don’t advocate or push any one particular way of eating, but offer a wide selection of healthy options free of MSG, chemicals, refined sugars and artificial additives. Our menu is clearly marked with friendly icons to help you select a dish that harmonizes with your preferred diet. At LIFE CAFÉ, you can eat mindfully in whatever way works best for you.

Evolving Approach.

Our approach to food is always evolving. We’re constantly experimenting with innovative flavors, combinations and preparation techniques to wow our community and satisfy hungry yogis and yoginis after a kick-ass yoga class. Our meals are creative, fresh, colorful, nutritionally balanced, and full of flavor. We believe food is part of a cycle that begins with honest origins. Being conscious about our bodies and our planet, means caring about where our food comes from and how it was made. Our organic garden project is still in its infancy but we are striving to grow more of our own organic vegetables to use in our mouthwatering salads and other dishes.

Place

Perched on a cliff-side overlooking the stunning Gulf of Thailand, you’ll eat in a beautiful setting of glistening, brilliant blue ocean, tall coconut trees and lush greenery. This is all part of the natural, healthy, holistic vision that is the hallmark of VIKASA. The views across the east coastline of Koh Samui are the very essence of paradise, and no one leaves without taking a slice of it home with a snapshot! Our location gives us excellent access to tropical fruits, organic food and fresh local produce, which is conducive to transformation, healing, detox, fitness or just healthy living.

Philosophy

We believe the way you eat has a great effect on your wellness and your evolution. An integral part of the LIFE CAFÉ philosophy is awareness of what we put in our bodies and the impact it has on each other and the earth. Fresh food has powerful transformational effects on our bodies, our tribe and our global community. That’s why we use whole food, natural and consciously sourced. We’re genuinely passionate about using locally produced ingredients such as coconuts, coconut oil and an assortment of veggies from Koh Samui’s organic farmers. Our organic garden project is still in its infancy but we are striving to grow more of our own organic vegetables to use in our mouthwatering salads and other dishes.

Community

VIKASA Life Café is the hub of our worldwide, cosmopolitan community of yogis, and a fantastic venue for meeting like-minded people. Our open-air space is energizing and rejuvenating, giving you a chance to unplug, chat and soak in Koh Samui’s breathtaking coastal views. Meals are served in a community setting where yoga students, holidaymakers and travellers can socialize. We offer communal seating and a relaxed environment that encourages interaction. The LIFE CAFÉ is also a favorite hangout in the evenings and you can enjoy occasional events such as live performances or a complimentary Oolong Tea Ceremony. You never know who you’ll click with at VIKASA. Eat well with us and empower yourself while feeding off the positive vibes of our thriving community.

Chef

Boris Lauser has been the head chef of Vikasa Life Cafe for almost a decade. This outstanding culinary artist from Berlin sprinkles passion over all his creations. In addition to being Europe’s “Best Raw Food Chef” winner, Boris is also a published author. He loves traveling and experiencing the varying cuisines of foreign cultures, seeking out street-markets and authentic, family-owned restaurants wherever he goes. His growing awareness of the organic lifestyle has also drawn his attention to holistic wellness, yoga and natural medicine. If you would like to learn how to make your favorite Life Cafe dishes at home, Boris gives a hands-on master raw food class every spring at Vikasa.

Our Menu

The Life Café menu is clearly marked with friendly icons to help you select a dish that harmonizes with your preferred diet. Our breakfast menu is teeming with all-natural goodies, from Super-food Bowls to Chia Pudding. For lunch, indulge in lighter options like our Beetroot Carpaccio and Salmon Tartare, or dig into juicy Pomelo Salad or a hearty Black Charcoal Burger. Enticing dinner selections include our special Daikon Cannelloni or VIKASA Fried Rice. End your dining adventure with a guilt-free treat like our ever-popular Mango Sticky Rice or sumptuous Raw Tiramisu. You can also sip from the sweetest fresh, cold coconuts which Koh Samui is famed for, not to mention our freshly prepared smoothies.

“being healthy doesn’t mean being boring.”

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Disconnect to Reconnect.

Our open-air space is energizing and rejuvenating, giving our guests a chance to unplug, relax, chat, and soak in Samui’s breathtaking coastal views. Meals are served in a community setting where students, holidaymakers and passers-by can socialize. The LIFE CAFÉ is also a favorite hangout in the evenings, as students enjoy occasional events such as performances or a complimentary Oolong Tea Ceremony. You never know who you’ll click with at VIKASA. LIFE CAFÉ provides a stunning space for consciousness to spread and friendships to form. We offer communal seating and a relaxed environment that encourages interaction. Travelers and locals alike gather at our space to gab about the important things in life – business, philosophy, culture. More than food, meals are a time to be inspired, connect and evolve with others. We urge people to put down the smartphone and swap life stories with the people around them.

Family style meals.

VIKASA serves wholesome, health-conscious, variety-packed meals in a copious ‘buffet’ or family style twice daily, for brunch and dinner. You’ll be well-nourished during your stay as our meal programs are specially designed for those attending yoga classes or transformative retreats. Each meal provides balanced nutrition to fuel your body for optimum performance. Start the morning right with an amazing brunch of freshly squeezed juice, tea and coffee, a sunny side up or vegetable omelet, wholegrain toast, oatmeal/muesli with yoghurt, or chia seed pudding, super-foods, fresh veggies with specialty organic dips, vegetarian sandwiches or pancakes, and of course, a variety of fresh-cut tropical fruits. Dinner may include hot soup, brown rice, vegetarian dishes, fresh salad, legumes and a seafood dish. For dessert we serve local fruits or another naturally sweet selection.

Eat with love.

In today’s world, the ritual of eating is often hurried and the food not fully enjoyed. Eating with love and mindfulness will change your life and your body. The thoughts may affect how your body digests and experiences food. We encourage people to listen to their own bodies and invite a conscious approach to their eating experience. The food evolution we go through during our lives is a very personal journey. Our taste buds transform and daevelop naturally over time. We alone, can truly study ourselves and make choices that will improve our health and vitality. At LIFE CAFÉ, we do our best to guide our community toward eating with self-love and awareness. People who show themselves self-love with good food and exercise seem to buzz with a contagious energy that you’re likely to catch here at our cafe. Eat well with us and empower yourself while feeding off the positive vibes of our thriving community.