Palette is the Western restaurant of the 137 Pillars resort in Chiang Mai.
137 Pillars House is just a beautiful place. I would call it a urban resort as it is located in a central area of Chiang Mai.
The visit
Upon my arrival a kind receptionist escorted through the maze of mini villas to the restaurant building. Palette is located on the upper floor of a reconverted old building that used to be the headquarters of a trading company.
The dining room was extremely intimate with just five tables.
They had a tasting menu that looked interesting, but I noticed it only after my meal.
There was a complimentary bread basket.
I had a Thai Iced Tea. Better than water that was just overpriced.
There was an amuse bouche, a piece of slow-cooked chicken.
My first dish was their signature smoked salmon roll. The salmon was filled with cream cheese. A very tasty dish.
My main was a tuna steak. These was a proper tuna steak, rare inside. And it was a reasonably-sized portion. All the condiments – mash, carrots, tomatoes – were delicious.
Then I asked to have my dessert in the Jack Bain’s Bar on the same floor. It was a very classy bar with a vintage style.
The dessert was a coconut creme brulee served with biscotti.
The dinner was above my expectations. The menu including a little bit of everything, from pasta to pizza and burgers, did not seem very promising. But there were some gems on the menu and the three dishes I had were all winners.
The check
Final check was 1,271 THB (40.5 USD). A reasonable check if you take into account the refined dining environment.
The service was handled by two young guys. They were ver friendly and I even left a tip, but they were not able to explain the dishes in English. Not a big deal, but I would have expected the hotel to staff their flagship restaurant with professionals that could deal with the overwhelmingly foreign audience.
A little bit too many mosquitoes, but overall recommended for a diversion from Thai food in Chiang Mai.
Where in Chiang Mai:
2 Soi 1, Nawatgate Road, Tambon Watgate.
Website: https://137pillarschiangmai.com/en/dining/