Charoen Suan Aek is a restaurant in Chiang Mai listed on the Thailand 2020 Michelin Guide. Charoen is the chef/owner’s name. It is located a few kilometres away from the Old City in the Northern part of Chiang Mai.
The visit
I got there with Grab Car, the restaurant English name is listed.
It was a very rustic dining space (with buffalo skulls on the walls) and very busy on a random weekday.
The big problem was that they did not have an English menu. But the staff was very nice and they tried to help me, even if with limited English. I asked for a recommendation and I got this stewed beef meat in a dark sauce full of spices. It was quite good.
Then I asked for a chicken dish (you cannot go wrong with chicken…) and I ended up with some deep-fried chicken. I cannot recommend this dish: there were literally just a few bites of meat, it was mostly bones.
The check
I spent 200 THB (6.15 USD) for the two dishes and water. Honest local prices and portions suitable for individual diners.
The fact that they did not have an English menu limited my ability to explore more interesting dishes. If you speak Thai and/or have a Thai-speaking guide/friend, this looks a very authentic restaurant loved by locals worth checking out.
Where in Chiang Mai:
37 Moo 8, Thawanan Road Mueang Chiang Mai.