Arno’s restaurants in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, and Pattaya are owned by Mr. Arnaud Carre, a Frenchmen butcher that lives in Thailand. I was recommended the place for its burgers and I was pleasantly surprised to discover that Arnaud is a fan of aged beef.
The visit
During my weeks in Chiang Mai at the beginning of 2020, I went to Arno’s restaurant in the Old City twice. (It is the only location in Chiang Mai).
The restaurant has 40 seats on two levels.
The space has an open kitchen downstairs dominated by sizzling grills and a display fridge where you can see the meat available.
The first time I went for their traditional burger with a 200-gram dry aged patty. It was a good burger, but not exceptional, the other ingredients were a bit bland.
In my second visit I had one of their steaks, a Picana cut (200 grams) that I ordered medium. It came with fries. The presentation was depressing, with a small piece of blackened meat alone on the plate… but the meat was good.
I had their mac ‘n’ cheese that was very good.
The check
The burger with a bottle of water ended up costing 250.38 THB (around 7.8 USD). I guess the price was ok.
The steak and the mac were 673.24 THB (a little over 20 USD) and I guess also in this case it was ok.
While overall I was not impressed, I might still consider it for a simple steak dinner since I like dry aged beef.
SP Chicken is a long-running restaurant in Chiang Mai loved by locals and flocked by tourists. It was listed in the 2020 Thailand Michelin Guide as a Bib Gourmand. But is it really the best grilled chicken in Chiang Mai? Keep reading for my opinion.
The visit
SP Chicken is located in Chiang Mai’s Old City. It is a classic diner but quite comfortable, even with some seating in mini-booths. I sad on a stool as I was alone.
I had their celebrated grilled chicken that came with two sauces, one tamarind-based and one chili-based. Yes, the chicken was delicious, even if I was hoping in a bigger specimen. My portion was half chicken.
Then I had a spicy chicken soup that was also good.
They also have beef dishes, various salads and drinks.
Their dip sauces are handmade as you can see from their work station near the entrance.
The check
For half chicken, the soup, and a drik I spent 180 THB (5.50 USD). Great value for tasty and homemade food.
Now, do not get me wrong, I liked it, but in Chiang Mai the grilled chicken joint in Nimman Soi 11 in my opinion delivers a better product.
Where in Chiang Mai: 9/1 Sam Larn Soi 1, Phra Singh, Muang Chiang Mai.
The 50 Best Restaurants (Asia, World…) is a ranking of great restaurants managed by an independent media organisation on the basis of a world-wide panel of foodies and restaurant experts. It is an interesting alternative to the Michelin’s guide that is based on expert’s visits. It is also a much more exclusive list. One criticism I have is that the list seems to ignore Vietnam and Northern Thailand, two of my top food destinations. Bangkok, Tokyo, Hong Kong, and Singapore seem to be disproportionately represented. However some of the restaurants, especially in lesser cities, are absolute gems. For example Goh in Fukuoka only recently has been awarded one star by the Michelin Guide but it is has been on this list for a while and it should not be missed.
The 2020 Asia’s list was released on 24 March during a live event (the planned event in Saga was cancelled due to the cornonavirus pandemic).
I usually include at least one of these restaurants during my regional trips (or I shall say “I used to”… travel is going to change a lot…).
Here’s the 2020 list. I have linked the reviews of restaurants I have visited. The full list is of course available on the the dedicated website.
1. Odette — Singapore 2. The Chairman — Hong Kong 3. Den — Tokyo 4. Belon — Hong Kong 5. Burnt Ends — Singapore 6. Sühring — Bangkok 7. Florilège — Tokyo 8. Le Du — Bangkok 9. Narisawa — Tokyo 10. La Cime — Osaka, Japan 11. Les Amis — Singapore 12. Vea — Hong Kong 13. Indian Accent — New Delhi 14. Mingles — Seoul 15. Gaa — Bangkok 16. Sorn — Bangkok 17. Il Ristorante Luca Fantin — Tokyo 18. Mume — Taipei 19. Neighborhood — Hong Kong 20. Fu He Hui — Shanghai 21. Jaan by Kirk Westaway — Singapore 22. Wing Lei Palace — Macau 23. Sichuan Moon — Macau 24. Nihonryori RyuGin — Tokyo 25. Seventh Son — Hong Kong (visited the Shanghai branch) 26. JL Studio — Taichung, Taiwan 27. TocToc — Seoul 28. Zen — Singapore 29. Sazenka— Tokyo 30. Ministry of Crab — Colombo, Sri Lanka (visited Shanghai branch) 31. Amber — Hong Kong 32. 8 ½ Otto e Mezzo Bombana — Hong Kong (visited Shanghai branch) 33. Lung King Heen — Hong Kong 34. Hansikgonggan — Seoul 35. Ode — Tokyo 36. Raw — Taipei 37. Locavore — Bali, Indonesia 38. Paste — Bangkok 39. Bo.Ian — Bangkok 40. La Maison de La Nature Goh — Fukuoka, Japan 41. Ultraviolet by Paul Pairet — Shanghai 42. Corner House — Singapore 43. Shoun RyuGin — Taipei 44. Toyo Eatery — Manila 45. Bukhara — New Delhi 46. Sushi Saito — Tokyo 47. 80/20 — Bangkok 48. L’Effervescence — Tokyo 49. Inua — Tokyo 50. Nouri — Singapore
Samsen Villa is a long-running fine dining restaurant in Bangkok. They opened a branch in Chiang Mai that I visited in February 2020.
The visit
The entrance is on alley behind a condo complex. It is a restaurant facing the Ping river in Chiang Mai.
The open-air dining area is particularly alluring before the weather gets too hot.
In their garden they have a photo opportunity spot.
This sign I think it is an indication of their customer base (and of the historical period when I visited the restaurant).
I had their signature spring rolls with ham and cheese. They were quite good.
Then I had their pancakes with pork meat (inspired by a Chinese dish) and they were horrible. I could not finish them! I did not like the lard inside, while I sometimes eat and enjoy the original ones in China.
My main was a steamed snake head fish. I do not know… there was something in the smell that I did not like, but I must admit that there were some nice chunk of meat already cleaned from bones. The vegetables however were very bland.
The check
Total check for three dishes (large ones) was 765 THB (22.5 USD). At least it was not too expensive, but they also have pricey dishes that can push the check way higher.
As you can imagine, I did not like it at all. The dishes I had were just not tasty, in one case below an acceptable standard. I cannot recommend it, but they have an extensive menu and they may have something for you.
Where in Chiang Mai: 201 Charoenrat Road, Mueang Chiang Mai.
Na Chantra is the restaurant of Chantra Khiri Chalet in Chiang Mai. According to their website, Chantra Khiri “means prosperity on/of the mountains according to the owner/founder Kriangsak Kanrayawattanajaroen who first travelled here for a coffee and fell in love with the land with this stunning panoramic view.”
The visit
It took me 35 minutes by car to get to the resort. The entrance is hidden in a small street and is a bit underwhelming. But once you are inside the resort is indeed beautiful.
The restaurant, full of quirky details, is located in a “club house” facing a pool and the surrounding hills.
From the extensive menu, I chose some simple dishes. One was rice with mackerel and dips. It also went with some delicious fried vegetables.
Then I had an equally good seafood omelette.
But the highlight of the lunch turned out to be the dessert: “roti” banana and ice cream. The banana was warm and wrapped in a crispy roti roll: the result was a really good taste and texture. Also the ice cream with the addition of fruit was quite good. I enjoyed the dessert on the deck looking at the scenery in a nice and clear day of end of February.
After the meal I was offered a bag with salad from their organic garden.
They even gave me a tour of the garden with various vegetables and fruits.
Overlooking the garden and the surrounding hills there was a “shack” that, from what I understand, it is used for private dining and for a chef’s table that is on on Fridays and weekends at night.
The check
Three courses and water cost me 665 THB (around 21 USD). Reasonable value, but my dishes were among the least expensive, so you could easily spend more (even if some of the more expensive dishes can be shared). Transportation can be an issue. It cost me around 400 THB to get there (and more to get back, but I had a stop along the way) via Grab. This was the only place visited in Chiang Mai where took me a while (probably half an hour of attempts) to get a car. If you come here, my recommendation is to hire a driver by the hour that will wait for you to finish your lunch or dinner (in February 2020 the going rate for a Grab diver by the hour was 250 THB).
At the time of my visit they had an attractive set menu for two people at 999 THB plus plus called “Michelin lover” with four of their signature dishes (including the roti banana!) to share. They got listed as a Big Gourmand in the Thailand 2020 Michelin Guide.
Where in Chiang Mai: 49, Ban Pong, Hang Dong District.
A restaurant based on rice? Interesting. That’s what I thought when I read about Meena Rice Based Cuisine in Chiang Mai in the Thailand 2020 Michelin Guide (it is listed as a Bib Gourmand). I visited it on a weekend.
The visit
The place is located between the two ring roads that circle Chiang Mai; it is not far from Dhara Devi resort. It is inside a lively community: along its street there are handcrafts shops and cafes. And countryside and fields all around.
The place is rustic, but with a modern vibe.
The unique feature of the eatery is the selection of rice qualities (all with different colors) that can be combined in cheeky rice triangles.
I had a dish with minced pork and vegetables that also included the rice composition. The minced pork was seriously spicy!
Luckily I had one of their herbal infusions to help me.
Then I had a Thai omelette with vegetables that was really good.
Finally I had chicken wings in soy sauce with mushrooms. Surprisingly tasty.
The check
Total check was a reasonable 384 THB (12.25 USD). Actually, getting to the restaurant and back was more expensive.
Was it worth it? I was hoping in more rice dishes; the menu was actually quite regular for a Northern Thai restaurant. The food was very good and served in a relaxed atmosphere. Did you get the format? Traditional dishes and setting with a cheeky twist. I think it is a very popular format nowadays, but there was substance in the food so it can be a nice destination if you want a getaway just 20 minutes form Chiang Mai Old City.
Where in Chiang Mai: 13/5 Moo 2, San Kamphaeng. Tip: it is indicated in Grab Car.
Over the past few years trendy instagrammable cafes mushroomed around Chiang Mai, eyeing selfie-obsessed young Chinese tourists. Some are there mostly for the pictures, but some also serves exceptional food and drinks. Magokoro belongs to the latter category: their tea and dessert offering is outstanding.
The visit
I have been to Magokoro several times because they have one of my favorite desserts in Chiang Mai. If you can, go on a weekday. On weekends you might need to queue (they even have a waiting room in the building next door). Yes, it is that popular.
The building has been renovated to look like a traditional Japanese tea house.
The main house is not huge, with a simple and elegant decor.
The most coveted seats are outside, facing a Japanese garden.
In my first visit I had a cold brew of hōjicha (roasted green tea). I am not an expert, but I liked that even in a cold brew the crispy flavor of the roasted green tea was very distinct.
But what won me over was the hōjicha parfait. The ice cream was ok, but what made it delicious was the tasty red bean paste. The jellies were also very good and I liked the layer of corn flakes that added a different texture. They have the same also with normal matcha. Both are among my favorite desserts in Chiang Mai.
Since I like the parfait so much I have not tried many other products. But their matcha panna cotta looks good.
The check
The parfait was 239 THB (7.50 USD) and the tea was 119 THB (3.75 USD). In Chiang Mai you can buy a large meal for this money. Even if it is not cheap by local standards, I think their tea and sweets warrant the premium price.
I found this restaurant through the Thailand 2020 Michelin Guide. What a find! The restaurant is a few kilometers away from downtown Chiang Mai hidden in a maze of alleys of a residential area. But it was not a problem to get there through Grab Car. It is called Saiyut and Doctor Sai Kitchen or sometimes Ajarn Saiyud’s Kitchen (by Doctor Sai). Saiyut and Sai, mother and daughter, are at the helm of this restaurant. Saiyut was a prominent teacher in culinary arts in Northern Thailand for many decades.
The visit
I went for the first time for lunch on a weekend. The restaurant was very busy but they found a table for me in the garden and it was actually nice.
They also have indoor dining that I experience on my next visit.
The menu is profusely illustrated, with English translations, and reads like a treatise. Most dishes can be chosen either in small or large size. All the dishes pictured in this review are small size (everything is relative… I did not find them small at all).
I was immediately handed a free appetizer: pineapple and cane sugar.
I had their spicy ginger soup with seabass. There were two options for the soup, I had the one with red onions, coriander root, pepper, and shrimp paste; the soup was seasoned with fish sauce and plum sugar. And the seabass pieces were big and meaty.
The next dish was an invention of Ajarn Saiyud: deep fried curry mousse with fish meat. It was simply delicious.
Then I needed to try one of their curries. The one I had was with stir-fried chili paste with prawns. The prawns were very big, premium quality.
Finally I tried their deep-fried prawns. Again, each prawn was big and meaty and they were only lightly fried, so they did not result in something hard to eat.
The dessert was complimentary: fermented banana in a chocolate sauce. It was really good.
I went back with a friend and we had a few dishes from a set menu. The set menus available are actually just recommendations on how to combine various dishes. They do not have a special price.
One dish was stir-fried chili paste with New Zealand mussels. Again, I was impressed by the quality of the main ingredient, in this case the mussels. The spicy, sour and salty flavors blended splendidly thanks to the coconut milk. My friend complained that the mussel flavor did not emerge; personally I was very happy with this dish.
There was a classic Thai spicy soup with mixed vegetables and prawns. All ingredients were clearly fresh. Perhaps the least interesting dish of the dinner, yet a perfectly executed dish.
There were some deep-fried vegetables. I only complain that we should have ordered more!
We were served some outstanding dip sauces (shrimp paste and crab spawn chili spawn) served with beautifully displayed and cut vegetables.
Finally a very special dish was a herbal dip with coconut milk and a lot of blue crab meat.
And there were some more fresh vegetables.
The complimentary dessert was once again fermented banana, but this time in brown sugar sauce (less tasty than the one with chocolate).
A young staff member spoke English and was very attentive in explaining the dishes and providing recommendations.
The check
My first visit, alone, but with enough food for two people, cost 663 THB (21 USD).
The second visit was 925 THB (30 USD) for a big meal for two people. The crab dip was alone 295 THB.
As you may guess, I liked it a lot. These two meals were wonderful experiences. While many of these are classic Thai (or Northern Thai) dishes, the ingredients, preparation, and presentation turned them into high cuisine in my eyes.
This place is a national treasure and so are the two women that govern the kitchen.
I will mention at the end that in the Thailand 2020 Michelin Guide it is listed as a Bib Gourmand. Travesty. This place would deserve at least one star.
Where in Chiang Mai: 32 Chotana Soi 12 Road, Mueang Chiang Mai.
Chiang Mai has a noodle joint famous for its blue noodles (or are they purple??). It is called Anchan that means “blue” in Thai (at least I am being told so) and the color comes from butterfly pea flowers’ juice (by the way, butterfly pea flowers are a popular element in Northern Thai cuisine from what I have seen and the juice is pretty common in restaurants around Chiang Mai.
The visit
The shop is located in relatively calm street in Nimman area.
I guess this must be the most coveted parking spot in front of the restaurant.
There is a large air-conditioned dining room with stools, but overall it is comfortable.
For some reason they also sell unrelated paraphernalia.
This I guess was an attempt to make the place more Instagram worthy.
But let’s get down to business: the noodles. The one page menu has the namesake blue noodles in all possible variations. The signature dish is noodles with pork meat.
I had the version with tom yum (hot and sour) soup. The soup was not great (maybe too sweet), but the noodles and all the content were very good. Among other things there was a pork ball and some crispy pork (in this restaurant they only seem to use pork meat).
Actually, the crispy pork belly was so good that I also ordered an additional dish with it and some rice (including blue rice of course).
The check
For the two dishes I spent 150 THB (4.80 USD), 100 for the noodles and a beverage, other 50 for the pork belly. It is a popular place, but they maintained their prices very affordable. It is nice to have such a nice meal at an affordable price sometimes.
I would recommend to try it and not to miss the crispy pork belly if it is your thing.
Ginger Farm and House by Ginger are two restaurants owned by the same company in Chiang Mai that pride themselves to use local suppliers for organic food ingredients (and no MSG). Ginger Farm Kitchen is a casual eatery while the House has a more sophisticated vibe.
The visit: Ginger Farm Kitchen
Ginger Farm Kitchen is the casual offshoot of the Ginger “world” located in the fancy Ond Nimman mall. There is a branch in Bangkok as well.
As you can expect from the location, it is a casual yet hipster place.
I chose their salad with grilled aubergine, prawn, minced pork. and quail egg. It was great, but also massively spicy!
One of their herbal teas helped.
Then I had their crispy pork belly with three different dips and homemade pickled cucumbers. The pork was firm, reasonably juicy, and the skin was crispy and tasty. But it was a massive portion and I could not finish it.
After service charge, I spent 583 THB (18.5 USD). Considering the quality and quantity of the food in a fancy location, it was still reasonable.
The menu, profusely illustrated, was huge, and all the Northern Thai classics and more were present. It is one of the best restaurants in Nimman One shopping centre.
Address in Chiang Mai: One Nimman Nimmanahaeminda Road (one of the stores facing the main street).
House by Ginger occupies a large enclave facing the East moat of the Old City. It is a small village including the main restaurant, lounges, and even a shop.
The restaurant has a decor resembling the living room of a wealthy household, with plenty of sofas and decorative objects. On the upper floor they have some nice private spaces.
The menu is also extensive and includes classics along some more sophisticated dishes. One of these was a dish with seared scallops in coconut chili dressing, magosteen, young coconut, and Sichuan pepper. The dressing was spicy but reasonably so and the scallops were meaty. A delicious dish.
Then I had a Massaman yellow curry with tender beef cheek.
Finally I had a chocolate ice cream that was bigger than expected and quite good.
The check was 1,122 THB (36 USD). I guess that the curry could have satisfied two people. Clearly the dishes of the House lean more toward fine dining territory in a menu that include so many Thai classics and even some Western items.
