Month: March 2020

Tasty Thai dishes at Magnolia Cafe

This is another restaurant I found though the Thailand Michelin Guide 2020.

The visit

The cafe is hidden behind a large glass window and located in an anonymous street North of the Old City.

Inside the dining room is warm with its vintage Western furniture and the instagrammable decor. There are four big communal tables and I sat at one. I went for a late lunch on a Weekend during a national holiday and I was the only customer.

After ordering, I was offered a complimentary amuse bouche: a piece pf pineapple with minced pork, an interesting contrast.

I picked a dish from the lunch menu where there were available various types of “krapao”, a typical Thai dish with fried basil. I picked the krapao with squid. The squid was tender. It was a nice dish.

I also picked another dish from the general menu: a red curry with crispy duck meat. It was an incredibly rich curry with fruit and peas among other things.

Finally there was a complimentary pandan pudding.

Overall it was a pleasant lunch with very tasty dishes. Before leaving I spoke to the young owner that spoke perfect English.

The check

For the two dishes I spent 480 THB (around 15 USD). Thai food can be quite affordable in Thailand, but you do not find this quality all the time. For this simple reason, I think it was a good value.

Where in Chiang Mai:
131, 70,131/82 Rattanakosin Rd.

Exquisite Thai dishes at Krua Ya

I came across this restaurant in Chian Mai thanks to the Thailand 2020 Michelin Guide. It is listed as a Bib Gourmand.

The visit

I reached the restaurant for a lunch through Grab Car: it was located in the garden of a villa in a gated compound in the Southern tip of the city.

I sat under the ample veranda.

The place was bordered by a creek. It was quiet and elegant in its simplicity.

One characteristic of the restaurant is the daily special: at the time of my visit it was Southern Thai rice salad (Monday), Thai noodles rolls (Tuesday), rice noodle with pork mince (Wednesday), tumeric fried rice with deep fried fish (Thursday), steamed rice with pork spare ribs (Friday), rice with spicy shrimp salad, deep fried vegetable and mackerel (Saturday), Shanghai noodle with steam pork, ginger and garlic (Sunday). It was a Friday and I was not particularly interested in spare ribs.

I had a classic pad thai (stir-fried rice noodles) with shrimps. This is a simple dish and this was an excellent specimen. I am not a big fan of pad thai, but this was delicious.

Then I had a beef Mussaman curry with roti. The beef was tender and the curry very tasty. The crispy rotis were a perfect match.

On another visit I tried heir pad thai with a soft shell crab (more pricey at 150 THB) but absolutely worthy; the crab was really meaty.

Finally I will mention that you should not miss their schnitzel style Northern sausage. The Northern sausage is a typical Chiang Mai dish, but I have never seen it served in a nice battered crust like here.

Attached to the restaurant there was a cafe, but I did not try their cakes or drinks.

The check

The two dishes and a drink cost 295 THB (less than 10 USD). For two dishes so good it was an incredible value.

Definitely one of my favorite Thai restaurants in Chiang Mai.

Where in Chiang Mai:
122/128 Moo 6, Mueang Chiang Mai.
Website: http://www.kruaya.com/
Tip: not open for dinner, but it opens early at 9am… good for breakfast too.

Italian restaurants run by Italians in Chiang Mai

During my time in Chiang Mai in early 2020, I tried several Italian restaurants run by Italians (not necessarily always in the kitchen though… but you would hope that they at least provided some good training). Here’s a selection in no particular order.

Why Not

Located in the fancy Nimman area, but surprisingly not overpriced, Why Not is admittedly one of my favorite Italians in Chiang Mai and has a full review. Great pastas, great specials, amazing cold cuts and cheese; I would prefer these over their pizza. The tiramisu is superb. The environment casual, but modern and there is also a large garden for al fresco dining.

Address in Chiang Mai: 14 Nimmanhemin Road. – Soi 13.

Secret Learning Italian Restaurant

Located inside the Old City in an area that I would describe as as backpacker district in the making, this is a little cosy restaurant. It is only open after 6pm and serves a concise menu comprising mostly pastas, some salads, some appetizers (the Caprese salad looked good). The vibe is very informal: it is like dining in the cook’s living room. He is Italian and he will cook your pasta. I had a majestic bruschetta and their special pasta with homemade pesto and other secret ingredients and it was good.

Address in Chiang Mai: 25/1 Ratvithi Rd. Soi 2T. Sri Phum. 

Casa Restaurant and Pizzeria

Casa is an Italian restaurant in the Old City run by an Italian from Rome. When I visited I had to order something from his region and I went for Amatriciana pasta. It was very good and a big portion. It was also the only restaurant in Chiang Mai were I found a cutlet (with chicken, not the traditional veal though). It is a simple shop. Food seems authentic and solid. Read the menu for a long list of rules about Italian food. And if you try to charge your phone on an electric outlet in the shop, you will get fined 200 THB.

Address in Chiang Mai: 224 Ratchapakinai.

Giorgio Ristorante Italiano

Giorgio Italian Restaurant, is owned by Giorgio, an Italian chef from Vicenza, and open since 2001. The menu features a number of items from his region that are not often seen in Italian restaurants abroad. Very extensive menu. I went for pumpking raviolis (I wish the flavor had emerged more distinctly) and a seabass in a herb sauce (quite good). I was welcomed with a bruschetta (amuse bouche) and the bread basket was complimentary (the only Italian restaurant, along with the sister property Antonio, offering it free of charge among the ones visited in Chiang Mai). The environment really looked like an old-school Italian restaurant.

Address in Chiang Mai: 2/6 Prachasamphan Rd.

Antonio Ristorante Italiano

Antonio is also owned by Giorgio (but different name…) and is located in the ground floor of a villa with a spacious lawn (from November to February al fresco dining is possible). It is more intimate than Giorgio, but honestly very similar. I did not notice major differences in the menu. I had an heavy but delicious pasta with sausage and gorgonzola cheese and a seabass with herbal sauce (same as the one I had from Giorgio). Also here bread basket and an amuse bouche were complimentary.

Address in Chiang Mai: 11/1 Charoenprathet 12 Rd.

Dining at Palette at 137 Pillars House

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/