Month: April 2020

Cherng Doi Roast Chicken in Chiang Mai

There is no scarcity of chicken restaurants in Chiang Mai. Cherng Doi Roast Chicken stands out for its secret recipe conferring a unique crispiness to the chicken skin.

The visit

The restaurant is located in a quiet alley in Nimman area. (Attention, the closing time may vary depending on the time of the year.)

The tables are in a semi-covered courtyard.

Their most famous dish is number 1 on the menu.

Their dish is made out of chicken tights. It is basically boneless (apart some cartilage). The skin is indeed very crispy and seasoned. Yes, it is a very good dish, even if I still prefer another grilled chicken in Chiang Mai.

However, the diner is more than just grilled chicken. They have a large selection of local Thai dishes: papaya salad, soups, and meat salads.

I tried their fried papaya that was a revelation, an incredibly tasty dish.

The check

The two dishes and a drink costs me 180 THB (5.45 USD). An incredible value for some delicious dishes. I do not think their crispy skin chicken is necessarily a superior dish, but this is really a good choice if you are in Nimman area.

Where in Chiang Mai:
2/8 Suk Kasame Rd, Suthep, Mueang Chiang Mai.

Instagram moments and gourmet dishes: Chom in Chiang Mai

Chom is a place in Chiang Mai that made it in the top list of Chinese tourists in the city. And since they represent the largest share of tourists you can imagine how crowded this place can be. Personally, I visited it a couple of times in February-March 2020, a very special time, and there were fewer people than usual, but still quite busy.

The visit

This is why the place is so popular: there is a waterfall and a sort of enchanted garden (with vapors…) in the back.

Be warned… the garden is really small. With a lot of tourists may be a chocking experience.

Looking back at my photos, the second visit at sundown gave the place even a more magical atmosphere.

They have built an extension, a sort of Chom 2, just at the opposite end of the garden, with new large dining rooms and a new waterfall.

On my first visit I had lunch and I was invited to seat in one of the original buildings facing the garden.

This sign was pretty cool.

I did not expect much from a place clearly dedicated to Instagram moments (or the Chinese equivalent). Contrary to my low expectations, the food I had was really good. To begin with the pork satay coming with some crispy (even if a bit oily) roti.

Then I had a curry with soft shell crabs that was also very palatable.

The Nutella fudge cake was a bit too dry, but still a nice chocolate thing. The dessert selection is quite extensive, you can go just for drinks and cakes.

The check

The check was 680 THB (20.5 USD). No doubt that you can find the same food cheaper in Chiang Mai, but this food was good. I did not mind the final check.

So my conclusion is that the place is probably more interesting for the food than for the garden.

Where in Chiang Mai:
2/13, Moo 2, Mae Hia.