City: Chiang Mai – Page 6

Delicious vegetarian food in Suan Dok Temple (Chiang Mai)

I went to Suan Dok Temple in Chiang Mai attracted by their restaurant called Pun Pun Vegetarian Slow Food. To find the restaurant you will need to go inside the Temple’s grounds. If you enter the Temple from the main gate, you have to walk to the back. When I got there with Grab Car I was left near a back entrance that was next to the restaurant.

The visit

The restaurant is located in a shack with a very large open kitchen and spartan wooden furniture. They have an English menu with an extensive selection of vegetarian dishes.

From the daily specials, I had the homemade fermented mushroom sausage. It was slightly sour and something different. I liked it.

I ordered a classic massamsan (musaman on the menu) curry with tofu, mushroom, and potatoes. The curry was a bit bland for my taste.

There was an intriguing list of “special dishes” and I chose one called Dtow hoo pad pong garee in the transliteration. It had stir fried eggs, tofu, mushroom, onion, all on a yellow curry and roasted chili paste base. Ok, there was an egg so it was a bit cheating, but this dish was fantastic. Every bite brought up new delicious flavors.

It came with a portion of excellent brown rice.

The check

The three dishes and a drink cost me 215 THB (7 USD). And this was a big feast, two dishes would have been more than enough. Difficult to beat this kind of value.

Bonus: after your meal you can have a look around the temple:

Where in Chiang Mai:
139 Suthep Rd, ตำบล สุเทพ Amphoe Mueang Chiang Mai, Chang Wat Chiang Mai
Tip: have a look at their Facebook page that they keep up to date with announcements about closures.

An impressively good grilled chicken in Chiang Mai

The title pretty much summarizes the review… I had in Chiang Mai the best chicken of my 2019 summer… and it was in a simple street-side shop called ร้านไก่ย่างวิเชียรบุรี”นิมมาน”ซอย11 in Thai or Kai Yang Wichian Nimmanhemin_Soi_11 in some translations. Below you can see a picture of the storefront, but the smoke will be your best cue.

The visit

The place is difficult to miss. It produces so much smoke from the perennially lit up grill (I guess the neighbors may not be happy). I noticed the place one day and after some research I found out that it was actually pretty popular. I went back the day after and I had one of the best grilled chicken ever. It is located in a spartan shack and you will seat on a plastic stool. Menu is in Thai, but with pictures. The staff seems to be friendly with foreigners. I spotted a mix of locals and Chinese tourists.

The menu features a number of other Thai dishes (their pork soup called tom saap seemed interesting and they have an adventurous salad with fermented dish, just saying), but I went straight for the chicken and I was quickly served a full one. It was tender, meaty enough, juicy, everything that a good grilled chicken should be.

I was so impressed that I had an additional half. The dipping sauce was pretty phenomenal too: it was a kind of homemade tamarind sauce, not too sweet and a bit spicy.

They are not on the menu, but they also grill the chicken livers, hearts, feet, and wings in skewers. They cost less than 1 USD per skewer.

The check

I spent 240 THB for one chicken and half (160 THB or 5.20 USD is the price for one chicken). Sometimes the best does not need to be the most expensive. I’ll be back.

Where in Chiang Mai:
NimmanHaemin Soi 11
(It is next to Grace Dental Care Clinic, you can use it as a destination if you use Grab.)

Three cafes in Chiang Mai for those with a sweet tooth

In this review I will lump together three very different venues that have in common to offer outstanding cakes and desserts. In all of them you can relax with a cup of tea and a slice and some sweets. One is Western-style, one Japanese and one Thai.

Amazing creative delights at Saruda Finest Pastry

Address: 12, Soi 3 Nimmana Haeminda, Su Thep, Chiang Mai

Saruda Finest Pastry really feature the skills of a top pastry chef. The creations are both creative, visually appealing, and delicious. I tried their Quasar for a chocolate boost and a Mandarin-shaped pastry with a mandarin filling. The shop is not large but has a few tables where to enjoy the cakes, possibly along with a cup of tea. The two pastries I had cost 185 and 195 THB (9 USD in total).

Rak Whan Thai Dessert Café

Address: 30/2 Nimmanhaemin Rd., Soi 11, Suthep, Chiang Mai

Despite the cursory service, I enjoyed a brief stop at this Thai dessert cafe that featured some beautiful Thai cookies and cakes. Thai cuisine has a distinctive dessert tradition and a lot of pastry types were on display in this cafe. I had a set with a number of cookies and jellies (they all have a name in Thai!) along with a classic Thai iced tea (that is basically a sugar bomb).

Matcha drinks and cakes at Chaseki

91, Sri Poom Road, Si Phum, Chiang Mai 50200
Website: www.chasekitea.com

Chaseki is the brainchild of a Thai/English couple in love with Japanese powdered green tea (matcha). They have both drinks and cakes. At the time of my visit they were even selling a limited edition matcha chocolate bar. I did not like much the drink (combining matcha and conconut, but they have so many others to try). On the other side, the matcha and white chocolate cake was phenomenal. It is a small cafe located along the Northern border of the Old City. Definitely recommended for something different and unique in Chiang Mai.

Disappointing lunch at Le Grand Lanna in Chiang Mai

I had only one disappointing meal in my first trip to Chiang Mai. That happened in one of the supposedly best fine dining venues in town: Le Grand Lanna, the Thai restaurant of the five-star Dhara Dhevi resort.

My experience is limited to one lunch. So, obviously, it just may be that they had a bad day or I was unlucky. However, I think useful to share the experience so you can judge by yourself. Even if I collected a single data point, there were some big red flags.

The visit

I reached my destination by Grabcar, it took me around 15 minutes to arrive from the Northern part of the old city. The restaurant is accessible from the parking lot in front of the resort (so you do not have to step inside the resort proper).

A receptionist dressed in traditional garments greeted me and escorted me to the dining room.

I was seated on the veranda. I guess this was the place where they have their performances with traditional music at night. The restaurant was very quiet. I found odd that they did not ask me whether I preferred to seat inside their air-conditioned room… but it was not too hot so I did not complain.

What compelled me to try a lunch at Le Grand Lanna was their selection of beautiful lunch sets, reminiscent of bento boxes. I knew about them because I had looked at their website, but weirdly enough I was not offered the menu featuring the lunch sets; rather, I had to request it.

The main dish was a bowl of the traditional khao soi with chicken. I have described this khao soi in another post and I found it a softball: ok, but not particularly tasty (especially the noodles).

The set contained some vegetables fritters and crispy pork. I enjoyed the crunchiness of the dish, but to be honest I could not really taste the pork.

Then there was a side of herbal rice. Totally tasteless. I could not finish it.

What really ruined the meal was this soup: chicken broth with minced pork and soft bean curd. It was a very harmless soup, but when I chewed I could feel something wrong… there were some small fragments of something in the soup! Something not edible and impossible to chew! I explained the situation to a waitress.

Shortly after the manager came and explained that the fragments were residuals from clams used to make the broth better… The manager admitted that this was a mistake. Clearly, in the kitchen they were unable to prepare a simple broth. What a disappointment.

The check

These lunch sets were priced 620 THB plus service charge (10%) and tax (7%). Since they messed up big time, the manager offered me a 10% discount and did not include the drinks (that would have been another 140 THB or so). So in the end I paid 646 THB (19.50 USD). Normally, including drinks, would have been close to 900 THB (27 USD). I think they should have given me even a larger discount, but I was not in the mood to negotiate. Fool me once, shame on you.

The bento box was appealing to the eye, but it was remarkably tasteless (and actually came with a failed dish). A perfect example of image over substance.

Also, while the personnel was nice and I appreciated the manager taking responsibility, honestly I felt that they processed me without much care (I was not even asked if I wanted to seat inside the air-conditioned room).

Given the super-inflated prices (for Thai food), I would certainly not go back to Le Grand Lanna. There are so many better places where to spend your money in Chiang Mai for fine food: The Redbox and Baan Landai were my favorite during this trip.

350 THB luxury khao soi vs. 40 THB street khao soi: which is better?

In my trip to Chiang Mai of course I had to try the khao soi, one of Northern Thailand’s iconic dishes. Khao soi is basically a curry soup (but in the curry there is also coconut juice) with deep-fried crispy egg noodles on top and normal boiled egg noodles soaked in the soup. It comes with either beef, chicken and pork and it is usually served with a side dish of pickled mustard greens, shallots and lime as a condiment, along with chili paste. Normally it is a mildly spicy dish, but the level of spiciness can vary depending on the establishment.

The street khao soi: Khao Soi Khun Yai

Following food youtuber and blogger Mark Wiens’ advise, I tried my street khoi soi in a diner located along the northern perimeter of Chiang Mai’s old city called Khao Soi Khun Yai.

The diner is open only until 2pm, so I went for a breakfast. I was not the only tourist, I guess Mark Wiens can really make a difference with his recommendations! They are tourist friendly with an English menu now:

I am not a fan of noodles, ramen and such, but I found this khao soi a delicious dish. Mixing the soft boiled and the crispy fried noodles gave the dish a particular texture. I chose to have chicken in mine and I enjoyed every bite. I finished the soup. (Looking back with more experience I can add that the fried noodles were a bit soggy and that overall this was a very spicy khao soi, which may be good or bad depending on your taste.)

Special bonus: I enjoyed their longan juice too!

Total price: 40 THB for the small khao soi, that would be 1.20 USD (plus 20 THB for the drink).

The luxury khao soi: Le Grand Lanna

Le Grand Lanna is a luxury Thai restaurant located on the ground of the five-star resort Dhara Devi. It is around 8 km outside the old city.

Their khao soi was pretty much the same size as the one tried in the other restaurant and came with the usual pickles, lime and chili paste.

What to say? I enjoyed this bowl as well, but I found it more of a soft ball. The soup was less tasty, less spicy and the egg noodles gave me the impression to be cut by a machine, if not bought ready-made (I am pretty sure that at Khao Soi Khun Yai were hand-made).

The khao soi was part of a set menu, but the cost from a la carte menu (after service charge and tax) was a little over 350 THB, around 11 USD.

The verdict

Was the luxury khao soi worth the extra money? While I am not a khao soi expert by any stretch of the imagination, I do not think it was worth. Clearly you are paying for the ambience, not for the food.

To be honest, the two dishes were quite similar, but I found the soup of the khao soi served at Khao Soi Khun Yai more tasty and spicy. Also, their noodles, especially the dried noodles on top, presented a better texture.

For other reasons, I would not recommend Le Grand Lanna as a destination in Chiang Mai. On the other side, khoi soi is really a dish to try while visiting the city and the multitude of diners serving khoi soi are certainly more interesting than the glossy environment of Le Grand Lanna.

A gourmet oasis in the old city: Baan Landai in Chiang Mai

In every trip it is nice to come across an exciting eatery that was not part of the original planning. This happened with the Thai restaurant Baan Landai – Fine Thai Cuisine during my trip to Chiang Mai. I came across the restaurant mainly because it was near my hotel. I visited it twice and found it an excellent venue where to taste traditional and creative Thai dishes in a comfortable dining environment.

The visit(s)

The restaurant is located very close to the North Gate of Chiang Mai’s old city in the ground floor or a hotel.

The dining room is spacious and nicely decorated. The owner meant to bestow a homey feeling to the restaurant. “Baan” means “home” in Thai and “Landai” was the nickname given to the owner when he was studying at the Faculty of Architecture at Chiang Mai University. This location was brand new at the time of my visit in August 2018 as they were also operating another smaller venue in Chang Phueak district (I am not entirely sure if the original location is being phased out or will continue to operate, just be aware that there might be another address popping up on the web).

In both visits I was there for lunch and I ordered an appetizer and a main (plus something else).

To start, from their appetizers list I chose the fried fish and squid cakes. Fish cakes are a staple of Thai cuisine; in this version they were enriched by a squid ring and soy-vinegar dip sauce was provided. The dish was ok, honestly not that tasty, but I guess it was what to expect from fish cakes. One issue that I had was that this appetizer platter was really meant for sharing, it was a bit boring to have six fish cakes all by myself.

Then I had a ruby fish baked with turmeric. The dish was mildy spicy and delicious. The fish was meaty and the condiments enhanced its flavor. Another big dish that could have been split between two people.

Finally, I had one of their cocktails. Here I made a rookie mistake. I though it was a mocktail (non alcoholic), but actually the herbs were added to a base of Thai rum. I do not like alcohol and I could not finish it.

In my second visit I opted for water!

As an appetizer I opted for Thai fried sausage. I expected to get the classic Northerner Thai sausage, but I got something different. Honestly, it was not very tasty (the accompanying dip sauce partially helped). Again, this was an appetizer ideal for sharing.

Then I had a grapefruit and pomegranate shrimp salad. This was a delicious dish, the grapefruit scored very well with the shrimps (not many…). Also some nuts helped aligning the flavors. I did not really taste much the pomegranate component.

Finally, I tested one of their desserts. It was an impressive “flower jelly”. The flower motive inside the jelly was very realistic and overall very lightly sweet. A small work of art.

Also a plus that the staff spoke English and was very friendly.

The check(s)

The first visit cost me 613 THB (around 18.50 USD), of these 139 THB were wasted for the cocktail. The second visit cost me 427 THB (around 13 USD). The prices were very affordable, considering the quality of the dishes and the nice dining ambiance.

Should I visit Chiang Mai again, I would certainly be motivated to go back to Baan Landai to try more dishes from their extensive menu. For a solo diner like me, I would probably suggest to skip the appetizers since the portions are too large for an individual.

Where in Chiang Mai:
252/13-14 Prapokklao Rd., Sripoom, Muang Chiang Mai.
Check the restaurant’s Facebook page for the menu and updated information.

Western fine dining at David’s Kitchen in Chiang Mai

When I researched the Chiang Mai’s food scene online, one restaurant kept popping up: David’s Kitchen (at 909). It is particularly well positioned on Tripadvisor, where not only is the first rated restaurant in Chiang Mai, but it also ranked as the best fine dining restaurant in Thailand and in Asia. In 2017 it made it again to Tripadvisor’s list of of the top ten restaurants in the world according to people’s reviews.

While I do not care much about Tripadvisor’s rankings, I felt I could not miss this restaurant while in Chiang Mai and I made a booking though the restaurant’s website that was confirmed instantaneously.

David’s Kitchen is mostly a French influenced restaurant with some international and fusion dishes. It is the result of the collaboration of a well-traveled British gentleman, David, his wife Prom that is also the pastry chef, and Chef O, a Thai professional trained with French and German chefs.

The visit

I reached my destination using the South Asian Uber, Grabcar (it works marvelously in Chiang Mai) and I was escorted into the restaurant, which remained tucked away from the main road. The restaurant is housed in a modern and architecturally remarkable villa basically divided in two parts: a bar section and the dining room. The dining room was spacious and, when I arrived at 6.00pm, there were already a few people seated. On the table, a holder would display “welcome” and my name. The receptionist even correctly guessed my name when I arrived at the entrance (probably I was the only party of one at that time) and did not need to waste time going through the reservation list. Very good start.

I quickly ordered my selection (a soup, a pasta dish and a main) since I had studied the menu online and I knew what I wanted. Actually, I made a small adjustment to my mental selection on the fly as I was given a list of daily specials and one of them was just perfect. Meantime I was promptly offered water, the bread basket and a nice tomato dip. I was also offered an amuse bouche in the form of a crispy salmon croquette. Very good. At this point a manager, a relatively young Thai gentleman, approached me for some casual conversation. I must say that it was one of the few times when I kind of enjoyed the chit-chat.

First dish was included in the list of their signature creations: a velouté of yellow Japanese pumpkin soup, white truffle foam and a salmon croquette. Yes, this was exactly the same croquette I had as an amuse bouche. Apart from the small repetition, I really enjoyed the soup (and I am not into soups at all). This was a simple yet an excellent dish.

The second dish consisted in pan-fried pumpkin ravioli with spicy tomato sauce. I liked the idea of pad-fried ravioli: a similar treatment is given to some Chinese dumplings, so I was curious to experience the result. It was an original dish that I enjoyed thanks to the texture provided by the pan-frying.

At this point I was offered a scoop of lemon sorbet to cleanse my palate.

Then, the time for the big ticket item came. It was selected from the daily specials and was a piece of wagyu beef cheek in classic Paris mash. I am a big fan of beef cheek and I cannot find it in Asia easily, so when I see it on a menu I usually order it. The meat was sensationally tender and tasty.

To make the meal perfect, I added a dessert: sticky toffee pudding with vanilla bean ice cream. Perfectly executed.

While I had my meal, the dining room quickly got busy. I believe there was only one small table without the reservation sign.

The service throughout was impeccable, professional and all staff could speak English. I must add that the service was also very rapid: the whole meal only took one hour. This was not a problem for me. I think it speaks of how efficient and well-oiled the kitchen operations are in this restaurant.

The check

For this four-course dinner I spent 2,648 THB, or aorund 80 USD. This was my most expensive meal during my trip in Chiang Mai. The wagyu cheek accounted for 50% of the total check, but it was worth it. While expensive by Chiang Mai standards, I found the final check more than acceptable considering the quality of the food and the service. Beside, they do not overcharge the water that is particularly appreciated. It should also be mentioned that they have a very attractive four-course set menu for 1,450 THB, so it is entirely possible to dine in this world-class restaurant for a very reasonable price.

So what is special about David’s Kitchen? Are the accolades deserved? To answer I will add that David was not around that night. The day after, I received an email in which David would apologize for missing the opportunity to greet in person and added some details about my whereabouts that must have been referred by his manager (so it was not a generic template thank you letter). This speaks volume of the dedication behind David’s Kitchen. After all, I was just a tourist probably never coming back again, still I received this kind of personalized attention. I believe that this is the key to understand why guests leave satisfied. They have great food, but let’s be honest, most dishes on the menu (from gravlax salmon to the braised lamb shank) are quite common and easily found in similar restaurants around the world. What makes the difference, in my opinion, is this ability to provide a warm and customized experience even to the casual visitor. Not many establishments are able (or even willing) to achieve this. If you pair this with the perfectly executed dishes, the professional service and the elegant ambiance, then traveler’s awards make perfect sense.

Personally I was very happy with the dinner and, if I will visit Chiang Mai one more time in the future, I will try to book a table again.

Where in Chiang Mai:
113 Bamrungrad Road.
At time of posting, only open for dinner and closed on Sundays.
Check their website that includes description of the menus and an easy online reservation system.

The Sunday brunch at the Shangri-La in Chiang Mai

There is no lack of food in Chiang Mai. But there are relatively few five star hotels. One of the best is certainly the Shangri-La that provides a standard international buffet on evenings and for breakfast. On Sundays, they offer a buffet for brunch. Since I did not see much information online, I figured out it could be useful to share some pictures from my visit in early August 2018.

The visit

The buffet is served in the Kad Kafé, one of the dining venues of the Shanagri-La. Kad Kafé is located on the lobby floor (technically level 2) and is a very spacious environment. I had a booking, but it was not really necessary. Doors opened at 11.30.

Salmon gravlax, carpaccio, and shrimp cocktails

The most popular station: crabs and lobster claws

The check

Overall it was a standard international five star buffet. And by “standard” I mean that the level was high, in terms of variety and choice. Very few Thai dishes though, if you are after Thai fare this might not be the right place.

It cost me 1,188 THB, around 36 USD. The value for money is there. You do not get a similar buffet for less easily nowadays.

They also have a lobster and crab feast night on Fridays that costs close to 2,000 TBH (60 USD) per person, but it should offer unlimited lobsters and crabs. Not sure if it is worth the price tag, considering that you already get an half lobster and unlimited lobster claws and crabs in this buffet. On other evenings, the buffet is even less expensive, 888 THB at time of writing this review.

Where in Chiang Mai:
89/8 Changklan Rd, ตำบล สุเทพ Amphoe Mueang.
Please check their website for updated information about their offering.

One of the best meals of my life in this hidden gem in Chiang Mai: The Redbox Restaurant

My best meal in my first trip to Chiang Mai turned up to be totally unplanned. After skipping lunch, I was craving for an early dinner when I came across an article on Chiang Mai City Life about a new fine dining restaurant, The Redbox Restaurant. (By the way, Chiang Mai City life turned out to be the best source for reliable information about the city.) The backstory was really stimulating: a relatively young chef, Dan, with experience in Brunei and Australia, coming home with his wife Proud to open their dream restaurant. Luckily they had no problem accepting my booking for a very early dinner and the rest is history.

The visit

The restaurant is located in an elegant villa in a quiet residential “soi” (alleyway), not far away from the Maya Shopping Center. I suggest you to get there using Grabcar app as I did.

The interior is very nicely decorated. It feels like to be in a private home. They have seating both indoor and outdoor. The indoor dining room is very intimate and warm.

They have an extensive menu! It was not easy to limit my choice to three dishes.

I started my meal with a bang. I ordered what I later discovered was meant to be one of their signature dishes: watermelon and foie gras (but they also have a version with fried tofu). I really wanted to try how the flavors would combine. This was a very refreshing and tasty appetizer. The sweetness of the watermelon and the foie gras were balanced by the bitterness of the rocket salad and the balsamic vinegar sauce. I can see how the use of fruit as an ingredient can be regarded as an homage to Thai cuisine where combining fruit with meat or seafood is not uncommon. At the same time, the dish possessed the creativity to be in the menu of a Michelin-rated venue. I was later explained that the watermelons are handpicked to ensure that the piece used for the dish is seedless, perfectly ripe and solid. This dish was a great introduction to the Redbox philosophy and their care for all the details of their dishes.

Then I opted for something substantial (remember that I had skipped lunch!) that I had never tried before: a crispy pata, a Filipino dish consisting of deep fried pig knuckles served with a soy-vinegar dip. Every bite of this pork meat was sensational and the skin was super crispy and tasty (it reminded me Spanish fried pork skin). They use a quality of pork imported from Japan that is famous for its thick skin and juicy meat.

The dish came with salad and some delicious sauces, in addition to some mustard and the traditional soy-vinegar for the meat (honestly the meat was so good that mustard and dip sauce were hardly indispensable).

I had room for another main course (honestly the previous dish could have been easily split between two people…). I asked for a traditional Thai dish and I was recommended the tamarind prawns. In the pictures above you can see it both how it came nicely presented out of the kitchen and how its content looked spread on my dish. I was particularly impressed by the big size and meatiness of the prawns that made this traditional dish particularly satisfying.

At this point chef Dan came to greet me and we had a brief chat. He explained me how the “RED” philosophy came into being and gave me more insights about the dishes I had. RED stands for “ready, edible and distinctive”. The philosophy came to be in the Brunei where Dan’s family runs a restaurant business and where he introduced gourmet boxes catering to expat workers that were not entirely happy with the local food options. He also shared that his mum is Filipino and this explained the crispy pata on the menu. I was then invited to have my dessert in their tearoom downstairs.

The tearoom is even more intimate and some of the desserts are on display.

I had a slice of banoffee pie and a teapot of a custom Siam tea blend. The dessert was on par with the previous magnificent dishes. In the pie I could clearly distinguish the sweet crumble base, the banana and the tiramisu cream (made using sugar cane from Northern Thailand).

Finally, on the house, I was offered two bites of a traditional Thai shortbread cookie called lambduan. To make them more special, they were presented inside a special teapot where some aromatic substance was burning giving them additional fragrance. Marvelous finale.

The check

This first class meal cost me 1,530 THB, around 46 USD. For three substantial dishes, tea and dessert, this is incredible value for money. Among other things, I appreciate that they charged water at a nominal rate (I start hating restaurants that charge me 10 USD or more for a bottle of water…).

My only regret is that the following day they were full and could not accommodate me for another meal. This is the kind of restaurant that would prompt me to organize another trip to Chiang Mai. I wish the best to Dan and Proud for their business because what I saw was talent combined with true passion and care. I am just afraid that in the near future, as soon as word starts spreading, it will be very tough to secure a table in this world class restaurant.

Where in Chiang Mai:
No. 6 Jannsaap Alley, Huay Keaw Road.
Check their Facebook page for updated information. Currently open for lunch and dinner and closed on Tuesdays.
They are active on LINE app: @redboxth.