Once I tried the Little Cook Cafe in Chiang Mai. I saw the place mentioned by expats several times and I thought it was a Thai diner. Actually it turned out to be more of a pasta and burger place.
The visit
The venue is “open-air”, located in an alley not far away from the Northern Gate night market. Sadly, there were a lot of mosquitoes (March 2020).
I went for their burger… double (I believe 150 gram each patty). It came in a nice set up with some chips and a piece of watermelon. I had mushrooms added (you can choose a number of extra toppings). The meat was reasonably firm and the sauces not too intrusive. Very tasty burger! The normal one would have been enough.
The check
The burger with the extra topping was 400 THB (in total 420 with water, or around 13 USD). Not expensive, but in line with other burgers in Chiang Mai. The only things that would keep me back is the open-air settings.
Where in Chiang Mai: 244 Manee Nopparat Rd, Tambon Si Phum, Mueang Chiang Mai.
I found online a couple of reviews of a one-man restaurant in the outskirts of Chiang Mai. I had to try it. I love this kind of family-run businesses. That’s how decided to go for dinner at Food for You by Chef TuTu.
The visit
The restaurant is between Chiang Mai Old City and Mae Rim, not excessively far away, but still a 200 THB on Grab Car. I arrived after dark. The property was tucked in a small road. There were stray dogs around, do not go by motorbike.
The restaurant was a large veranda facing the fields.
I was handed a two-page menu with a number of Thai classics. The dishes listed were a bit repetitive (seabass with black pepper, and deep fried, with mushrooms, etc.). Seabass definitely dominated the menu. But that was ok, I did not expect or wished a long menu in this kind of home-run operation.
I had the stir-fried spicy crispy duck salad. It was a very good dish, even if the duck was a bit dry.
Then I had the seabass with tamarind sauce (I find seafood and tamarind a great match). It was a generous meaty portion.
The chef’s wife spoke good English and looked after me. When she took my order she mentioned that they had, off-menu, this special dish, crab meat and mangosteen. That sounded interesting and she was really keen on me trying it. I casually asked how much it was. It turned out it was 600 THB, that was not a problem, but I did not like that she tried to push a dish priced twice as much, if not more, the price of most dishes on the menu without informing it. I passed and she seemed to be disappointed. If she had told me the price upfront I would have ordered it. I am terrible like that.
The check
I spent 594 THB (around 18 USD) for two large dishes. The prices were very reasonable and the food was really good. The only downside was the extra 400 THB to get there and go back.
Honestly I think you can find comparable food closer to the Old City (Magnolia cafe? Sayut kitchen?), but overall it was a good experience and I might go back and finally try the crab and mangosteen salad.
Kuakai Nimman is a traditional diner in Nimman famour for its khua gai, a type of fried rice noodles with chicken that I personally find perfect for breakfast. Kuakai Nimman opens at 9am, so it is the perfect place for an inexpensive and authentic Thai meal to start the day.
The visit
The restaurant is located quite centrally in Nimman area. I went before 11am and there was no problem finding a seat, even if it was still a busy time in Chiang Mai.
At the entrance they display a banner with their Bib Gourmand status achieved in the Thailand 2020 Michelin Guide.
The interior is well kept with some cheeky details on the walls.
The noodles were of the wide variety. The chicken bites were good and I believe some egg was used to keep everything together. It was a perfect savory dish to start the day.
I supplemented it with a roti.
And a Thai iced tea.
The check
My breakfast cost me 120 THB (less than 4 USD). I am sure that you could find the same dish a bit cheaper. But for a nice seat-down meal in Nimman, the value was unbeatable.
Where in Chiang Mai: 9 Sai Nam Phueng Alley, Tambon Su Thep, Mueang Chiang Mai.
Khao Tom Yong is a traditional congee diner in Chiang Mai. The restaurant, as its name suggests, serves plain congee and has a large menu with side dishes. Khao tom means plain congee in Thai, while jok indicates a congee dish coming with additional ingredients. Incidentally, it is located just across the street from a famous jok diner that I reviewed.
The visit
The best thing of this restaurant in my opinion is the large selection of side dishes. By the way, since they come in small portions, they are ideal for solo diners as well.
The porridge, as expected for khao tom, was more like a rice soup. The grains were not melted and the soup was more watery. I do not think it was great as the porridge I had across the street, but it was a different thing.
I had their gourd filled with pork that came in a broth and was particularly good.
My first side dish was chicken with basil leaves and chili. The herbs and the chili had a great flavor.
Their crispy pork belly was quite good.
The only dish that disappointed was their sausage that was quite bland (but went with a tasty dipping sauce).
The check
I spent 285 THB for all (around 9 USD). It was a big banquet for one person! I think this is a great place not for the khao tom, but rather to sample different local dishes.
Where in Chiang Mai: 257/5 Suthep Road, Mueang Chiang Mai.
Jok Si Phing is a traditional diner in Chiang Mai specializing in congee. Congee (rice porridge) is a popular breakfast dish in Thailand. (Jok, from Cantonese, is one of the ways to call congee in Thai.)
The visit
The diner faces a busy road.
Inside on the wall there are many pictures with famous customers that stopped by.
Cutlery is kept in closed boxes. Similarly to noodle places, chopsticks are provided instead of forks; a nod to the Chinese origin of these dishes.
A number of condiments are available.
And now let’s get to the congee. There were a number of variants available on the menu (luckily they had a one-pager English menu). I settled for pork and mushrooms. I am not a fan of congee. But this was good. The rice was super creamy and all the ingredients were palatable. Other options included fish and preserved egg.
An interesting ingredient that added a dimension to its texture were some thin white filaments that I later discovered to be deep fried vermicelli.
I also tried their crispy pork belly with rice. To my disappointment it came with an oily sauce. But the pork belly was reasonably good. A soup and thick soy sauce were also included.
The check
The congee cost me 40 THB and the crispy pork belly and rice 50 THB. That’s 2.75 USD.
The congee they serve is indeed remarkable and deserve a stop if porridge is your thing.
Where in Chiang Mai: 99/25 Suthep Road, Mueang Chiang Mai.
The Service 1921 is the Thai restaurant of the luxurious Anantara resort in central Chiang Mai (also serving some Chinese dishes). The restaurant is located in what used to be the British Consulate in Chiang Mai and they decided to craft their menu after a secret service theme (but won’t dare to mention 007 for copyright reasons I guess). The menu comes in a nice envelope “for your eyes only” and the dish descriptions pay homage to secret service language. There is even a dining room hidden behind a secret door embedded into a library.
The visit
There was a complimentary appetizer: peanuts, chili, lime, onion and soy sauce to be wrapped in fresh leaves. It was a nice snack. The friendly and professional waitress showed me how to do it.
I went for dinner and I had their appetizer platter: it has two satay pork skewers with its sauce, two pieces of beef in betel leaves and two nice chicken wings filled with noodles. This was a great ensemble.
I had some Japanese tea that was indicated as “fruity” on the menu (and it was) that came with biscotti.
Then I had wok-cooked shredded beef wih basil and other herbs. Quite spicy. It came with rice and was also a good dish.
The check
The check for the two dishes and the tea was 1152 THB (35 USD). Not an exorbitant price for a dinner with this quality of service and food. Obviously there were many more expensive dishes. They tend to be dishes to be shared among two people.
Where in Chiang Mai: 123-123/1 Charoen Prathet Road | Anantara Chiang Mai Resort & Spa. Website: https://www.service1921.com.
Khaomao-Khaofang is a Thai restaurant in Chiang Mai famous for its rainforest scenery and a beautiful lake with a waterfall.
The visit
Upon arrival in the parking lot I found myself immediately immersed in the lush vegetation of this re-created rainforest (they call it “imaginary jungle”).
The restaurant is huge with most of the seats placed under a wooden dome.
I was given a table next to the lake with a nice view of the waterfall. As a drink I had a glass of pea butterfly juice.
The menu was a small phone directory… with English and Chinese translations and fully illustrated.
Since it was quite early, really a brunch, I started with a seafood omelette that was very rich and I found quite satisfying.
Then I had one of their signature dishes: a mix of crispy chicken, peanuts, and herbs to be eaten wrapped in betel leaves and dipped in a sweet sauce. I enjoyed this dish as well.
The check
The check was 430 THB (13 USD). Prices were very reasonable and the quality of the dishes impressed me.
Huan Soontaree is a Thai riverside restaurant in Chiang Mai, a few kilometers North of the Old City. It serves mainly, but not exclusively, Northern dishes. The owner is Soontaree Vechanont, a folk singer that quickly rose to celebrity in the late 70s thanks to the song “Ka Jao Pen Sao Chiang Mai”. Her career took a 10-year hiatus when she decided to marry an Australian man and followed him in Australia where she had two children. In 1992, after a divorce, she came back to Chiang Mai and she started a restaurant. Here’s what happened according to a 2005 interview:
Soontaree started a small restaurant in Chiang Mai in 1992 near Kuang Singh Junction to see how her singing would be received by a live audience after a decade’s absence. She was pleasantly surprised to find that far from being forgotten she was drawing quite a crowd. The following year she leased the house which her current restaurant is at and founded Huan Soontaree, singing her favourites every evening to an enraptured crowd.
She and her daughter Lanna Commins sometimes still sing for the guest’s pleasure (usually at 8pm).
The visit
The restaurant has a very large parking lot and is housed in a massive wooden house.
Inside there is a stage for live exhibitions.
Memorabilia of the owner and her family are to be found near the entrance.
I was escorted by the friendly receptionist to a table on a terrace on the river. I guess it was one of the most prized seats, but it came with a downside: mosquitos. Eventually I had to wrestle with one of the scariest mosquito I have ever seen and I had to ask to go inside. I thought I had dodged the bullet but the bitch did bite me before I escaped… I am thankful I just got an irritation and not something worse.
My lychee was promptly delivered.
I chose two of their signature dishes. The first was prawns and quail egg salad. The prawns were neatly laid down with a semi-boiled quail egg on top of each sprinkled with some prawn eggs. I enjoyed the dish.
Then I had a massive dish: a full murrel fish, perfectly cleaned from bones and stuffed with crab and pork meat. It came with a tasty dipping sauce. The skin was crispy and it was truly boneless. Difficult to finish for one person; a very substantial dish.
Finally I tried a dessert, a coconut soup with water chestnuts. The chestnuts were too flavorless for my taste.
The check
The massive dinner cost me 698 THB (21.15 USD). While not in the “super cheap” category, still very good value for money.
I think this restaurant has a good selection of tasty dishes and is certainly worth the short trip from the Old City or Nmman where most visitors tend to stay.
Huen Muan Jai is an enormously popular Northern Thai restaurant in Chiang Mai. The owner is a celebrity chef in Thailand and it is affordable. Usually people post rave reviews about the food, but my experience was underwhelming.
The visit
My first approach was on a Sunday evening in early February 2020 with still a lot of tourists in town. I had to sign my name and there were probably 30 people before me. But I gave up since I was not in the mood to wait up to two hours for a soup.
I went back later at the beginning of March for lunch and there was no line.
The restaurant is housed in a large teak structure.
The menu did not excite me. Two thirds of the dishes were soups. I reckoned that a classic Thai omelette would have been a safe choice. It was ok.
Then I had one of their soups: a gaeng cha-om sai hed sai pla heang. It was a relatively spicy soup with cha-om stems (a type of tropical acacia). mushrooms, and dried foods. I really did not like it.
The check
At least it was cheap. The two dishes and a bottle of water cost 170 THB (5.15 USD). Probably you need to know the menu inside out to find the really good dishes. I do not know. I do not think I will go back, for this kind of menu I would prefer Han Thueng.
Where in Chiang Mai: 24 Ratchaphuek Alley, Tambon Chang Phueak, Mueang Chiang Mai District.
Oxygen Dining Room is one of the restaurants of X2 urban resort in Chiang Mai. It offers French and Thai cuisine, with some fusion dishes.
The visit
The resort clearly stands out from the surrounding buildings with its red bricks.
The path to the restaurant id dotted by photo opportunities.
The restaurant is housed in a glasshouse facing the Ping river. Some tables outside are also available.
I had their set lunch menu deal that began with a set of amuse bouche.
Bread was complimentary and came with three types of flavored butter.
The first dish was two sticks of deep-fried minced pork.
The main was a massive piece of chicken breast beautifully grilled.
Finally, the dessert was a sorbet with a banana jelly.
The lunch ended with the classic petit four in the form of trio of matcha flavored sweets.
The check
The set lunch was 990 THB excluding tax and service charge. Add a soda and the final check was 1.271 THB (38.5 USD). This is an expensive restaurant. Dinner lunch sets go for around 100 USD. The lunch menu however was a reasonable value all considered.
If money is no object, this is an interesting restaurant for some refined dishes.
Where in Chiang Mai: 369/1 Charoenraj Road, Wat Ket, Mueang Chiang Mai.
