*** Fine dining – Page 2

Fresh seafood on the river: Paak Dang in Chiang Mai

Paak Dang is a riverside restaurant on the Ping river in Chiang Mai, just outside the top right hand corner of the Old City. The two owners claim that their aim is to give back to society by providing employment to the less privileged. Honestly, this social angle initially put me off… I would say that most restaurants do that… you need to give me more evidence before I will regard you as a social enterprise as most businesses perform a social role by providing employment opportunities. Eventually I won my reluctance and I had a very good dinner.

The visit

My driver left me in front of the entrance where a big sign celebrated the “table” status gained in the Thailand 2020 Michelin Guide. The Chinese script is a good indication that they are catering to visitors, but I heard positive comments also from locals.

At the entrance they had some tanks and displays for fresh seafood. At the time of my visit, after the peak season, there was really little on display.

I was offered a table in the terrace directly facing the river.

Appropriately, they also provided some mosquito repellent. Mosquito bites are the downside of riverside dining in Chiang Mai.

Chips were complimentary.

I had an iced tea.

Their specialty is big river prawns. One prawn can be 400-500 grams. I was not in the mood for a prawn on the night of my visit.

Instead, I opted for a grilled squid. They had a big one that was shown to me along with a note with weight and final price. That was very nice; the only glitch was that the note was shown to me for less than a second… they should have left it on the table.

The result was a massive squid, well grilled and absolutely tender.

Then I had been looking for a while for a tom yum (spicy and sour soup) and I had their seafood one. They have a large selection of classic Thai dishes besides the fresh seafood. The tom yum was excellent with a good amount of seafood. They also used straw mushrooms. The lemongrass, lime, and galangal flavors were not killed by the spicy side of the soup.

Finally I had a roti that worked well as a side dish for the soup.

The check

The three dishes and the tea cost me 780 THB (24 USD). Probably two people could have shared the my dishes. The fresh seafood can lift the bill quickly, but overall not too overpriced in my opinion.

in the end, I was very satisfied with the dinner; the dishes I had were very tasty and the service was good. I might go back in the future.

Where in Chiang Mai:
46/1 Wang Sing Kham Road.
Website: https://www.paakdang.com/

Lunch at Khao, Four Season resort’s restaurant in Mae Rim

North of Chiang Mai city, in Mae Rim, there is a luxurious Four Season resort. I tried their Thai restaurant for lunch one day during my early 2020 stint in Chiang Mai.

The visit

My driver escorted me to the Four Season resort. It is a 20-30 minute ride from Chiang Mai Nimman area where I was staying.

I descended a staircase to get to the restaurant.

I walked along a long patio to the entrance of the restaurant.

This is also the restaurant where the resort guests have breakfast. On weekends there is a brunch buffet.

Ultimately I settled for a table outside the air-conditioned dining room to enjoy the view.

The resort villas are semi-hidden in the lush vegetation.

The restaurant is Thai, but for lunch they also had a menu with Western dishes. I guess the guests, mostly wealthy American and Japanese, cannot live without a burger time to time.

I had a healthy salad with big pieces of Tasmanian salmon.

And I had a classic Thai dish, pad Thai with prawns.

It came with various sauces and spices.

The two dishes were very good… but… (brace yourself for the next section).

The check

These two dishes and a tea cost me 1647 THB (51 USD). And I am not even counting the transportation costs (other 500-600 THB).

It was simply overpriced. Just good for the wealthy vacationers choosing to spend their time inside the resort. In terms of cost opportunity, it really does not make sense to spend that kind of money for a couple of good but ordinary dishes.

For around that money you can have an afternoon tea for two.

Where in Mae Rim:
502 MOO 1, MAE RIM-SAMOENG OLD ROAD.

A Thai kaiseki: Two tasting menus from Cuisine de Garnden in Chiang Mai

Cuisine de Garden is a restaurant in Chiang Mai specializing in creative tasting menus using top-shelf Thai ingredients transformed into creative dishes with a Japanese influence. The chef-owner also operates a restaurant with the same name in Bangkok.

Let’s see the tasting menus for January 2020 and the summer 2020 menu.

The visit 1: January 2020

The restaurant is located in the Southern part of Chiang Mai in a house immersed in a lush garden.

The interior features a contemporary dining room with both tables and counter seats. I sat at the counter which was nice because all dishes were finished up, if not outright assembled, on the counter. It felt like a Japanese kaiseki, but with Thai ingredients.

During my first visit, on the blackboard above the kitchen area the main ingredients of the day were nicely drawn.

The drink menu was essential, but not a problem since I only drink water. There was a wine pairing available. I highly appreciated that water was not overpriced. A rare find these days!

The amuse bouche was a bite of a jelly with local spices.

The first appetizer was a sort of mille-feuille with crustacean meat and lime caviar (a very prized ingredient these days).

Next was oyster and calamansi.

The final appetizer was a Thai fish sashimi with herbs. Now that I look again at the plating, do I see a fish head shape?

The first main was a combination of figs, cream cheese, and a cat fish “bacon”. Basically the cat fish meat was dried and crispy like bacon. A very interesting and delicious solution.

Then there was their tartine with fermented fish and fruit. The tartine was made of Japanese floor and on the right there were goodberries.

Then I was brought an egg with a sort of nest. I was instructed to open the egg and pour the content on the dish. The next was just to place the egg shell.

Actually the result was not bad. What I got was a very interesting dish with three layers: the “onsen” egg, the fried noodles, and free-range chicken fibers with its juice. This is one of their signature dishes that is usually on the menu.

Then, hidden beneath a leaf, there was a piece of Buk Siam fish and green mustard leaves.

Finally, the mains were topped by a coffee glazed pork belly with winter pumpkin.

This last dish came with steamed rice and dashi broth to be eaten “Japanese style” (ochazuke). A rice dish is a classic ending also for traditional kaiseki. As always, the presentation was impressive.

The main dessert was a composition of different textures of white chocolate. It was an incredibly elegant dish and also nice to eat.

Then there was also a bucket or stones… with one edible. Well, I saw this trick from Gaggan, but who knows who invented it. I did not have the courage to ask.

Finally I was offered an herbal infusion…

…and a trio of petit four.

The visit 2: Summer 2020 menu

In my second visit I went with a friend in early March 2020 for dinner. There was a new tasting menu. The chef was in Bangkok, but his crew took well care of us and two other tourists… we were a couple of weeks away from the Covid-19 lockdown.

The menu had the same grammar but many new dishes.

The amuse bouche was a combination of three different bites with local spices.

The second dish was quite fun. We were given a bowl with tiny dried shrimps and various ingredients (coriander, Sichuan pepper, chili…) to be mixed and shaken together.

Then there was a deep fried frog leg with summer citrus. I am not a fan of frog, but the taste was good.

The next dish was a tartine with fermented cat fish (in garlic) and good berry and papaya jam. This is also a signature dish, a similar one was also in the previous menu.

Then we were served a piece of Buk Siam fish with pickled tomatoes and vinaigrette, to be soaked in a broth.

The signature onsen egg with free-range chicken fibers and dried noodles was again present.

The last dish was sliced beef with black rice and dashi stock. I was not particularly impressed by the beef.

The final part of the dinner started with a mango granita, figs, and cheese.

The next dessert was a delicious banana custard and ice cream.

Finally there was again the treasure hunt for the edible stone (filled with coconut milk) and petit four (to be mentioned the use of sticky rice, a nice kick back to the Thai tradition).

We were also offered some green tea to complete our meal.

The check(s)

The price after adding water was around 1,900 THB per person (58.5 USD). Same price on both occasions, even if in the second menu two dishes were lumped together with the amuse bouche. I think the price was more than reasonable for this kind of creative tasting menu.

Personally I liked it. I appreciated the impressive visual presentation of the dishes, the combination of Thai and Japanese flavors and techniques, and seeing the dishes completed on the counter was a nice plus. If you like multi-course menus, this is an unmissable stop in Chiang Mai.

Where in Chiang Mai:
99 Moo 11, Hang Dong.
Website (for reservations): www.cuisinedegarden.com.

Once was not enough: Samcook in Chiang Mai

B Samcook Home16 is a restaurant in Chiang Mai that offers dinner set menus combining Thai flavors with Western, Japanese and Chinese influences. It is also open for lunch with a la carte menu. Let’s get this out of the way: Samcook is one of the most interesting and fulfilling dining experiences in Chiang Mai. Both the flavors and the service won me over and I ended up trying it twice. What they did on my second visit was remarkable.

The visit(s)

It is a popular restaurant and is often fully booked for dinner. I later discovered that, at the time of my visit, it was number 1 in a famous trip recommendation website that I truly despise but it is relied on by many tourists. In this case I can see why it attracts so many positive reviews. Spot totally deserved.

I made my reservation via their Facebook page.

The restaurant is located in a house in the Southern part of Chiang Mai. It is also a home stay (not to self: next time book a room there!). The interior is modern and with visually appealing decorations.

A notice at the entrance set the mood: Sam Cook is a family operation that strives to provide an intimate dining experience. The pillar of the kitchen is, of course, Sam that came to my table several times to explain the dishes.

The dinner opened with a cold herbal drink.

The starter was a spring roll with cream cheese and crab meat. Really delicious. This and all the dishes came with edible flowers coming from Sam’s garden.

The next dish was a brilliant cross-over between the classic tom yum Thai soup with coconut and the Vietnamese pho soup, with two skewered prawns. I could definitely detect the herbal flavors of a Vietnamese pho.

The next dish – and we are still in the appetizer part of the menu! – was a pork rib with garlic pepper sauce. The rib was described on the menu as a fusion between Chinese and Thai cuisine: the rib had been boiled with Chinese herbs for two hours, then stir-fried with fresh garlic and sweet chili sauce. To be eaten with your hand, the result was tender and flavorful.

Before proceeding with the mains, I was offered a tomato juice palate cleanser.

The first main was a salmon with a delicate lemon spicy sauce. Sam buys full salmons and cleans them himself. The dish was described as a fusion between Western cuisine (the grilled salmon) and Thai (the sauce).

The second main was a smoked duck leg with a mix-berry sauce and dragon fruit. The flavors all amalgamated splendidly.

At this point Sam asked me if I wanted an extra main… but I was almost full so I went for the next dish, the dessert that included a passion fruit drink and a classic Thai sticky rice dessert. On the plate there was a stuffed elephant that was a gift to keep.

Before living I was offered another gift, a cup of coconut ice cream. Finally, they asked me where my hotel was and called a Grab Car to take me back. What was amazing is that they insisted on paying for my trip back (it was almost 15% of the value of the bill!). They offered an amazing deal of care.

My first visit was at the end of January 2020. I went back in early March with a friend, again reserving my spot via Facebook. My friend got a menu quite similar to the one I had back in January. However, Sam offered me an alternative blind menu with all new dishes. This was unexpected (I did not mind eating again some of the original dishes) and, once again, a great example of real customer care.

My special menu started with an herbal infusion with a Thai flower. The initial dishes were a cocktail with meaty seared scallops with chili sauce and flowers, tenderloin beef with shiitake mushroom, and a mind-blowing avocado filled with crab meat ans crab roe (my favorite dish of the evening). The palate cleanser this time was a coconut drink. The first main was a colossal salmon dish, with big sashimi slices and oversize rolls with cream cheese (an organic soy sauce procured through a customer was provided). Then there was a Chinese/Thai fusion dish with shrimp ravioli in mussaman curry (this was the dish that I liked the least as the mussaman curry flavor took over, but still a good dish by all means). Finally, the dessert was poached apple jelly and a passion fruit drink. Even the final gift was different (a coin case this time)! I have included the pictures of this second menu in the slideshow above. Once again, we were offered the ride back to our hotel and some ice cream to take away.

The atmosphere was lively and on both visits there was a musical talent playing guitar and singing (but not too loud). Even during the second visit, at a time with very few visitors in Chiang Mai, there were quite a few people for dinner.

The check

This fully satisfying dinner cost me 990 THB (or around 30 USD, including the taxi ride back!). I am showing both the check of my first visit and the one of the second visit with a second diner. Water was included. The value was amazing.

Fusion cuisine is risky, It is easy to get silly and mess up a dish. But not here. All the dishes were substantial, featured top-shelf ingredients, and a lot of preparation. They were labor of love and the result was consistently palatable.

Needless to say, this is a great dining experience in Chiang Mai that I fully recommend.

A board in the dining room with past menus and handwritten comments by satisfied customers.

Where in Chiang Mai:
5 Kampaengdin Road, Soi 3
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thebfamilycnx.

Samsen Villa in Chiang Mai

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.

Ginger Farm Kitchen and House by Ginger in Chiang Mai

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).

Check their menu online.

The visit: House by Ginger

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.

Address in Chiang Mai: 199 Moonmuang Rd.

Website: https://www.thehousebygingercm.com/

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/

A oyster course menu at Hokkaido Akkeshi in Nihombashi

Hokkaido Akkeshi is an izakaya in Nihombashi, Tokyo, specializing in oysters from the namesake town. Akkeshi, in Hokkhaido, is a famed oyster producer and its oysters are the only one in Japan available all year round (but in limited quantities and they are regarded as a gourmet dish; they are small but rich in flavor, see more in this article).

I was there during my October 2019 trip with a group of other 11 people and we had their course menu. These menus are quite common in izakayas, sometimes they are called banquet menus and are a perfect solution for large parties. We also had the all you can drink deal.

The visit

The izakaya is located in a basement and the oyster theme is evident since the entrance where a selection is on display.

Thanks to a local friend who managed the reservation, we had a private room all for ourselves.

The first dish was an appetizer sporting egg custard with seafood and two slices of sashimi (karei, Japanese flat fish).

Then we shared a salad with lotus root.

The third dish was a bucket of fresh oysters. Unfortunately, only one per person…

The fourth dish was clams and more oysters that were boiled at the table.

The content was perfectly measured to give everyone one oyster and three clams.

We then had another pot with salmon (two slices per person), mushrooms, and vegetables.

But the most exquisite dish was their kake furai (deep-fried oyster). It was simply delicious with all the sweet and salty flavor of the oyster intact beneath the frying.

Then, what was left of the hot pot with salmon and vegetables was used to cook noodles. The broth was very delicious.

The last dish reserved a surprise… it was a sort of chestnut Montblanc with the shape of an oyster. Very elegant.

The check

The costs of the course menu was 4,000 yen for the food and 1,500 for the all you can drink option. Taxes included. It was around 50 USD per person for a very satisfying meal that included some surprisingly good dishes. I highly recommend this place but a warning: there were no English menus or English speaking staff. But if you order the course menu you might just do fine even if you do not speak Japanese.

Where in Tokyo:
2-2-15, Nihombashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, 103-0027.
PS: there is a oyster bar operated by the same company in COREDO Muromachi shopping center that serves excellent lunch sets with fried oysters. They have English menu and may be a safer bet to enjoy this kind of oysters.

Tuna feast and demolition show at Maguro Shoten (and a tip to save some money…)

Maguro Shoten is one of those touristy places that do things right. If you like tuna, this is a great place. Apart from the variety of tuna dishes, you can also see their daily demolition show and learn about the anatomy of a tuna.

The visit

I had a reservation at 6.15 on a Sunday with the goal of attending their famous demolition show that takes place at 6.30pm on weekends (I believe it is 7.30pm on weekdays).

The restaurant is located in the basement of a building in a busy street of Shinjuku.

I arrived at around 6pm and I was seated at the counter, right in the middle of all the action. Ordering took place through a device providing an English menu. I had several dishes before the show.

This was a piece of “skin meat”. With the help of a spoon I scooped up all the delicious tender meat.

I ordered their fried tuna. Delicious, but a bit heavy.

A very popular dish was the bucket of sashimi. The pieces of sashimi were placed on a “dome” of ice.

A very special dish was this dark tuna meat, from a region rich of veins. Quite a strong flavor. I will pass on it next time.

I also tried the tuna eyeball. It was very gooey and every bit of tissue was edible.

I believe this ball was the actual eyeball… there was actually an hard “ball” covered by tissue. This dish was mostly for fun. It was not disgusting, but nothing I would like to try again.

Around 6.30pm the staff gathered everyone in the restaurant in the main dining room to see the demolition show. Seating at the counter, I had a front-row seat. The show was well managed. There was even a screen with English translation. The two cooks provided information about different species of tuna and its anatomy.

Then they invited customers to play paper-rock-scissor with them (all against one…). It was a rock and I kept my palm open. I was one of the winners getting a special card entitling me to a free dish with meat harvested from the freshly cut tuna.

This was the dish I won.

Finally I was one of the two customers who could order the precious kama-toro (a fatty meat from the tuna’s collar even more prized than the famed o-toro). It was a great finale for this memorable dinner.

The check (and some tips)

Final check was 8,810 yen that became 7,810 thanks to a discount… The discount was a coupon downloaded from Voyagin (for free) entitling the holder to get 1,000 off for every 5,000 yen spent. So in the end I spent 72 USD. For what I ate it was a very good deal. I can think of restaurants where just the last dish would cost that.

I also pent 800 yen (7 USD) for the booking through Japaneazy service. The reservation was not really necessary, but I do not regret the price since it guaranteed me a seat at the counter that gave me the best view of the demolition show.

Where in Tokyo:
1-23-14, Kabukicho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 160-0021
In Japanese: 〒160-0021 東京都新宿区歌舞伎町1-23-14 第1メトロビルB1

Dinner in a private room in one of the top seafood restaurants in Ningbo, Ji Mao Dui Tang

Ningbo, a port city in Zheijang province, boasts its own breed of Chinese cuisine and is famous for fresh seafood. There are many great seafood restaurants and the most the famous ones have several branches.

Ji Mao Dui Tang has only two locations and boasts some of the highest quality seafood I have seen in Ningbo and in China generally.

The visit

We were a group of six people and we got a private room without any extra charge. It is pretty normal in Chinese restaurants. I believe there was a minimum spending, but it was so low that it was not even a remote problem.

Like in similar restaurants, in a room there was all the seafood and sample dishes on display. All were clearly priced and an assistant would input our order in a device as I and my friends walked through this room.

There was a lot of prized seafood, including the famous yellow croaker and pomfrets, two of the most sought-after types of fish from the East Chinese Sea.

Peanuts with peppers were complimentary (in Chinese restaurants it is pretty common to be offered a snack free of charge).

We had several appetizers. One was a plate of marinated bamboo shoots.

The restaurant also had a few meat dishes like these sweet and sour spare ribs.

The cuttlefish, soaked in its own ink, was certainly a highlight.

On the vegetables sides, we also had a plate with dried bean curd with black fungus.

Another appetizer was a dish with asparagus and small prawns.

The braised beef was another highlight. It was extremely tender. I believe it was cheek.

Garlic chives with eel was another interesting dish.

The most anticipated main was a pomfret grilled (this kind of fish is caught wild and has a very distinct flavor and the meat is firm).

The tiger prawns with garlic came nicely arranged.

Since it was hairy crab season we had three crabs. I must say that it was a disappointing choice, there is really so little to eat from these crabs.

A type of razor clams came in a nice casserole.

There was a nice roll with read bean paste.

Another revelation was the battered tofu fish. It was extremely soft and delicate and the frying did not kill the flavor.

The mussels were just spectacular, super meaty!

We got some fruit at the end of the meal that was also complimentary.

The check

We spent 2,713 RMB (386 USD or around 64 USD per person). It was a big check, but there was a lot of quality seafood. The two big ticket items were the pomfret (around 100 USD) and the prawns (83 USD per six big prawns). The three crabs cost around 50 USD. The other dishes were quite inexpensive.

I have been back also other times. The place seems to be always busy, even at lunch time. For two people it is possible to dine, for a single diner it may be more challenging to find the right dishes, as they are mostly designed for sharing.

Where in Ningbo:
Bai Zhang Dong Lu 909, Nong 1-3 Hao.