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Dining And Drinking
Northern Thailand is the home to one of the world’s finest
cuisines, as can be seen by the number of Thai restaurants that have sprung up
around the world in the last few years. One of the best ways to experience
Chiang Mai’s culinary delights is to sample some of the many different dishes
that can be found in this “Rose of the North. Even the most fastidious of
gastronomes will find satisfaction here!
The Thai people’s imagination shines through in their preparation and
presentation of food, and tourists soon discover that dining in Chiang Mai is a
special delight. As is often the case in Thailand, some of the tastiest meals
prove to be some of the most affordable and these can be found in the city’s
many food stalls. However, for service, decor and topnotch cuisine, Chiang Mai
also offers a variety to choose from.
One of the best ways to experience the region’s culture and cuisine is to attend
a khantoke dinner, a traditional northern Thai way of extending hospitality. The
name originates from the small round table made of lacquered wood or bamboo that
is used on these occasions. Guests are garlanded with flowers called phuang mali
and are entertained with dance performances during the meal. Traditional dishes
normally served at these events include kaeng haeng le, a delicious curried
pork, Burmese style; nam phrik ong, a spicy dip of ground pork and tomatoes;
kaeng khae kai, a chicken and vegetable curry; and khao niao, glutinous rice,
the staple cereal of Chiang Mai. You can experience a khantoke dinner at the
following places--Nakorn Lanna 1296, The Old Chiang Mai Cultural Center and
Kantoke Palace.
Chiang Mai abounds in vegetarian food. If you are in the old city, try AUM
Vegetarian Restaurant, where the specialty is khao soy, a coconut curry with
crisp noodles and a north Thailand favorite. Equally recommended is the very
inexpensive Chiang Mai Vegetarian Society, which is open for breakfast and lunch
and serves some tasty cuisine, buffet style. Quite near to the Night Bazaar, and
a bit more upscale, is the Whole Earth Restaurant which provides a relaxed
ambience in a beautiful garden setting.
For some wonderful traditional Thai food, try Kanjana, The Wok, Huen Phen,
Ratana's Kitchen or Antique House. For the more adventurous gourmet, Aroon Rai
stocks three kinds of fried insect dishes, all northern delicacies: Rot duan, a
kind of caterpillar; meng muan, a woodborer; and ging gong, a type of cricket.
For something unusual, experience dining amidst the rice paddies at The Rain
Forest, about 10 kilometers south of the city. However, If you find yourself
near the Night Bazaar, check out White Lotus or the Kalare Food and Shopping
Center, which also provides live entertainment.
 Many restaurants serve a mixture of Western food and traditional Thai fare, and
some along the river also offer live music. Popular venues are The Riverside Bar
and Restaurant, The Good View and La Brasserie. For a quiet, more romantic meal
on the river, check out Tha Nam, or dine on the river by taking the Mae Ping
River Cruise.
For topnotch European cuisine, Chiang Mai is a great place. Classic Italian fare
is served at da Stefano, Art Café, Pum Pui and Piccola Roma Palace. French
favorites can be found at Chez John Restaurant and Chez Daniel. For a highly
stimulating grande buffe, try Le Coq d'Or, which has been serving haute cuisine
for more than 30 years. For German fare, make your way to Le Garage or German
Hofbrauhaus. Sitting Bull offers a good steak in an American Old West setting.
If you crave a pizza, head to La Villa, which boasts Chiang Mai's only authentic
wood-fired oven for baking delicious pizzas and homemade focaccio.
If it is a
pint of beer you are after, you could do no better than go to the Red Lion
English Pub and Restaurant or The Irish Pub, crowded on Thursday nights for the
local pub quiz. Some of the best coffee can be found at JJ's Restaurant and
Bakery, Fish ‘n’ Chip Shop, Cafe Chic and Libernard Café.
To experience many different foods all in one sitting, try some of the
good-quality buffet-style luncheons, including Nang Nual Seafood, famous for
fresh seafood, and two others located in hotels--Suriwongse Zenith and the Amari
Rincome Hotel. For sushi, there is Irasshai Japanese Restaurant or Yamato.
Another way to experience Thai cuisine is to cook it yourself! Traditional
cooking courses are popular. They include an introduction to Thai ingredients,
paste making and a tour of a local market. Most courses are offered for one to
three days and include an easy-to-follow recipe book. You can learn to enjoy
Thai cuisine through cooking with the Chiang Mai Thai Cookery School, Thai
Kitchen Cookery School or Sompet Travel & Thai Cooking School.
Whether you cook it yourself, dine by the river or have a drink in a pub,
something enjoyable awaits you when you go dining and drinking in the “Rose of
the North. Chok-dee, krab!
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