Good Places To Eat In Chiang Mai

[Austhaied]

"Food Corner" restaurant in Suntitam. Hard to find (when you get the the 5 way intersection from the Wat Suntitam 3 way intersection take a right, it is the 2nd road down, take a left then on your left)

BEST THAI FOOD IN CHIANG MAI, THE BEST KEPT SECRET HERE!

Ok. The 2 people that bother to read this will be very happy people indeed...

Still struggling to find it. Where is it in relation to Tesco Lotus if you're coming towards Tesco from the roundabout (5 junctions) please?

I don't think it is anywhere near Tesco.. Figure it to be in Santitam, the 5-way intersection is just north of the YMCA..

We need a map.

http://earth.google.com/download-earth.html

[JimmyTheMook]

Miguels Cafe for Mexican food and hot subs. The #3 combo is my favorite there. Truly a feast.

It's as good as you'll get anywhere in Australia anyway.

BTW.. No guacamole available at the moment due to a lack of avocados.

This place rocks.

So far the best Mexcian food I have had in Thailand.

[Austhaied]

Miguels Cafe for Mexican food and hot subs. The #3 combo is my favorite there. Truly a feast.

It's as good as you'll get anywhere in Australia anyway.

BTW.. No guacamole available at the moment due to a lack of avocados.

This place rocks.

So far the best Mexcian food I have had in Thailand.

ได้เลย Definitely.

[Rasseru]

This place rocks.

So far the best Mexcian food I have had in Thailand.

Definitely rocks. Best I have had anywhere outside Mexico and a few places in the United States.

[Shogu]

Charcoa (inside the moat on Sri Phum corner)

The best salades in town! They do good pasta and very nice desserts as well!

Go there once a week

[Ajarn]

This place rocks.

So far the best Mexcian food I have had in Thailand.

Definitely rocks. Best I have had anywhere outside Mexico and a few places in the United States.

I'm surprised at your statement. I think that the Mexican food at Miguels is okay, not great, by any means. Certainly I have had better food in Mexico, as well as any place in California, where I am from.

[Ulysses G.]

Great for Thailand is OK for California.

[cnxmike]

@Austhaied

I'm little bit astonished about your enthusiasm for Miguels Cafe. Are you involved in this business or is your best friend running it?

Edited March 18, 2008 by cnxmike

[Ulysses G.]

How about he just likes it (like everyone who answered)?

[Rasseru]

This place rocks.

So far the best Mexcian food I have had in Thailand.

Definitely rocks. Best I have had anywhere outside Mexico and a few places in the United States.

I'm surprised at your statement. I think that the Mexican food at Miguels is okay, not great, by any means. Certainly I have had better food in Mexico, as well as any place in California, where I am from.

I am surprised you are surprised. I say best I've had outside Mexico; you say you have had better in Mexico -- no difference. I say I've had better at a few places in the United States; you say you've had better at any place in California -- some difference, yes, as well as making it clear you have never eaten at a Taco Bell, but not so big a difference as to warrant surprise, I would think. I've had what I consider far less good at any number of places in California, but there you go. Best Mexican food I've had in the United States, by the way, was in an out-of-the-way place in New Mexico and, as I have mentioned here before, some homemade stuff bought from peasant types on the streets of New York (although I guess they could have been from somewhere else in Central America than Mexico).

[gpdjohn]

This place rocks.

So far the best Mexcian food I have had in Thailand.

Definitely rocks. Best I have had anywhere outside Mexico and a few places in the United States.

I'm surprised at your statement. I think that the Mexican food at Miguels is okay, not great, by any means. Certainly I have had better food in Mexico, as well as any place in California, where I am from.

I thought the tamales were too dry, the beans overcooked ( how do you overcook REfried frijoles?? ) rice terrible...( gotta saute in the chicken broth before..)

Really bad example of Mexican..except they did use corn tortillas, not flour.

I'm from ARIZONA, where mex food is a way of life!

But TIT.. I didn't expect it like home

[Ulysses G.]

Even the best foreign restaurants in Thailand have their bad days. Miguel's is excellent for where we are and we are lucky to have it.

[gpdjohn]

Even the best foreign restaurants in Thailand have their bad days. Miguel's is excellent for where we are and we are lucky to have it.

As always UG, I could not agree with you more..( seems as though I agree with you on most everything )

I was glad to see Mex food here and did enjoy it very much..as a guy who was born in Phoenix and raised in Yuma and spending most of my youth in Algadodes, Mexico, right across the border, I'm going to be alittle more critical of the way it is cooked..and like the reverse of home...mexican chefs cooking thai I noticed thai cookin' mexican. ( Some of the best French chefs in NYC are from Puebla, Mex so I know there is hope..)

I always give a place at least 3 strikes before I make my final decision on if it is good or not.

I do plan to return.

I was surprised that tamales were even on the menu...just needed alittle more water in the maza, dry but still good ( needed 2 extra brews to chase 'em down ) The salsa was very good.

I figur'd the beans were left on the heat too long and rice IS cooked different there than here...but overall..I could barley walk when I left the place ( ate way too much )

I'm glad Miguel's is here...for when I get a hankerin for some food from home. Different, but still alot closer on what I was raised on than pad kapow moo )

( The fish tacos were great, but that's a califas-baja thangy... )

Adios Muchacho

[Ulysses G.]

I agree about the tamales being on the dry side, but I blame the meat (I would prefer chicken) for making them less tasty than when Mike had 3 varieties when he first opened. Actually, I am surprised that they are back on the menu because tha maza has to be brought in specially from L.A.

[el jefe]

( Some of the best French chefs in NYC are from Puebla, Mex so I know there is hope..)

I spend a couple of months every year in NYC and while there are plenty of Mexicans working in the restaurants, I've never heard of a top French restaurant with a Mexican running the kitchen. There was a Cambodian, however. There's no reason a Mexican, Cambodian or Thai can't prepare any cuisine properly if they have the right ingredients, but I'm curious which restaurants you're referring to.

And back on topic to CM, I'm glad you guys keep reminding me to never go to any Mexican restaurant in SE Asia. If Miguel's is as good as it gets, I'll wait til I'm back in NY for my Mexican food. Infinitely better than Miguel's, and cheaper too.

[gpdjohn]

( Some of the best French chefs in NYC are from Puebla, Mex so I know there is hope..)

I spend a couple of months every year in NYC and while there are plenty of Mexicans working in the restaurants, I've never heard of a top French restaurant with a Mexican running the kitchen. There was a Cambodian, however. There's no reason a Mexican, Cambodian or Thai can't prepare any cuisine properly if they have the right ingredients, but I'm curious which restaurants you're referring to.

And back on topic to CM, I'm glad you guys keep reminding me to never go to any Mexican restaurant in SE Asia. If Miguel's is as good as it gets, I'll wait til I'm back in NY for my Mexican food. Infinitely better than Miguel's, and cheaper too.

Exactly..

And you never will because the Chef is normally the person who takes all the glory for the kitchen..it is his Mexican chefs who do all his cooking. It is the "Chef de cusine" ( not the CHEF, but the number 2 guy...or woman ) who actually runs the kitchen, and alot of times his last name is NOT of French desent. ( usually with a "ez" on the end of it..)

Next time you're back in NY, ask if you can go into the kitchen...you'll see what I'm talking about.

Which eateries you ask??

The list would be too long to post on here!

[wayfarer108]

I agree about the tamales being on the dry side, but I blame the meat (I would prefer chicken) for making them less tasty than when Mike had 3 varieties when he first opened. Actually, I am surprised that they are back on the menu because tha maza has to be brought in specially from L.A.

You really have to know what to order at Miguel's. I've been a few times, and I'd skip the tamales. I love tamales, but Miguel's taste like they use vegetable shortening rather than lard, and without lard it ain't a tamal.

My vote goes to the enchiladas, hard to be disappointed there. More Tex-Mex than California Mex, fortunately

[gpdjohn]

Had the biscuits 'n sausage gravy the other day at the Art Cafe..

Mummmmm..

I felt like I had gained 10 lbs..

Excellent.

[sabaijai]

This place rocks.

So far the best Mexcian food I have had in Thailand.

Definitely rocks. Best I have had anywhere outside Mexico and a few places in the United States.

I'm surprised at your statement. I think that the Mexican food at Miguels is okay, not great, by any means. Certainly I have had better food in Mexico, as well as any place in California, where I am from.

I thought the tamales were too dry, the beans overcooked ( how do you overcook REfried frijoles?? ) rice terrible...( gotta saute in the chicken broth before..)

Really bad example of Mexican..except they did use corn tortillas, not flour.

I'm from ARIZONA, where mex food is a way of life!

But TIT.. I didn't expect it like home

I ate at Miguel's last night, and the frijoles refritos were perfectly cooked.

In answer to your rhetorical question, you can't overcook refried beans (although you can obviously burn them, but I've never been served burnt beans at Miguel's).

In Mexico some families keep the same pot going for days, recooking each day, and adding more lard to stretch it out as the pot runs low. In fact that's the biggest problem with beans in Mexico, in the more economic restos there can be more lard than beans! Miguel's refritos are near-perfect, by ordinary Mexican standards.

Have to agree with wayfarer108, though, steer clear of the tamales.

[cnxmike]

Last week I was twice at "Chez Marco" a small inexpansive french restaurant at Loy Kroh. The first time I had a bacon salad with warm goat cheese. The second time it was a plate with two types of raw ham, two types of french pate, some smoked sausages and pickles plus bread and butter.

Both dishes were quite tasty.

[Ajarn]

This place rocks.

So far the best Mexcian food I have had in Thailand.

Definitely rocks. Best I have had anywhere outside Mexico and a few places in the United States.

I'm surprised at your statement. . Certainly I have had better food in Mexico, as well as any place in California, where I am from.

I am surprised you are surprised. I say best I've had outside Mexico; you say you have had better in Mexico -- no difference. I say I've had better at a few places in the United States; you say you've had better at any place in California -- some difference, yes, as well as making it clear you have never eaten at a Taco Bell, but not so big a difference as to warrant surprise, I would think. I've had what I consider far less good at any number of places in California, but there you go. Best Mexican food I've had in the United States, by the way, was in an out-of-the-way place in New Mexico and, as I have mentioned here before, some homemade stuff bought from peasant types on the streets of New York (although I guess they could have been from somewhere else in Central America than Mexico).

Actually, you should not be surprised any more, since you took every example of you thought I said, exept for not paying attention to what I did say..."I think that the Mexican food at Miguels is okay, not great, by any means" Simply, I'm not agreeing with your opinion.. Hope you got it.

[stanlaurel]

My favorite dish at Miguels' was Nacho chips with Guacamole (the guac was really good, too)

But the main dishes were all a gooey microwaved-to-death mess and and the refried beans (my personal fetish) made from reds NOT pintos.

Has anyone tried Salsa Kitchen? How does it compare?

[Ulysses G.]

I think that the beans are whatever they normally are in Cal style Mexican food (which I think are pintos). That is what Mike used and they taste the same as they did when he opened Miguels - totally authentic to me.

Salsa Kitchen uses black beans (unless they have changed) and has good tasting food, but he makes no attempt to be authentic. He concentrates on using local ingredients and pretty much has his own style. His BBQ Ribs are fantastic!

IMHO, Miguel's is by far the best Mexican restaurant in Thailand and would not seem too out of place in the Mission District.

[gpdjohn]

My favorite dish at Miguels' was Nacho chips with Guacamole (the guac was really good, too)

But the main dishes were all a gooey microwaved-to-death mess and and the refried beans (my personal fetish) made from reds NOT pintos.

Has anyone tried Salsa Kitchen? How does it compare?

I sat at the counter one night so I could see the cooks and kitchen. I never saw a microwave in use there...

They could go alittle "lighter" on the cheese. My preference.

I got a major hankerin for some Mex today..wish they had a cold "XX"

[Ulysses G.]

They use an oven to melt the cheese on top more easily, but I never noticed if it was a microwave

[gpdjohn]

They use an oven to melt the cheese on top more easily, but I never noticed if it was a microwave

It's called a Salamander...

[Rasseru]

This place rocks.

So far the best Mexcian food I have had in Thailand.

Definitely rocks. Best I have had anywhere outside Mexico and a few places in the United States.

I'm surprised at your statement. . Certainly I have had better food in Mexico, as well as any place in California, where I am from.

I am surprised you are surprised. . . . .

Actually, you should not be surprised any more . . . Simply, I'm not agreeing with your opinion.. Hope you got it.

I think maybe I do. If you're not surprised any more, but simply not agreeing with my opinion, then I am not surprised any more either. Hope I got it.

[mobs00]

I'm not surprised that now I am confused

[Rasseru]

I'm not surprised that now I am confused

Neither surprising nor confusing, that.

[stanlaurel]

Don't nail me with the microwave but the food had not a single "crisp" ingredient and no oven-typical crust - usually a sign of the nuke. I am not dogmatic (re: authentic) but enjoy a proper combination of taste and texture.

Anyway, I find that tastes differ over Tex-Mex/Mexican more than any other cuisine (pizza is NOT discussible ), so one man's gold is another man's pebble.

I'll check out Salsa Kitchen next time I get a craving

I think that the beans are whatever they normally are in Cal style Mexican food (which I think are pintos). That is what Mike used and they taste the same as they did when he opened Miguels - totally authentic to me.

Salsa Kitchen uses black beans (unless they have changed) and has good tasting food, but he makes no attempt to be authentic. He concentrates on using local ingredients and pretty much has his own style. His BBQ Ribs are fantastic!

IMHO, Miguel's is by far the best Mexican restaurant in Thailand and would not seem too out of place in the Mission District.