Good Places To Eat In Chiang Mai

[lamphun]

I tried the fish and chips at the Queen Vic English Pub last night.

Not bad, but a small portion for 260. On top of that, they have FRENCH FRIES, not chips.

I prefer the Laughing Leprechan with REAL chips and a simular piece of cod. IMHO it is cheaper and a little more tasty.

Noticed a Fish and Chip shop on last visit inside the moat just opposite the UN Irish pub...dont look too bad ...any comments?

I haven't been there for a couple of years, but I thought their fish and chips were terrible. Refried chips were the nastiest

I checked out the Fisn N' Chip Shop a week ago. The place has been remodeled and has a new owner. The food was pretty good.

[pirate1]

"where abouts is your place kevin.Will give it a go! "

Located across from he Anodard Hotel on Ratchamankha Road. There is a map on my web site @ www.piratesovebar.com. Sorry for the delay, lost the site for awhile and couldn't get back, found it again today Happy hour is 4 to 7 chang, chang draugh bttle, and leo 30baht.

"hi mr. pirate, (aka Kevin), would u be kind enough in letting us (me) know where this place is? and also what time is happy hour??? or more precisely whats available during happy hours? (normally referred to drinks and beer but buy one burger get another one free?

.. really would like to know where u are at. someone mentioned irrigation canal area, but i hardly go around there. so perhaps a small description would help. thanks. hope to see the Pirates of the Carribean theme in your restaurant"

"Do you have a website up yet and where are you from in the states?"

Hey Kevin,

As a new business, it would be a good idea to reply when someone asks for more information, especially, how to get to your place. Chances of surviving and making a living at what you are doing are slim at best, so I would jump at every opportunity that might get another customer to come thru your doors.

[Diablo Bob]

I may be wrong about this, because my main interest is the burritos with flour tortillas, but I think that the tacos are wrapped in a soft corn tortilla that is imported from America, rather than the hard ones that they use in places like taco bell.

Please correct me if I'm wrong.

It's the same corn tortilla as a HARD shell, the difference is how it is cooked. In Mexico, the shells are just heated on a charcoal barbeque. As long as they remain warm, they are soft.

[chuchok]

"where abouts is your place kevin.Will give it a go! "

Located across from he Anodard Hotel on Ratchamankha Road. There is a map on my web site @ www.piratesovebar.com. Sorry for the delay, lost the site for awhile and couldn't get back, found it again today Happy hour is 4 to 7 chang, chang draugh bttle, and leo 30baht.

"hi mr. pirate, (aka Kevin), would u be kind enough in letting us (me) know where this place is? and also what time is happy hour??? or more precisely whats available during happy hours? (normally referred to drinks and beer but buy one burger get another one free?

.. really would like to know where u are at. someone mentioned irrigation canal area, but i hardly go around there. so perhaps a small description would help. thanks. hope to see the Pirates of the Carribean theme in your restaurant"

"Do you have a website up yet and where are you from in the states?"

Hey Kevin,

As a new business, it would be a good idea to reply when someone asks for more information, especially, how to get to your place. Chances of surviving and making a living at what you are doing are slim at best, so I would jump at every opportunity that might get another customer to come thru your doors.

The web site dosn't seem to work?

[Ajarn]

"where abouts is your place kevin.Will give it a go! "

Located across from he Anodard Hotel on Ratchamankha Road. There is a map on my web site @ www.piratesovebar.com. Sorry for the delay, lost the site for awhile and couldn't get back, found it again today Happy hour is 4 to 7 chang, chang draugh bttle, and leo 30baht.

"hi mr. pirate, (aka Kevin), would u be kind enough in letting us (me) know where this place is? and also what time is happy hour??? or more precisely whats available during happy hours? (normally referred to drinks and beer but buy one burger get another one free?

.. really would like to know where u are at. someone mentioned irrigation canal area, but i hardly go around there. so perhaps a small description would help. thanks. hope to see the Pirates of the Carribean theme in your restaurant"

"Do you have a website up yet and where are you from in the states?"

Hey Kevin,

As a new business, it would be a good idea to reply when someone asks for more information, especially, how to get to your place. Chances of surviving and making a living at what you are doing are slim at best, so I would jump at every opportunity that might get another customer to come thru your doors.

The web site dosn't seem to work?

No owner of the website name, either.

[sabaijai]

I may be wrong about this, because my main interest is the burritos with flour tortillas, but I think that the tacos are wrapped in a soft corn tortilla that is imported from America, rather than the hard ones that they use in places like taco bell.

Please correct me if I'm wrong.

It's the same corn tortilla as a HARD shell, the difference is how it is cooked. In Mexico, the shells are just heated on a charcoal barbeque. As long as they remain warm, they are soft.

Miguel's "tacos" are wrapped in a folded flour tortilla, so technically they're not tacos. Still tasty.

[Dragonmode]

Awesome thread. I can't wait to head back to CM for Songkran next year.

[meadish_sweetball]

This is the restaurant recommendation thread, not the gossip thread.

[tigerbeer]

"where abouts is your place kevin.Will give it a go! "

Located across from he Anodard Hotel on Ratchamankha Road. There is a map on my web site @ www.piratesovebar.com. Sorry for the delay, lost the site for awhile and couldn't get back, found it again today Happy hour is 4 to 7 chang, chang draugh bttle, and leo 30baht.

"hi mr. pirate, (aka Kevin), would u be kind enough in letting us (me) know where this place is? and also what time is happy hour??? or more precisely whats available during happy hours? (normally referred to drinks and beer but buy one burger get another one free?

.. really would like to know where u are at. someone mentioned irrigation canal area, but i hardly go around there. so perhaps a small description would help. thanks. hope to see the Pirates of the Carribean theme in your restaurant"

"Do you have a website up yet and where are you from in the states?"

Hey Kevin,

As a new business, it would be a good idea to reply when someone asks for more information, especially, how to get to your place. Chances of surviving and making a living at what you are doing are slim at best, so I would jump at every opportunity that might get another customer to come thru your doors.

The web site dosn't seem to work?

No owner of the website name, either.

guys, put a "c" before ove.com

the link is www.piratescove.com ... figured it out on my own too "smart"

not an impressive site. perhaps the food is better.

[Ulysses G.]

[double post deleted]

[sabaijai]

Another update from Miguel's, based on a visit three nights ago. Ordered the nachos this time, to share with friends. They were made with chips cut from flour tortillas, not corn, so again, technically not authentic nachos. Done California style, which is to say with the chips piled on the plate and the toppings piled on top of the whole, then baked. This differs from the original Piedras Negras, Mexico, nachos (and most nachos in traditional Mexican restos in Texas and New Mexico), where each chip is individually topped with cheese before baking.

Not too bad but clearly not Miguel's strongest dish.

[Mahseer]

Don't see Da Laa Ba mentioned anywhere. It's excellent sitting outside this time of year. Certaily not the cheapest spot in town but still worthy of a mention. Fusion Thai is what they claim but plenty of famliar fare to be found. Usually a good mixed crowd weekends.

[Austhaied]

Nobody has mentioned Aroon Rai near Tha Phae gate-ish, it's actually opposite Moon Muang rd, whatever that road is called.. She does the worlds best" chicken kao soi" and pretty good "sai ooer"..And half way up Suthep rd past wat Suan Dok on the left is without a doubt the best" lart naa talay" in town. Cant remember the name ( in Thai)..Ask your missus ..And enjoy..

[mickmac]

The last time I was in CM I ended up in the restaurant D2. We all found the food to be very good, though not cheap, still no where near the price of Le Crystal, nor The House,(both of which I enjoy going to). I would suggest it for a special occasion with several people. The only downside is that the decor is slightly cold and the atmosphere was slightly sterile. However fire a coupleof their excellent cocktails down the "old Gregory" and you can soon start making your own atmosphere.

[The Dan Sai Kid]

Nobody has mentioned Aroon Rai near Tha Phae gate-ish, it's actually opposite Moon Muang rd, whatever that road is called.. She does the worlds best" chicken kao soi" and pretty good "sai ooer"

I don't think that Aroon Rai is a place I would reccommed - it's overpriced and the food isn't really very good.

[meadish_sweetball]

The best khao soi in Chiang Mai I have had is at Khao Soi Samoe Jai in Faa Haam. There is also a small unassuming place near Kat Kom market (and the Nation's Chiang Mai office) that comes close.

Aroon Rai ... A nothing-special eatery trying to play the 'local eatery' card but charging farang prices for food that does not have significantly higher quality than a regular 'taam sang' shop.

[seeker108]

I just had a nice experience at the main restaurant at the Duangtawan Hotel. I called and spoke with a manager there by the name of Dechar asked what the price of the buffet was for the salad bar only and he said 100 baht ++ (as compared to 190 ++ for the whole buffet). This, BTW, is a fairly common practice at the nicer hotels to have a lesser price for salad bar buffet only and some of them have an impressive selection on the salad table. I used to eat dinner regularly like this at the Novotel in BKK for 150 baht ++ (- 30% for using AmEx card) and they had incredible improted cheeses and salmon salads and capers and asparagus and avocadoes and artichokes, very nice breads, etc., etc. I don't think they offer this now, but other hotels in BKK still do.

Anyway back to the Duangtawan. The manager seemed to have made this price on the spur of the moment when I asked and it may not be a policy set in stone there, so check in advance of going yourself (053 905-000). This month they are promoting mexican food and many (all?) of these items were on the salad table. They had a group of 300 that day before we got there, so things were somewhat wiped out and the staff was beat, but they made the effort to accomodate us. The mexican fare that we got was pretty good and they even brought us some Indian samosas as a bonus as the mexican food was mostly gone. All in all we ended up full and satisfied for less than 125 baht each incl tax and service charge and bottled water. Needless to say, I left a generous tip as well.

International lunch buffet M- Sa and Japanese lunch buffet Sunday. They also have Japanese dinner buffet 2 or 3 nights per week, but can't remember which nights.

I will go again soon as I want to try the cheese quesadillas that I missed and will report how it was again. As a side note, I must say that I was unimpressed by the looks of what I saw of the dishes on the hot food table. It all looked somewhat mass produced but that may have been because of the large group that day. The salad and Mexican items seemed to have gotten better attention.

Seeker

[Ulysses G.]

The Duangtawan really try hard on the Japanese buffet, but Japanese food HAS to be eaten when it is ultra-fresh.

I much rather pay for Zen or Fuji and get top quality Japanese food.

[Ormgard]

The best khao soi in Chiang Mai I have had is at Khao Soi Samoe Jai in Faa Haam. There is also a small unassuming place near Kat Kom market (and the Nation's Chiang Mai office) that comes close.

Aroon Rai ... A nothing-special eatery trying to play the 'local eatery' card but charging farang prices for food that does not have significantly higher quality than a regular 'taam sang' shop.

Good on you, Meadish! Hopefully someone will muster up the energy to get onto the Lonely Planet guide, who persists in pushing Aroon Rai.

But, Meadish, where in the world IS "Samoe Jai in Faa Haam"?! Not to mention "Kat Kom" market??

You can atone for this by providing us all with your mother's recipe for Genuine Swedish Christmas Meatballs.

[Ormgard]

The Duangtawan really try hard on the Japanese buffet, but Japanese food HAS to be eaten when it is ultra-fresh.

I much rather pay for Zen or Fuji and get top quality Japanese food.

Is the Japanese restaurant Fuji in Kad Suan Kaew (Central shopping mall)? If so, on which floor?

Zen is, I know; I don't know about top quality, though...

[Ulysses G.]

The Duangtawan really try hard on the Japanese buffet, but Japanese food HAS to be eaten when it is ultra-fresh.

I much rather pay for Zen or Fuji and get top quality Japanese food.

Is the Japanese restaurant Fuji in Kad Suan Kaew (Central shopping mall)? If so, on which floor?

Zen is, I know; I don't know about top quality, though...

There is a Fuji Japanese restaurant in the Night Bazaar and one in Airport Plaza.

Top quality for Chiang Mai, not Tokyo!

[Donz]

The Duangtawan really try hard on the Japanese buffet, but Japanese food HAS to be eaten when it is ultra-fresh.

I much rather pay for Zen or Fuji and get top quality Japanese food.

What about McDonalds

[Ulysses G.]

The Duangtawan really try hard on the Japanese buffet, but Japanese food HAS to be eaten when it is ultra-fresh.

I much rather pay for Zen or Fuji and get top quality Japanese food.

What about McDonalds

I would LOVE a gourmet burger made with top US prime sirloin beef, however, nothing close to that is available here.

To be perfectly honest, McDonald's Burgers are probably better than most of the burgers in Chiang Mai and the taste is consistant where local burgers range from acceptable to terrible and change from day to day. THAT is why McDonald's are the world's best selling chain restaurant.

[sabaijai]

The last time I was in CM I ended up in the restaurant D2. We all found the food to be very good, though not cheap, still no where near the price of Le Crystal, nor The House,(both of which I enjoy going to). I would suggest it for a special occasion with several people. The only downside is that the decor is slightly cold and the atmosphere was slightly sterile. However fire a coupleof their excellent cocktails down the "old Gregory" and you can soon start making your own atmosphere.

I second the D2 reco, much better than The House foodwise and a really interesting minimalist decor, excellent service. Very good tenderloin made with imported beef, can also recommended the lamb. Some very good Thai fusion dishes as well. As usual at restos of this type, the wine often costs more than the meal so bring your own and pay corkage if you want to save some baht. The D2 wine list is excellent however.

[chanchao]

YES!!!! The food experience in Chiang Mai is almost complete....

Ladies and Gentlemen.... FOUND: Cheap & quick Malay style ROTI CANAI (or with other curries, up to you.)

As you know there's plenty of roti around Chiang Mai (mostly the sweetened dessert style ones with sweet milk and/or fruit, and occasionally they have the Mataba roti, usually not terribly interesting in taste.

Finally realized that a littel Muslim eatery where I already go sometimes for lunch combines the two, a roti baking table, AND muslim curries (and also khao soy and the yellow chicken rice (khao mok kai), but those dishes are of course a lot more common)

This tiny restaurant is in a soi off the old Chiang Mai Lamphun road, close to the Sheraton Hotel Intersection. when coming from town (or from across te bridge past the Sheraton, it's the very first soi on the left after the traffic lights, just before the Caltex gas station. It's about 600 meters in to the soi on the right hand side.

Not fancy, but hey... Other suggestions for Malay food are welcome.

Speaking of Muslim food though, Medish Sweetball proclaimed the best Khao Soy is one of the Faham road shops.. Have you been at Mae Jam Paa, in Soi Techno Asia, the soi going South off Aom Muang ring road, just West of the railway line flyover? (So when coming from Airport PLaza, you'd not cross the railway line but make a U-turn right there, then turn left into that soi where teh Techno Asia college is. Then keep going, crossing the little bridge where you see a gazillion cars parked during lunchtime.

Cheers,

Chanchao

[chanchao]

And speaking of non-Muslim Malaysian food: There's a place the claims to serve Bak Kut Teh on Suthep Road... It's kind of okay as far as noodle-soup type restaurants go, but I fear I've been spoiled in Malaysia so not much chance of finding that style pork meat stew w. chinese spices in Chiang Mai.. This place on Suthep Road is more like a 'Spare Ribs Kao Lao'.. (Noodle soup sans the noodles)

Edited June 28, 2006 by chanchao

[Ulysses G.]

The last time I was in CM I ended up in the restaurant D2. We all found the food to be very good, though not cheap, still no where near the price of Le Crystal, nor The House,(both of which I enjoy going to). I would suggest it for a special occasion with several people. The only downside is that the decor is slightly cold and the atmosphere was slightly sterile. However fire a coupleof their excellent cocktails down the "old Gregory" and you can soon start making your own atmosphere.

I second the D2 reco, much better than The House foodwise and a really interesting minimalist decor, excellent service. Very good tenderloin made with imported beef, can also recommended the lamb. Some very good Thai fusion dishes as well. As usual at restos of this type, the wine often costs more than the meal so bring your own and pay corkage if you want to save some baht. The D2 wine list is excellent however.

I enjoyed D2 and thought that the food prices were reasonable, but the drinks were so expensive that it put off my dinner companion who likes to drink with meals.

Even a coke was almost 100 baht which seems a little much.

[chanchao]

> Even a coke was almost 100 baht which seems a little much.

Well that indicates they plan to serve clueless high-end tourists. Good for them if they pull it off.

In my book, places can charge whatever they think their food is worth, but when you think you must charge 100 baht for a coke... Well. Even Oriental Dhara Dhevi doesn't try that. And D2 is just a make-over job on an existing old concrete structure, the ol' chiang inn hotel. So.. a big "thanks but no thanks" from me I guess..

[Ulysses G.]

> Even a coke was almost 100 baht which seems a little much.

Well that indicates they plan to serve clueless high-end tourists. Good for them if they pull it off.

In my book, places can charge whatever they think their food is worth, but when you think you must charge 100 baht for a coke... Well. Even Oriental Dhara Dhevi doesn't try that. And D2 is just a make-over job on an existing old concrete structure, the ol' chiang inn hotel. So.. a big "thanks but no thanks" from me I guess..

I agree, but what I find strange is that the food is quite good and reasonably priced.

I try to think of that when I'm paying for my 100 baht coke to lessen the impact, but all I keep coming up with is that 100 baht is WAY too much for a common soft drink.

[Ed.Lee]

For me when I have the time, its off to Loy Kroh and the Clubhouse.

Great food, Mexican, Thai, European, Everything you could fancy.

Great cooking, imported or local beef, great place.

Try the nachos!