Pad Thai Ratchadamnurn

[bojo]

As a lover of all foods, (schooldays semolina and rice pudding an exception), I'm always on a quest for great places to eat, especially decent local fayre at local prices. Sounds easy, but having spent ages searching, I've been rather disappointed until today.

So far I mainly come across mediocre market dishes which are invariably served up with low grade rice and at best a childs portion. Aharn sung shops around town often use similar rice, compromise on flavour and again portions are often small.

The Northern curries are Ok if that's your taste and are cheap enough around town but my flavour is a Southern curry. There are quite a few places around town with often quite rude proprieters (typically Southern, I'm trying to type quietly as my wife's a Southerner!) A couple of curry bowls and curry atop rice for two with water will cost around 140b on average, about double the price in the South. (No excuse as the kreung gaeng and vegetables costs the same pretty much anywhere in the Kingdom.)

Back to my find and a rare one in my eyes at that. A new and clean restaurant in the centre of town serving largish portions of great home cooked Thai food. It's been open less than a month and serves up the usual stuff, pad Thai, fried rice, pad kapraow, pat pet, pat phrik etc all at 30b and 35b for seafood versions, with a bilingual user friendly menu. It's owned by Cowtom 1b (but named Pad Thai Ratchadamnurn) and is adjoining to the original Cowtom 1b restaurant adjacent to the Mengrai shrine at the crossroads of Rathadamnurn and Phra Pokklao. It's open from 10 until 7pm approx.

Drinks are the usual prices and apparently it's chokka on Sunday market.

By the way, for those who are not familiar with Cowtom 1b, IMO it serves some of the best Thai food until late at night, with al fresco dining on the pavement for those discerning diners!!

regards Bojo

[Scrubber]

I know the 'Khaothom 1 baht' restaurant on Rajadamnern Road, but haven't eaten there for a couple of years after a double-pricing experience. I used to enjoy eating there with friends because, as you said, the food was decent and cheap. The last time I went, however, I was by myself and was shocked when the bill came showing that I owed twice what I usually paid. I asked the waitress if there had been a mistake, but she said it was correct. I finally pointed to the price I expected to pay, listed on the menu written on the wall in Thai and she disappeared looking a tad ashamed. She returned a minute later, but not with the response I had hoped for. "That's the farang price", she declared. In the end I paid up, but vowed never to return. Maybe I'll give it another try to see if anything has changed.

[hml367]

Bojo,

You must have been looking in the wrong places. If you want local food at local prices, you probably would not find many offerings in areas which cater mostly to tourists.

I have had many, many good Thai items at Thai prices in my times here in Chiang Mai.

I don't have the experience outside of Chiang Mai to make an opinion.

If you want good Thai food at Thai prices, ask a Thai person where they go. I find it too hard to believe there are not an ample amount of places in Chiang Mai.

MSPain

[bojo]

Bojo,

You must have been looking in the wrong places. If you want local food at local prices, you probably would not find many offerings in areas which cater mostly to tourists.

I have had many, many good Thai items at Thai prices in my times here in Chiang Mai.

I don't have the experience outside of Chiang Mai to make an opinion.

If you want good Thai food at Thai prices, ask a Thai person where they go. I find it too hard to believe there are not an ample amount of places in Chiang Mai.

MSPain

By far the majority of eateries in the centre of town cater for Thais, with foreigners representing just a tiny proportion of diners. My point was that to come across a decent, clean, centrally located restaurant that serves pad kapraow or the like at 30b with quality rice and an ample portion is nearly impossible to find. You can get very average and below average fayre everywhere at 25b but a dish served spot on in a nice environment and staff is another story.

I try new restaurants pretty much most days and have tried hundreds here in the last 18 months .If anyone out there knows of similar aharn sung restaurants in town of the above description, I would like to give them a go.

Regards Bojo

[wjmark]

I try new restaurants pretty much most days and have tried hundreds here in the last 18 months .If anyone out there knows of similar aharn sung restaurants in town of the above description, I would like to give them a go.

Regards Bojo

OK - here is one.

My local feedery is great. All the locals acknowledge it as very special. My GF says best bbq pork ever. Clean, fresh, and not greasy or too sweet. I think it is called Pen Sen, but there is no English sign.

Easy to find (if my directions are clear!)...

If you are going north on Neimenheman, you cross Huay Keow, it becomes SuperHighway.

About 100 meters up SuperHighway on the left is a small road that veers left (not a sharp left, just a veer).

30 meters up this road on the right is the open-air (but covered) restaurant. It is actually nestled between the small road and Superhighway (can even park on SuperHighway if you want).

Open about 7am , and close around 1:00pm - when the run out of food. 6-8 dishes every day - always changing.

Cheap (20-40baht) fantastic food - changes every day. Sometimes they have a Northern version of Gang Som - not as spicy or sour as the Southern version. A little tomato-flavoured - almost like a bouillabaisse.

Always a different nam-prik - I like the minced pork and tomato one.

Always one or two different coconut curries.

Great bbq (deep-fried) pork.

When they have the hearts of palm, I always have a double order.

Deep-fried, hard-boiled eggs in sweet sauce with crispy onions (this they have almost every day).

Usually some type of Tom Jood (clear mild soup)

on and on and on...

And of course they do take out.

I didn't enter them in the Kao Soi thread, but they also have two versions here - one with pork blood (I like), and one with chicken (I like it too)

[Earl]

I am sorry to say that I was also ripped off at KhaoTom 1 (or whatever the "open air" restaurant on Rachadamneun is called). The service was brusque, food greasy and, all around, a negative experience. The bill was much higher than we thought it would be but we just wanted out of there. I do understand that this place gets overwhelmed with tourists, and that does not bode well for service or courtesy.