Good Restaurants in Chiang Rai

[tayto]

Having lived in Chiang Rai for over 3 years, it is surprising sometimes to hear of a restaurant you did'nt know about.

One I know , The Family Bakehouse serves the finest steak ever.

Do you know of any good restaurants?

[tung tsz]

Having lived in Chiang Rai for over 3 years, it is surprising sometimes to hear of a  restaurant you did'nt know about.

One I know , The Family Bakehouse serves the finest steak ever.

Do you know of any good restaurants?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Last April a friend was visiting us and he

found a little Indian place on one of the side streets

between Jetyod and Phanonyothin Rds

It was just opposite the Wang Come and

beside quite a big massage place

It was pretty a pretty basic plastic table and chair job

but I am partial to Indian style curry

and a bit of nice bread instead of rice

It made a nice change

Don't know if its still there !

tungtsz

[Tyree D.]

Having lived in Chiang Rai for over 3 years, it is surprising sometimes to hear of a  restaurant you did'nt know about.

One I know , The Family Bakehouse serves the finest steak ever.

Do you know of any good restaurants?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Last April a friend was visiting us and he

found a little Indian place on one of the side streets

between Jetyod and Phanonyothin Rds

It was just opposite the Wang Come and

beside quite a big massage place

It was pretty a pretty basic plastic table and chair job

but I am partial to Indian style curry

and a bit of nice bread instead of rice

It made a nice change

Don't know if its still there !

tungtsz

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

IT'S GONE!

I just discovered the mexican restaurant across Overbrook. An American with a Thai wife that can speak Spanish own it.

[Limbo]

Tyree, I suppose you are talking about the American-Thai couple who were running an internet shop and a shop for (embottled, easy for transport) orchids?

Opposite the old wing of the Overbrook Hospital? Not far from Wat Phra Keaw? I heard a lot of good stories about them and will certainly give it a try.

To talk about the by Tayto mentioned Family Bakery House:

That's really recommendable.

The very sympathic Thai owner lived for several years in the States. You can see it at the log cabin style restaurant, old Winchesters and similar attributes at the wall, but for all you can see and even taste it when your steaks are served. On iron plates, still sissling, accompagnied by a salad, some corn and eventually some French fries.

Super tender, they melt in your mouth. I guess 250 to 350 grams at least. Pig, beef and OISTRICH ! Superb!

Between 190 and 240 Baht.

Thai food, of course, as well. Singha draught and wines.

Wintertime the fireplace ads to the nice atmosphere.

The customers are mostly softspoken Thai people.

Good thing that Tayto didn't tell were it is. I won't either. It is too good!

Tip: About three kilometers from Ha Yek, so if you blindly choose you have 20% chance you take the good one.

Limbo naughty to-day.

[Limbo]

>>>> Super tender, they melt in your mouth. I guess 250 to 350 grams at least. Pig, beef and OISTRICH ! Superb!

Between 190 and 240 Baht.

The customers are mostly softspoken Thai people. <<<<

I must apologize, I forgot to mention the salmon steak (hmmmm...).

It is on the road to Ban Panjamorn (direction Wiangchai). About hundred meters before you take to the left to go to the sportstadium. A big illuminated yellow sign at the left side of the road might catch your attention.

As we all know the Rimkok offers every day between 11 and 14 a very good buffet for the price of 120 Baht.

By that I don't want to say anything bad about the buffets of the Wiang Inn or the Wang Come, the two hotels in the middle of town. They are good too. Same price, but the Wang Come starts a little bit later at 11.30.

It seems that most motorized expats prefer the Rimkok. It is a very relaxed place.

Last Saturday evening I checked out the Family Buffet at the Rimkok Hotel (18 - 22?). It is 200 Baht.

A much bigger choice of dishes, everything nice fresh, white cloths on the table and some dance performances and not too loud life-music.

Nice atmosphere. Very nicely dressed Thai families mixed with a few foreigners, dressed in fake polo-shirts and short pants.

Nice to go with your family, indeed.

Be carefull when you order a beer, it will cost you almost as much as the whole buffet (Heineken or Songha, big bottles 165 Baht).

Limbo, a little bit hungry

[Limbo]

The Italian 'Restaurant Da Vinci' (at the T-crossing of the Pahonyothin Rd and the road to the busstation) starts to attract more Thai local customers than tourists and expats.

It is the only Italian restaurant with a stone-oven fired by wood.

The Thai Chiang Rai people know the difference between a carton pizza and a real one. And more and more expats are catching up with them.

At the international restaurant 'Aye's Place' (fifty meters further, next to the Seven/Eleven, you can order from their menue as well.

I only tried the lasagna and it was perfect!

Limbo, at your service.

[tayto]

Any reports on the new restaurant at the old airport golf course?

[jackjack]

Maybe I am boring, but I always return to the 'river???side or view' restaurant. They seem to always have great tasty food and certainly reasonably priced. Shame that the singers in the band are hit and miss though, some good, some shockers.

[Tokker]

1,5 years ago I had the greatest fried chicken in butter at a mainly open-air restaurant almost opposite of Big C. (Thai for thai restaurant. No english menu). A few months ago I was there again, and the place had been taken over. No more delicious fried chicken. Can anybody recommend a good alternative?

[chang35baht]

I,m quite partial to the chilli dogs at the BigC myself with an equally delicious jug of either Heineken, Tiger or Leo beer, and a desert of 33 plates of popcorn that come with the jug of your choice.No substitute.

[Limbo]

Our hosts, the Chiang Rai Thai people, wouldn't drink beer or whiskey without eating something. Where our fantasy often doesn't go further than a handfull of peanuts, they have a whole range of snacks to choose from.

They seem to know better than we do, that activating the stomach while drinking is a good thing to do.

It is not really recommendable to replace a dinner by a belly full of beer.

Close to Pratu Chiang Mai, at the Thanon Rayotha (direction Den Haa) you know the Shell gasoline station. Almost opposite this gasoline station, about 4 o'clock in the afternoon, tables and chairs are put outside. And one hour later these chairs are all occupied. And if you see that as a good sign concerning the quaity of the food, you are absolute right.

This late-afternoon restaurant is perfect for take-away ('sai tung') dishes.

I specially recommend the 'mo-gai-pla-tem' (the spelling is nonsense, but it is supposed to mean 'pork-egg-fish-salt'). It is a steamt dish, soft of taste and well-becoming for the inner department. 20 Baht. You can eat it with rice as a meal, but it is a perfect snack as well.

They have different variations on this theme.

So if it is on your way, you might consider to try it. I think it is Thai-Chinese food.

Thai Chiang Rai people consider the 'kweetiou sin-la-pin' (opposite the staff entrance of the Wang Come hotel in the street of 'Carnal Desires') still as the best place for 'kao soh kai', the typical Northern coconut based ckicken noodle-soup.

25 Baht.

For a straight noodle soup with meatballs they however walk from there up to the clocktower, take to the left and prefer the last noodle shop before the Esso gasoline station about twenty meters from the corner.

Rumours say that there still the herb 'grass' is used for the preparation of it (Laos style). 20 Baht.

The best 'sai oea' (the meters long rolls of spicy sausage) is told to be made on the town side of the San Kong Luang, in the middle between the big aerobics hall (soi 6) and the new styled 'Kep Ta Wan' (soi 12?).

You can't miss the place, you will see the smoke over the street and if you are not 'canned' you will smell it as well. Really delicious, especially with some sticky rice.

Limbo.

[chang35baht]

For me the best Lek En Sot Nam Sy(kwit teeaow) is sampled at the shop heading from police station to the traffic lights before the Meng Rai statue. Immediately where the central reservation starts, on the left. delicious. sy prick ye yuht, aroy dee.

[tayto]

I,m quite partial to the chilli dogs at the BigC myself with an equally delicious jug of either Heineken, Tiger or Leo beer, and a desert of 33 plates of popcorn that come with the jug of your choice.No substitute.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

What about chang beer?

[chang35baht]

Gives me a headache in the morning and causes memory loss. Drank it for 5 years but had to stop.

[mumbojumbo]

There is a wonderful place on the main road where you can get roast duck on a bed of rice and a bowl of chicken broth soup for B35. You have to be there fairly early or they run out of duck. I wish i could tell you the location, but they are running out of duck earlier and earlier, and i don't want to spoil it for myself

[Limbo]

There is a wonderful place on the main road where you can get roast duck on a bed of rice and a bowl of chicken broth soup for B35. You have to be there fairly early or they run out of duck. I wish i could tell you the location, but they are running out of duck earlier and earlier, and i don't want to spoil it for myself

I won't tell anybody that if you come out of the main office of Thai Airways and you would neither turn to the left nor to the right, that you would walk straight into it.

Let's say that you are so extremely excited by having bought a ticket and the prospect to travel to your home country again that you do so.

And the duck and 'red pig' happen to be finished already .

One option would be to walk out of the place, take to the left, pass Gare Garon and the little but very recommendable travel agency of Khun Phol to find 'The Old Dutch' next.

Aside from the unique ambiance of the place, it actually has a superb Thai cook.

And, as one might expect , this is reflected in the quality of the food.

I actually never tried his Thai food as I take a shoarma (pig or chicken) to embed my Chang in.

As I am not a big eater I didn't try any other western food there either, with the exception of many 'sandwiches croquet'.

So my judgment is purely based on the experience of several Thai friends.

And all of them, in choir, they extol the cook!

Limbo

[Limbo]

No Mumbojumbo, I am not replying to my own posting, but I forgot to give Dekbannok some tips.

Keep a sharp eye on places which are popular among the Chiang Rai people (of which the majority still happens to be Thai ). Simple, open restaurants which are often packed in the early hours of the day and during lunchtime. A kind of 'brunch' places.

They mostly are closed during the late afternoon and evening.

Mentioned are already the 'kao soi kai' (kweetio sin la pin as the locals call it) at the Yedyod Road and the 'mo deng' and duck place opposite Thai Airways.

The costs of the meals mostly equals the price of a liter of gasoline, which might be the reason that you often see quite expensive cars parked outside .

I would suggest that you would follow the example of our caretaker Prime Minister and have a beef-soup in the best and most famous beef-soup place in town.

Coming from the clocktower (under construction, design Chalermchai Kositpipat) passing the little Lao style kweetio shop, de gasoline station and the Suknirand hotel you walk on another fifty meters and you stop.

You look to the other side of the street and you see it.

If you come close you will see that the place is decorated with about thirty pictures of the Prime Minister visiting the very same place to enjoy their excellent soup.

Depending on your political views this might enlarge your appetite or not.

But the soup is the soup

Limbo

[little_muppet]

Thats "Nue woa Lod yiem" the name of beef soup resturant. i like it, aroi mak. also the place u mentioned infront of thai airways office,the resturant name " Na Korn Phathom" (it the name of province in centrl thai near bkk) . one more for Kaw soi noodle... there is a small resturant that have kow sai kai and kow soi nue (chicken and beef) ,located on the way to Mae fah luang university, around Baan den area. they serve good taste of kaw soi and not expensive .... (i didnt go there for ages...but i would like to eat there again....)

[toybits]

Ban Klang Wiang which is in front of Wat Klang Wiang is a really nice resto. Heard is was a kind of franchise of Mr. Chan? of Chiang Mai. Open only in the evening. During the day, the whole place is shuttered down.

I like their Calsone.

[dekbannok]

Hey Tayto:

Thanks for the tip. Do they serve Irish beef? I will go try it soon as possible. I do like a good steak occasionally. But where is the Family Bakehouse?

The steak places I have tried:

1. The Peak, Dusit Island. Comment: Ambience great at the top of the hotel with great view of the river but steak (NZ or Aussie beef), so so...

2. A cheap place called BKK Grill near the night bazaar. Their rib-eye (NZ beef) was better than I thought for less than 200 baht a great bargain.

When the 5-star hotel, The Raintree open for business. They may have good steak as it looks like an int'l hotel chain will be involved in thier operation.

Dekbannok aka "greedy gut"

Having lived in Chiang Rai for over 3 years, it is surprising sometimes to hear of a restaurant you did'nt know about.

One I know , The Family Bakehouse serves the finest steak ever.

Do you know of any good restaurants?

[little_muppet]

i know where it is...is in a very small soi...just before chiang rai stadium..

[dekbannok]

Oh, Limbo:

I forgot to tell everyone that I did try the beef noodle suggested by Soap yesterday. It was indeed very good and very inexpensive for sao baht.

I was meeting someone at Doi Chang cafe near the clock tower and happened to park my car, believe it or not, right in font of the noodle shop and not knowing it at first. I immedaitely ordered a bowl of beef noodle even after I just finished lunch soemwhere.

Well, I can now see that this topic is generating some very good "eating out guides" for all of us. Perhaps one of the nice things the forum brings when people with knowledge network and share experience.

Limbo, keep it up...

Dek

No Mumbojumbo, I am not replying to my own posting, but I forgot to give Dekbannok some tips.

Keep a sharp eye on places which are popular among the Chiang Rai people (of which the majority still happens to be Thai ). Simple, open restaurants which are often packed in the early hours of the day and during lunchtime. A kind of 'brunch' places.

They mostly are closed during the late afternoon and evening.

Mentioned are already the 'kao soi kai' (kweetio sin la pin as the locals call it) at the Yedyod Road and the 'mo deng' and duck place opposite Thai Airways.

The costs of the meals mostly equals the price of a liter of gasoline, which might be the reason that you often see quite expensive cars parked outside .

I would suggest that you would follow the example of our caretaker Prime Minister and have a beef-soup in the best and most famous beef-soup place in town.

Coming from the clocktower (under construction, design Chalermchai Kositpipat) passing the little Lao style kweetio shop, de gasoline station and the Suknirand hotel you walk on another fifty meters and you stop.

You look to the other side of the street and you see it.

If you come close you will see that the place is decorated with about thirty pictures of the Prime Minister visiting the very same place to enjoy their excellent soup.

Depending on your political views this might enlarge your appetite or not.

But the soup is the soup

Limbo

[little_muppet]

yess Khun Dek ..thats the shop called " Nue woa rod yiem" <<< aroi mak mak...

Edited May 31, 2006 by unknown_user

[Ulysses G.]

Chiang Rai seems to be lacking more that a few decent Farang eating places.

[tayto]

Chiang Rai seems to be lacking more that a few decent Farang eating places.

If you saw the size of some of the local farang here, you would disagree about that statement.

Some of the better places are disguised with only Thai writting to keep out the farang.

[svenivan]

Dusit Island have very good breakfast buffet and very good Dinner buffet

Wiang Inn Hotel have a VERY good lunchbuffet

Riverview, I like this place. Allways a lot of customers but most of the time we will get a table.

Bo's place with good western food, nice salad and most of the time nice farangs in the bar!!!

Bai Bon (between Army golfcourse and Chiang Rai Condo) always good food, not so many guests (good).

Baan Kang Wient (trafficlight before the policestations on the main road) Absolutely best pizza in town (try Miss Josephine), good steaks and good pasta.

And don't forget to go to Santiburi for lunch or dinner. You don't need to be a golfer. All the Thaifood are on top !! And some western food that are very good! Cold Singha, Kloster and Leo plus Singha draft beer. Prices are very reasonable. And a beautiful Clubhouse with a nice view over the golfcourse.

[Sao Jiang Mai]

Hubbie and I are coming up to stay at the Legend this weekend for some R&R. We are both avid foodies but every time we go we only seem to go to the main strip near the night bazaar and eat at that Italian place. Would love to have some suggestions of any new or good restaurants. We like good atmosphere, good wines (but happy to bring our own) and great food. We eat Thai here in CM regularly, so would like something alternative, though a great Thai restaurant that is different and has something new to offer woulod also appeal.

Cheers.

[Limbo]

If you go to the Family Bakery House, bring your own wine. Last time they had only one bottle left. At this place you might be the only guests. Good steaks, but further no entertainment and a four kilometers out of town.

Another place to try out could be The Old Dutch (going from the Italian Restaurant Da Vinci in northern direction you will first pass Ayes Place -which is also recommendable- and hundred meters further at your left you will find it; you actually can't miss it, aircon and a decoration in old Dutch style). The Old Dutch has a western and Thai menu. Remarcable place! Good atmosphere.

Chateau de Loei and Jacobs Creek.

If you are staying at the Legend you might be looking for the kind of restaurant which isn't mentioned here.

The first Michelin start has namely not appeared yet at the culinairy firmament of Chiang Rai.

Does anybody have some information on the restaurant of the new modern hotel opposite Big C, The Mantrini? Is it open already?

Limbo

[soap]

no info on the mantrina hotel restaurant limbo,but what might interest you the sign for the mantrina says

hotel and art gallery

[tayto]

Hubbie and I are coming up to stay at the Legend this weekend for some R&R. We are both avid foodies but every time we go we only seem to go to the main strip near the night bazaar and eat at that Italian place. Would love to have some suggestions of any new or good restaurants. We like good atmosphere, good wines (but happy to bring our own) and great food. We eat Thai here in CM regularly, so would like something alternative, though a great Thai restaurant that is different and has something new to offer woulod also appeal.

Cheers.

Another good place that springs to mind is the Cabbages and Condoms restaurant,near the old jail and beside the hilltribe museum.

Excellent fair.

Bon appitit.