Nimmanhemin Highlights?

[ctrunfree]

We are coming back for another month in August, this time staying at Kantary Hills. We'd appreciate people's thoughts on the best eateries/bars in the Nimmanheiman area, and particularly any tips about recommended foodstalls for those all important lunchtime plastic bag takeaways (or do we need to go down to Suthep for those?)

Hope to catch up with some of you CM FC supporters at the Stadium!

[meadish_sweetball]

No food carts on Nimman as far as I'm aware. So your best bets for that would be Thanon Suthep just like you suspect. Best eateries on Nimman is a tall order... If you're not afraid to pay a bit for home-made ice cream, do try Udom 'Note' Taepanich's ice cream shop "iBerry". Note Udom is probably Thailand's most famous stand-up comedian, and he moved up to Chiang Mai from Bangkok some 10 years ago and opened his ice cream business in one of the sois off Nimmanhemin. Very popular with young urban Thais. Nice garden setting with arty/whacky objects.

[kalbo123]

Nimann highlight...teenagegirls in schooluniforms, fake hi-so girls with fake Louis Vuitton handbacks, and a trafficlight that seems forever on red.

Edited July 5, 2011 by kalbo123

[keo]

Mix at the end of soi 1 is excellent if you are looking to splash out a little on dinner. Thai/Chinese/International cuisine.

Kasem store opposite the Siam Commercial Bank is good for baked goods.

[techno]

Why Not restaurant in Soi 11 has an excellent Italian style buffet for 189 baht. Open for lunch and dinner

[hellodolly]

No food carts on Nimman as far as I'm aware. So your best bets for that would be Thanon Suthep just like you suspect. Best eateries on Nimman is a tall order... If you're not afraid to pay a bit for home-made ice cream, do try Udom 'Note' Taepanich's ice cream shop "iBerry". Note Udom is probably Thailand's most famous stand-up comedian, and he moved up to Chiang Mai from Bangkok some 10 years ago and opened his ice cream business in one of the sois off Nimmanhemin. Very popular with young urban Thais. Nice garden setting with arty/whacky objects.

I may be wrong but just around the corner from the ice cream shop on soi 17 (not sure on that) is a vegetarian buffet for 109 Baht. I am told the dishes change every day. Not a vegetarian but went there once and will go back again.

[Beetlejuice]

Nimmanhemin is neither here nor there.

I would describe it as a sort of nothing type of area, an in-between place to get from one destination to another.

There isn’t anything of interest in Nimmanhemin worth noting.

[meadish_sweetball]

<br />

<br />No food carts on Nimman as far as I'm aware. So your best bets for that would be Thanon Suthep just like you suspect.   Best eateries on Nimman is a tall order... If you're not afraid to pay a bit for home-made ice cream, do try Udom 'Note' Taepanich's ice cream shop "iBerry". Note Udom is probably Thailand's most famous stand-up comedian, and he moved up to Chiang Mai from Bangkok some 10 years ago and opened his ice cream business in one of the sois off Nimmanhemin. Very popular with young urban Thais. Nice garden setting with arty/whacky objects.<br />

I may be wrong but just around the corner from the ice cream shop on soi 17 (not sure on that) is a vegetarian buffet for 109 Baht. I am told the dishes change every day. Not a vegetarian but went there once and will go back again.<br />

That sounds like Khun Chern. It's a very decent lunch buffet. I sometimes bring newcomers to CM there.

Opposite Khun Chern is Kuaytiaw Ruea Khun Mor, also a decent place with a good selection of dishes - Thai, fusion and the Thai impression of Western food.

KRKM's boat noodles, kuaytiaw ruea are among the best in town, in recent years they have branched out into a franchise type deal, so you will find the same brand in a few food courts too. Not sure if the one at the top level of Airport Plaza is still there these days?

[james24]

Nimmanhemin is neither here nor there.

I would describe it as a sort of nothing type of area, an in-between place to get from one destination to another.

There isn't anything of interest in Nimmanhemin worth noting.

I kinda disagree with that.

For a night out with a good bit of dinner and alot of bars to choose from you cant go wrong with the soi's off Nimman. During the day there are alot of interesting shops/cafe's.

Its constantly growing and prefer to any other area in Cm.

[Jingthing]

Nimmanhemin is neither here nor there.

I would describe it as a sort of nothing type of area, an in-between place to get from one destination to another.

There isn’t anything of interest in Nimmanhemin worth noting.

Sounds like you live there and want to scare away the tourists and put pressure for lower rents. It's a great area, and I think you know it.

Edited July 5, 2011 by Jingthing

[Drew Aitch]

For a night out with a good bit of dinner and a lot of bars to choose from you cant go wrong with the soi's off Nimman. During the day there are alot of interesting shops/cafe's. Its constantly growing and prefer to any other area in Cm.

Here, here!

Not much fun to drive along though, but that aside, Nimmanhemin is turning into a little township within its own right. There are numerous attractions to suit many tastes when you go exploring along its sois and sub-sois. Depends what you like of course, but give me this part of town and surrounding areas to the seedy Thapae end of Chiang Mai with it's "Hello sexy man!", tipsy tourists, and calls of "Maaaasssaaaage" bellowing out at every 10 meters, aaaaaany day of the week.

Aitch

[Yelly]

I live and work off of Nimman, and I love it. It's important to note that I am a 25-year-old female. Kantary is VERY nice. My condo building is across the street.To eat: Salad Concept is great. Affordable build-your-own salads with numerous options (I've never parted with more than 70 baht for a massive salad, here). Sahara has decent food at a good price (think 99 baht pizzas that are perfect in size and actually seasoned, no cheese skimping). There is a large, cheap Burmese food stall right in the middle of it all between soi 9 and 13. It's very cheap. There is a stand nearly every block in the morning selling random fruit or dishes for 10-15 baht. There is an all-you-can-eat place called Khun Churn (99 baht)...Thai vegetarian. For a cheap drink, I like "At 9" across from the Empire Residence. It's on the second level of Tall Teak Plaza, so grab a table near the street and have fun people-watching. A pitcher of Chang is only 99 baht, but there are other options for those with "taste." (If you want liquor and don't care: a bottle of Sangsom and 5 free mixers is only 299...). SO, what this paragraph can prove from very little offered: Nimman is not particularly overpriced, but it IS a young, trendy crowd. There is a great coffeeshop every block. You can find nearly any food you want within a few blocks on foot. The shopping around here is EXCELLENT, and the proximity to Kad Suan Gaew is nice. Also, you have Doi Suthep very nearby, and I find some peace in walking home anytime of the day and seeing that temple at the top of that beautiful mountain...as you will be living on the same Soi...well, you'll see

[roger1999]

Some people hate the Nimmen area due to the traffic. I moved near there because I hate driving cars, and everything you really need to live in within a short walk. The only way to improve the area would be to add a decent sized supermarket and a cineplex. If you need to get out of town, you are right near the superhighway entrance and the canal road, so the heavy traffic usually results in only a short delay.

Yelly mentioned some nice places to eat. A few others include Ming Muang (I think that's the name) and Smoothy Blues. These two places are right across the street from each other, maybe at Soi 7 or so.

Edited July 5, 2011 by roger1999

[keo]

Nimmanhemin is neither here nor there.

I would describe it as a sort of nothing type of area, an in-between place to get from one destination to another.

There isn’t anything of interest in Nimmanhemin worth noting.

Curious that you can overlook the whole area so sweepingly. You sound almost bitter!

Intrigued to know what is worthy of your interest in CM?

I would add the insect museum at the end of soi 13 - if you are interested in insects, they have an amazing collection.

Not sure how old you are, but Warm Up and Monkey Club are decent if you want to look at/interact with pretty 20-somethings getting drunk and listening to instantly forgettable music.

[junki3korean]

Salad Concept is really nice........and great clubs around Nimman.

The Miguels Express also have nice live music and chang on tap

Edited July 5, 2011 by junki3korean

[jackr]

There isn’t anything of interest in Nimmanhemin worth noting.

You sound a barrel of laughs. Let me guess: ageing, beer bellies, vests, flipflops, tats, doesn't do trendiness, considers Loi Kroh the bastion of CM.

That CM even has a bohemian area like Nimmanhaemin is the kind of thing that sets it apart from the rest.

[kalbo123]

I don't like the nightlife in Nimann, that does not mean I am a Loi Kroh fan, but the music in those places around Nimann in one word: horrible!

As a matter of fact I find it really difficult to find a place with music that I like and I don't have a difficult taste, rock ( not 40 years old eagle songs) and some modern western pop.

There are some ok restaurants, but the best restaurants are still in town, Chez Marco, The Duke, la Terraza, Cote le Jardin etc.

I think around Nimann is more a Thai thing, but a ok place with less arrogant people is Tawan Deng, if you are into Thai country music.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

bohemian area like Nimmanhaemin is the kind of thing that sets it apart from the rest.

Now there is a word I never thought I would see in relation to Chiang Mai. Or Thailand, for that matter.

Bohemianism is the practice of an unconventional lifestyle, often in the company of like-minded people, with few permanent ties, involving musical, artistic or literary pursuits. In this context, Bohemians can be wanderers, adventurers, or vagabonds.

This use of the word bohemian first appeared in the English language in the 19th century^[1] to describe the non-traditional lifestyles of marginalized and impoverished artists, writers, journalists, musicians, and actors in major European cities. Bohemians were associated with unorthodox or anti-establishment political or social viewpoints, which were often expressed through free love, frugality, and voluntary poverty.

It seems strange to apply that to what is largely a sub-urban higher middle class residential area / yuppie poser night-life area.

Even the Kad Boon Yoo / Reggae Area gets closer to the above than Nimman.

Edited July 6, 2011 by WinnieTheKhwai

[CMX]

I believe that Nimman is the most foreign-friendly neighborhood in Chiang Mai if we exclude honky-tonk night-market tourism. As yelly lists and others illustrate, there are less expensive places to purchase things, but we can spend baht as well. Assuming that one does not want to live in a house, rents for apartment and studio life are no bargain, although residents might factor in convenience and if you are able to suit yourself about noise. Youth abounds, much of it resident and citizen. In a sense, it's an enclave, enriched in its variety by lots of kids from CMU.

Transportation is exceptionally good, in spite of the paradox of terrible traffic at rush hours. Add an Airport Road pass, and you can get around town to its south in a trice, and it's been mentioned that the Superhighway is only a bit north. Or one can head north or south by the generally relaxing (so far) Canal Road. Songtheau are in rich supply too.

I had not known about that pitcher price!

[Yelly]

Assuming that one does not want to live in a house, rents for apartment and studio life are no bargain, although residents might factor in convenience and if you are able to suit yourself about noise.  

<br /><br />We have a spacious 1-bedroom (NOT a studio, a separate bedroom) with a balcony and nice view for 7,500 THB a month...and our condo building doesn't "add" to the electric/water bills. We pay gov't pricing. When we were looking for a condo, we actually found that the Nimman area was consistently cheaper. That's why we actually wound up here, originally. Now, we quite enjoy it.

At Nine also has the towers for a GREAT price, as well Cheers!

Edited July 6, 2011 by Yelly

[CMX]

Assuming that one does not want to live in a house, rents for apartment and studio life are no bargain, although residents might factor in convenience and if you are able to suit yourself about noise.

<br /><br />We have a spacious 1-bedroom (NOT a studio, a separate bedroom) with a balcony and nice view for 7,500 THB a month...and our condo building doesn't "add" to the electric/water bills. We pay gov't pricing. When we were looking for a condo, we actually found that the Nimman area was consistently cheaper. That's why we actually wound up here, originally. Now, we quite enjoy it.

At Nine also has the towers for a GREAT price, as well Cheers!

Impressive! May one ask about air-con and sq. meters? As apartments/condos demand more than most houses per square area, and do take money for the utilities, I am surprised. My search was too quick and v. incomplete, it seems. Might well be great news for OP.

[Beetlejuice]

There isn't anything of interest in Nimmanhemin worth noting.

You sound a barrel of laughs. Let me guess: ageing, beer bellies, vests, flipflops, tats, doesn't do trendiness, considers Loi Kroh the bastion of CM.

That CM even has a bohemian area like Nimmanhaemin is the kind of thing that sets it apart from the rest.

Almost right, except that I never wear flipflops.

I much prefer those steel capped industrial boots so I can kick the little children away when they play near my home.

[uptheos]

I may be wrong but just around the corner from the ice cream shop on soi 17 (not sure on that) is a vegetarian buffet for 109 Baht. I am told the dishes change every day. Not a vegetarian but went there once and will go back again.

Khun Churn, one of the best value buffets in Chiang Mai.

[ctrunfree]

Thanks for all the useful responses folks..plenty to investigate..

[Sao Jiang Mai]

Everything recommended so far is great. My favourite Thai restaurant is Cafe de Nimman, exceptional food, and inexpensive, it is in front of the Room Project just opposite(ish) Warmup. Go to Cosmos or Glass Onion for drinks after (just inside the project), Sangdee Gallery just off Sirimankalajarn Road paralell to Nim is excellent on Wednesdays and Thursdays, it is a non-profit gallery with great open mic and music nights on the evenings mentioned. Su Casa on soi 11 has great Med cuisine, opposite it is a great beef noodle shop and two doors down is Sumo, with delightful sushi...too many other places to mention. I don't understand the comment about Nim road not having anything and just being a through road! Seriously? There are great places to eat and drink around here.

[StevieH]

I don't like the nightlife in Nimann, that does not mean I am a Loi Kroh fan, but the music in those places around Nimann in one word: horrible!

As a matter of fact I find it really difficult to find a place with music that I like and I don't have a difficult taste, rock ( not 40 years old eagle songs) and some modern western pop.

bridge bar on soi 11 has a good band that play live sets of modern rock and indie stuff. has tables and chairs and a cheap and cheerful bar set up outside too. good place to hear some reasonable live stuff on a friday or saturday.