A New Vegetarian Buffet.

[daoyai]

Last night I tried the new veggie offerings at the Karinthip village hotel. It is advertised as a buffet but as it is new and the customers few, they currently have only salad out but they will prepare an assortment of dishes (all you can eat). The focus as told to me by the chef is to not try to immitate a meat dish so no fake meat, just vegetables. The tastes were all unique, based on Northern Thai style. Mushrooms are featured in three of the dished I had, a soup a curry and a stirfry. Included in the price are drinks, a choice of cold pandanas, lemongrass or butterfly pea flower teas. The service and ambiance is wonderful, the cost is 99baht !

They serve lunch from 12:00 - 14:00 Dinner from 18:00: -20:00 . Location, Karinthip village hotel, just off Chang Moi road, coming from the moat, it is the first or second soi on the left, they have a sign on Chang Moi. I hope this becomes popular, it is a great alternative for the CM food scene.

[femi fan]

Hey, good information! I shall certainly try it out. It's amazing really, that this forum attracts little reaction to healthy eating threads when chiang mai is such a healthy eating place, and considering the forum has so many food threads.

I know the place, it's the first soi on the left, and by a shop with lots of cane or bamboo furniture. i wonder why they have gone for this food option?

Was the chef thai or farang?

[femi fan]

However i am a bit confused, you said only salad offerings, but then talked about soup, curry and stir fry? How does that compute?!

[daoyai]

When I went, only the salad was buffet style, all other dishes were prepared while i ate salad and were served to me as a sampler with the info that if i wanted more of anything ,they would provide. The chef is a very pleasant Thai woman.

[kaptainrob]

Might try that tomorrow as my wife loves salad and pak, especially in all you can eat buffet style, even as described.

Thanks for the heads-up!

[scd]

Just back from this buffet, and it is as described by the OP. My experience was identical, and perhaps with a dish or two extra.

Very tasty food and friendly staff, and they will not let you go home hungry! Fresh fruit is on offer as well after your mains. Recommended!

[kaptainrob]

Just back from this buffet, and it is as described by the OP. My experience was identical, and perhaps with a dish or two extra.

Very tasty food and friendly staff, and they will not let you go home hungry! Fresh fruit is on offer as well after your mains. Recommended!

Wife and I dined there yesterday and found the restaurant to be clean, staff friendly, food good ... not Michelin rate-able but hey, @99 Bt it's very tasty! The salad dressings were stunning and I particularly liked the deep fried pumpkin. Only complaint was the still sticky fresh varnish on TW's chair seat .... she left a nice bum-print tho her shorts may not wash out.

[mcgriffith]

daoyai wins the weekly kewpie doll prize for this one.

Excellent post, and will be by soon to try it out.

[DavidMavec]

I tried it tonight and overall I was happy. The service was good and reasonably priced. There wasn't much protein to speak of, but it was tasty. I can't complain and it's a nice ambiance.

[wellred]

Good stuff will add this on my veggie hit list. I like the idea of not using mock meat but tofu is nice sometimes.

Can someone point this place out to me on google maps please?

Thanks

[hellodolly]

Good stuff will add this on my veggie hit list. I like the idea of not using mock meat but tofu is nice sometimes.

Can someone point this place out to me on google maps please?

Thanks

Can't read Thai and haveno GPS so I was wondering which side of the old city it was.

Also in between which gate and the corner.

IE SW corner NW corner SE corner SW corner.

[weary]

Will give it a try as well. Thanks!

[elektrified]

Come on people. Just how difficult can it be? The OP gave VERY clear directions..."Location, Karinthip village hotel, just off Chang Moi road, coming from the moat, it is the first or second soi on the left..."

[scd]

First Soi on the left, Chang Moi road.

[kaptainrob]

It's a stones throw from Amora Hotel, in fact, if one walks down the soi behind Amora there's a Wat ... walk thru the Wat and Karinthip is in front of you.

Had another buffet today, 99 baht, at Ratanakosin Hotel on Ratanakosin Rd (the Doi Saket road) just north of Muang Mai market. It was a mix of vegetarian, noodle, meat and fish dishes plus dessert. A much bigger selection and quite popular with local Thais. They even have live music.

[wellred]

Thanks yes not far from Thae Pae gate, going off google maps anyway.

[hellodolly]

It's a stones throw from Amora Hotel, in fact, if one walks down the soi behind Amora there's a Wat ... walk thru the Wat and Karinthip is in front of you.

Had another buffet today, 99 baht, at Ratanakosin Hotel on Ratanakosin Rd (the Doi Saket road) just north of Muang Mai market. It was a mix of vegetarian, noodle, meat and fish dishes plus dessert. A much bigger selection and quite popular with local Thais. They even have live music.

Thanks Rob.

[transam]

Wish we had one in Ubon. Perhaps we have ?

[vagabond48]

It's a stones throw from Amora Hotel, in fact, if one walks down the soi behind Amora there's a Wat ... walk thru the Wat and Karinthip is in front of you.

Had another buffet today, 99 baht, at Ratanakosin Hotel on Ratanakosin Rd (the Doi Saket road) just north of Muang Mai market. It was a mix of vegetarian, noodle, meat and fish dishes plus dessert. A much bigger selection and quite popular with local Thais. They even have live music.

When I was there 3 months ago, it was 89B. I have been going there for 4 years. It was a great value when it was 79B. It was a decent value with fewer dishes when it went up to 89B. Now 99B. Oh well.

[femi fan]

vagabond, were you unaware of the steady rise in food prices over the last couple of years or so? Not to mention the government's new minimum wage hikes.

Dunno what country you're from, but for a buffet meal 99 baht represents rather good value, to put it mildly.

[vagabond48]

vagabond, were you unaware of the steady rise in food prices over the last couple of years or so? Not to mention the government's new minimum wage hikes.

Dunno what country you're from, but for a buffet meal 99 baht represents rather good value, to put it mildly.

I have lived in CM year round for nearly 7 years and yes I see have the steady food price increase. I am just saying at the 99B price if the quality and number of the dishes remain the same, it isn't worth it. My wife wasn't all that interested in coming there when it was 89B with the number of dishes they had. My friend told me that he and his wife had a great Indian buffet in Tucson AZ for under $20 and that included an additional minimum 25% tax and tip.

[DavidMavec]

Good stuff will add this on my veggie hit list. I like the idea of not using mock meat but tofu is nice sometimes.

Can someone point this place out to me on google maps please?

Thanks

Can you use Google? Just put it in and you'll get a map chucky.

[Sticky Rice Balls]

vagabond, were you unaware of the steady rise in food prices over the last couple of years or so? Not to mention the government's new minimum wage hikes.

Dunno what country you're from, but for a buffet meal 99 baht represents rather good value, to put it mildly.

I have lived in CM year round for nearly 7 years and yes I see have the steady food price increase. I am just saying at the 99B price if the quality and number of the dishes remain the same, it isn't worth it. My wife wasn't all that interested in coming there when it was 89B with the number of dishes they had. My friend told me that he and his wife had a great Indian buffet in Tucson AZ for under $20 and that included an additional minimum 25% tax and tip.

Indian Buffet--ohh be careful my friend--spicy--curry in a hurry to toilet--joke---"hmm this

looks good whats in it?.." "chickpeas and lentils" ahhh.."and this one?" lentils and chickpeas!

[hellodolly]

Good stuff will add this on my veggie hit list. I like the idea of not using mock meat but tofu is nice sometimes.

Can someone point this place out to me on google maps please?

Thanks

Can you use Google? Just put it in and you'll get a map chucky.

Easy to find. Going from Mikes Burgers on the moat towards the Wararhot market first left just down a short distance you can see the sign as soon as you turn down the road..

I forgot that it is open a limited time and was out and about this morning. It was 10:30 when I walked by it and noticed the sign saying open 12:00 to 14:00 and 18:00 to 20:00.

I had forgot all about that the OP had posted the times.

[wellred]

Good stuff will add this on my veggie hit list. I like the idea of not using mock meat but tofu is nice sometimes.

Can someone point this place out to me on google maps please?

Thanks

Can you use Google? Just put it in and you'll get a map chucky.

Unfortunately I'm on iOS maps which from the looks of things just about recognise Chiang Mai let alone Karanthip hotel haha. But I found it in the end. Not too far outside the moat it seems.

Cheers

[DavidMavec]

Good stuff will add this on my veggie hit list. I like the idea of not using mock meat but tofu is nice sometimes.

Can someone point this place out to me on google maps please?

Thanks

Can you use Google? Just put it in and you'll get a map chucky.

Unfortunately I'm on iOS maps which from the looks of things just about recognise Chiang Mai let alone Karanthip hotel haha. But I found it in the end. Not too far outside the moat it seems.

Cheers

I also found it with my iPhone running iOS6 but you can still use Google, just go to Safari and put it in. Good for next time chucky.

[junglechef]

Easy to find, more than fair value but not worth going back to. They had a spicy coconut milk based curry which tasted nice, western veg ( zucchini, bell peppers etc. sweet stir fry) which didn't go together, another spicy coconut milk curry "custard" (haw mok") which had dry hard pasta on top and noodle in sauce (ra na) which was pre-made and portioned with vermicelli (another misuse of ingredients as a thin noodle will not hold the sauce) but as it was not made to order as it chilled it turned into liquid so it was just wet noodles. Served with white rice and cold soggy toast. The salad bar had 12 toppings but again they didn't know how to cook the western ones and the potatoes, which must be cooked a bit too soft as they harden when cooled, were crunchy, and the lettuce was served as whole heads with the brown stem attached. To produce fusion cuisine one must understand both first which was clearly not the case. But that is all a bit much to ask for it to be done correctly at 99 ฿ but if they stuck to Thai it would have fared much better. But the reason I wouldn't return is that I eat vegetarian when I want to eat healthy and as mentioned before there was no protein except a bean for the salad and just refined sugar or fat to satiate. My experience was there was no service or even staff until after sitting at a table for a while, I couldn't eat as there was no plates in sight, I got up and when I went to the one table of diners and it turned out to be the staff, all tucking in who told me to go help myself and finally got up when I mentioned there was no plates. But they were all friendly and the place looks real nice so if your not as picky as me you might enjoy it. But I, in what I consider the ultimate test, did not feel good afterwards, a true sign of a meal that just doesn't work on many levels.

Edited November 6, 2012 by junglechef