Tawan Daeng

[chanchao]

Are there pubs/bars/restuarants in Chiang Mai that you particulary like?

I'd like to hear especially from people who've been ot the Chiang Mai Tawan Daeng branch. (Off Nimmanhaemin road, on that plot of concrete between Nimmanhaemin and the Canal Road that once was Cherng Doi market Haven't been in there, but I enjoy the Bangkok Tawan Daengs. I did notice the really radical theme of the place, with huge displays in stern red, white and black of Marx, Lenin, Mao, Che Guavara and Tony Blair on the wall. Interesting. ;-) (Ok I was kidding about Tony

But if there are other places beyond the usual tourist areas that you like then it would I'd like to hear them as well. Same goes for clubs/disco's.

Cheers,

Chanchao

[lamphun]

Ruen Pe retaurant on the old Bo-Sang road is a good place in the evening. On a pond and good food. Big menu.

Maybe someone could write a proper guide, not the sponsored one you get in the tourist magazines.

[Guest The Judge]

No reason we can't do it here, write a review of faves, how to get there, maybe a map, and maybe we can put them altogether on a restaurant page for CM.

Someone should ask an admin about it.

Admins?

[meadish_sweetball]

About the Tawan Daeng off Nimanhemin, it's not that good a place to be honest with you. Went to a Carabao consert with some friends, had ordered table in advance as it was bound to get really crowded, which turned out to be an understatement. We ordered (and there is nothing wrong with our Thai, or kham mueang either for that matter, since one in our group was born in Chiang Mai and has lived here all her life) and the wrong things came, the waiter was not very nice about it when we pointed it out to him in a nice way.

Overstressed staff who couldn't even take justified and soft criticism, the music blasted so loud that we had to scream into each other's ears, and the whole place appeared to me more like a huge scam trying to cash in on the pheua chiwit trend -all form, and no substance. P Aet Carabao was really annoyed with the incompetent sound technicians as well, and had a minor go at them (in the matter of fact way some Thais do, slightly sarcastic, but without getting upset).

Anyway, I'd avoid Tawan Daeng in CM. I've been to a few in Bangkok and some in the South, and they have all had nicer atmosphere than this one.

[chanchao]

Thanks, yes I found this out yesterday myself. Was already sufficiently un-impressed to not even order something and just leave. Dunno, was like little things that got to me. I'm pretty critical of staff these days, anything less than utter politeness and helpfulness and I'm already half-way out the door. ;-) It was also mostly empty, and that on a Saturday night.. The place just has nothing going for it basically.

Best part of the evening yesterday was the EXCELLENT dinner at 'The House' (Moon Muang road, PAST Somphet market so before you get to Sri Phoom corner.) It's like almost Nouvelle Cuisine fusion food. Meaning pretty inventive Western food with interesting ingedients. Great setting, definitely up-scale but in the end you don't have to spend all that much. Most main course dishes range from 200 baht to 500 baht. Then again, it's quite possible to drop less money than at a dinner at, say, the Good View, as you tend to order more different dishes with Thai food, AND places like the Good View get you on the drinks, water, ice, parking, etc. Can definitely recommend The House when you're looking for a splurge that's both excellent and innovative Western-esque food, but still in a very stylish and amicable environment. Not the slightly stuck-up formality that you would get at a place like The Coq d'Or, for example.

Cheers,

Chanchao

[meadish_sweetball]

Chanchao,

I think Tawan Daeng might have to close down unless they do something about the general situation. I was just told that some ji-kor (juvenile hoodlums) blasted a bomb in there a few weeks ago. Seems the place hasn't got anything going for itself at the moment.

Glad to hear about the House. I am going there for the first time to the Gala Dinner on Saturday (hosted by Kid's Ark Foundation, proceeds go to orphans from parents who died in AIDS). Should be a nice one.