Eating At A Different Place Every Day Of The Year!

[chanchao]

I wonder if this is actually possible in Chiang Mai: trying a different place every single day of the year.. ;-) Well I'm going to try it. And I will upload pictures and a short review on the places that I think are worth mentioning. I will include all kinds of places, from little local noodle stalls to Japanese or Western restaurants at the Sheraton.. They don't even have to be proper restaurants, a particular stall that for example does some kind of snack wrapped in a banana leaf very well has as much chance of getting mentioned as "the" new flash trendy place-to-be for the yuppie pub/restaurant crowd. I would very much like to include places that also Thai people would agree are the best for a particular kind of food.

I started a new weblog/moblog/fotolog page for this, which can be found at http://chanchao.fotopages.com

I think I'm off to a good start, I'm pretty sure I located the best places for Belgian chocolates as well as khao larm steamed rice in bamboo..

Feel free to add comments or suggest places, either on that page or here.

For example, what is THE best place for Som Tam in Chiang Mai? One thing that all visitors from the North East of Thailand seem to agree about is that Som Tam in Chiang Mai sucks. So let's prove them wrong and come up with a few solid places for food of every region of the country, or the world, for that matter. (Best Japanese anyone? Seafood? Southern Thai food? etc, etc)

Cheers,

Chanchao

[ovenman]

I wonder if this is actually possible in Chiang Mai: trying a different place every single day of the year.. ;-)

I've thought about doing this from time to time, I think the time period could even be extended to a couple of years and not come up short of places to eat in Chiang Mai. My problem is that I like my favourites too much, coupled with a healthy dose of laziness. Good Luck!

[p1p]

Yes, Good luck.

Trouble is you can not really tell a good from a less-than-satisfactory restaurant by having just one meal. Every restaurant has good and bad days. This is why the good European guides rely on recommendation from customers plus several visits before they decide to include, or remove, a business from their publication.

[chanchao]

This is why the good European guides rely on recommendation from customers plus several visits before they decide to include, or remove, a business from their publication.

You mean like Lonely Planet or something.. They still recommend Aroon Rai and Thanom! Anyway I'm not really going for places that would be in European guides, there are more than enough of those. Thinking more for the taste & preference of Thai people I suppose, or expats on their way of going native, of course.

Tomorrow I think a lunch at the 30 baht buffet near the Mae Rim City Hall area is in order. Thursday the Southern style Kanom Jeen at Phuket Laikhram. Then the som tam at Ban Som Tam (Som Tam High-So) near AIS off Kamphaeng Din.. Then for the weekend perhaps some Western places thrown into the mix.. No European guide would bother with these, they'd list The Whole Earth, The Good View and Huan Suntaree (Huan strangle the cat) mostly because they're safe choices in terms of that they will likely be around by the time the guide is up for a reprint, and because they think your average tourist would prefer places of this type, and they'd probably be right.

You're right of course that places have their good and their bad days. I would like to think that you can catch a lot of that by looking at the professionalism, cleanliness and speed of service, but I accept that food is not an exact science.. However after one visit to "The Ping" last weekend I already know I'm not going back there any time soon. (new place on the far end of Chang Klan along the river before you end up at Aom Muang) I actually want to make a list of places I'm confident to recommend, and will not bother posting pics or a review of places I don't like. (As for The Ping it were just little things.. I seriously can't stand those washroom attendants trying the massage on you while you're trying to pee.. And these particular ones were even worse than usual in that they talked and joked among themselves. If you MUST have employees of this type then I think they best behave like subservient gnomes. Same for the parking lot attendants thinking a bit too highly of themselves.. Oh yes: the rice was mushy. If there's ever one thing you SHOULD get right as a Thai restaurant then it's rice. There's just no excuse for that, bad days or not. Actual dishes we ordered were not bad.. also not stellar.. can't judge based on ordering just 3 things. AND then there was the live music. Too loud and off key. I think no music is FAR better than a horrible band. So overall it wasn't even the food that was the major factor that put me off.

But anyway, I will not post whining like that on that site. I will stick to the places I like, much better.

Note that actually 'reviewing' isn't even the main reason for posting these things, big part is showing the amazing diversity of food in Chiang Mai.

Cheers,

Chanhcao

[Zendesigner]

Hi,

I'm pretty sure I located the best places for Belgian chocolates

I hope you are refering to Duc De Praslin , Philipe has a shop in Bangkok and opened an outlet in Chiangmai recently. As far as i know it's the only Belgian chocolate producer in thailand. Lost his adress here in chiangmai unfortunatly.

I seriously can't stand those washroom attendants trying the massage on you while you're trying to pee.. And these particular ones were even worse than usual in that they talked and joked among themselves

Just make sure you never go to the restroom at exite discotheque in pattaya then. They have three gays there. I needed the "big toilet" so i went in to the stall, luckely i checked out if they had some toilet paper which wasn't there of course.

When i opened the door the three of them were almost kneeling on the floor with paper ready in their hand trying to get a glimps of my hmmmm. lucky i wasn't sitting down yet with my pants on my knees. This thing just gave me the shivers !!

Same for the parking lot attendants thinking a bit too highly of themselves

give them an whistle and they are prime captains of the world...

I liked the Mango tree where we went for the meeting last week. had salmon with mashed patatoes. Tasted very good , great potatoes, nothing to complain about. Great jazz to, even if i'm not a real jazz fan. This was contempary and i even knew most of the songs.

I also like the German Hofbrauhaus or something at the night market , even though it's touristy and somewhat pricy.

The Stuck up italian down at the corner of charoenprathet road / sridonchai ?? i think i will never go again..Unfortunatly was dropped of on my first day here by a tuk tuk. Grosly overpriced.... i can eat in Italy cheaper, and if you don't take the 1500 bath wine bottle , the waiter doesn't not look at you anymore for the rest of the evening.. DON't Go there....

Oh yeah , Mike's hamburger place or something on the moat close to loh kroh rd

Great burgers , But the biggest american ass of a boss i've seen in Chiangmai.

Luckily he has a nice thai cook after eight a clock with great humor.

This guy actually doesn't deserve his personnel.

B

[chanchao]

> hope you are refering to Duc De Praslin , Philipe has a shop in Bangkok and

> opened an outlet in Chiangmai recently.

Yup.

> As far as i know it's the only Belgian chocolate producer in thailand.

> Lost his adress here in chiangmai unfortunatly.

But you know where the shop is right? There's directions on that page. (It's on Bamrungrat Road, which some of you may know as the one you take when going to Sayuri. ;-)

> I also like the German Hofbrauhaus or something at the night

> market , even though it's touristy and somewhat pricy.

Yes.. the Thai Lass in Lederhosen and Bavarian little hunters hat was such a hideous sight that I avoided the place for possibly 7 years or so. Finally someone took me there and have to admit the food is actually quite good. Speaking of German food, I also dearly miss the "Nobody" (Niemand) restaurant near Ping Payom market in a soi off Suthep road. German guy turned his house and garden into a restaurant with absolutely HUGE servings of prime german fare. He also had two varieties of the german white beers on tap. (!) (Weihstephaner or Erdinger, one of those)

Sadly the place his gone, he moved, the new renters turned it into a health spa. (or are trying to; it seems like an odd location, but then again it was an odd location for a quality western restaurant as well. Does anyone know if he set up shop somewhere else in CHiang Mai??

> Oh yeah , Mike's hamburger place or something on the moat close

> to loh kroh rd Great burgers , But the biggest american ass of a boss i've seen

> in Chiangmai.

:-) It's on the corner of Chang Moi and Chayaphum Rd (the one parallel to Moon Muang Road but on the other side of the moat of course). I wondered about that place, mostly about why they only open at 6PM!! People don't eat during the day? ;-) Anyway loads of little eateries tried and failed at that spot, we'll see. It seems to do OK. Why is he an ass by the way? Merely being American doesn't quite go all the way in explaining that. ;-)

Cheers,

Chanchao

[chokrai]

I have been living in Mae rim for the last year and a half and i think there is only one decent resturant in the whole town which is only a 5 minute walk from my house. I have given up on finding anything decent to eat around here and just cook for my self as i can fry veg and cook rice better then any of the places around here.Tired of mixed vegs swimming in oyster sauce. Tired of receiving food that is cooked by people who dont care.I have never found any Thai food here that i like as much as in the Thai resturants in Canada. The fancier the resturant the worse the food. Dont bother anymore just stick to the place down the lane where the women knows how to cook fish or i just cook at home. Bitter? Just a tad.

[chanchao]

I have been living in Mae rim for the last year and a half and i think there is only one decent resturant in the whole town

Still Mae Rim is not really a world away from Chiang Mai town isn't it? You must get into town occaisionally, say to go shop at Tesco's or something?

If I remember correctly "Lemon Tree" has a branch in Mae Rim.. or it could have been 'Blue Corner' on Huay Kaew road in front of CMU.. one of these anyway. Both do good Thai food so I would imagine their branch is ok too..

Most of these little satellite disctrict towns don't really have much in the way of proper restaurants, same for Hang Dong, Sanpatong, Sankamphaeng, Saraphee, Mae Jo (did I leave out any..

[adjan jb]

Aaron Rai sucks.

[chanchao]

> Aaron Rai sucks.

sucks a golfball through a garden hose. Its prominent inclusion in the Lonely Planet 'where to eat' section on Chiang Mai has been a cherished pet peeve of mine for quite some time. That pretty much ONLY tourists/backpackers go there should already be a warning.

[adjan jb]

As i don't like green papaya, i don't eat Som Tam. But according to my GF, some very aroy Som Tam can found at a street stall in front of Nice Illusion (evening only) and in a tiny restaurant run by a khatoey on Moonmuang, soi 2.

[Zendesigner]

Hi chanchao

But you know where the shop is right? There's directions on that page. (It's on Bamrungrat Road, which some of you may know as the one you take when going to Sayuri. ;-)

No haven't been there yet, i talked to him at the last belgian club meeting. Also one of my wife's suppliers knows him very well. I'm from belgium flemisch side by the way.

Yes.. the Thai Lass in Lederhosen and Bavarian little hunters hat was such a hideous sight that I avoided the place for possibly 7 years or so.

She's funny :-) if you sit outside she runs like mad to get the customers inside, a bit hyperactive i presume. very nice girl though.

:-) It's on the corner of Chang Moi and Chayaphum Rd (the one parallel to Moon Muang Road but on the other side of the moat of course). I wondered about that place, mostly about why they only open at 6PM!! People don't eat during the day? ;-)  It seems to do OK. Why is he an ass by the way? Merely being American doesn't quite go all the way in explaining that. ;-)

I went there late at night after a movie last week to try there burgers. So we got to talking with the thai chef who is a great and funny guy. So we ask this your business? no from my boss but he only works 2 hours a day was the answer. Apparently the shop is really doing well.

So last sunday i go back but at around 6 in the evening. The boss is working with one girl and moaning about almost everything he sees, relly looking tired and pissed off.

These two young guy's come to sit at the counter , students american also.. They say a nice hello to the girl and then the boss comes out to ask them what they want.

The young guy says " you looking a bit tired i see" So the american boss looks at him and asks rather strongly " How old are you ??" the guy blinks somewhat and says "25". The boss reply's " Well i'm double your age and got shot twice in vietnam, so you DONT think i should be tired then ??"

The boy was really like " oh shit what did i just step into ?" then the boss says " What are you having" and starts trowing things around as before.

Probably a really bad hair day ?? i still wonder why some farangs who have a good business running , making serious cash, not working, still need to behave like xxxholes to their staff and customers ?

B

[Lordfoul]

Chanchao,

To Nobody is located at 44 Soi Tewan, 500 meters from the Superhighway one of the last lefts before Huay Kaew Road. There is a small sign on the highway pointing the way.

[MinutePigglet]

Great Chiang Mai Thread...

I hate lonley planet type restaurant recommenations only to find they SUCK.

Can I add some of my own here?

Personally, I think farangs discussin' som tom is a bit odd.

Show me the Kaek food!

[Zendesigner]

Anybody know of Greek food in Chiangmai. like lamb chops an tzatziki ...

Haven't found it in thailand yet.

Maybe no Greeks in thailand ?

B

[chanchao]

To Nobody is located at 44 Soi Tewan, 500 meters from the Superhighway one of the last lefts before Huay Kaew Road. There is a small sign on the highway pointing the way.

Awesome!!! Thanks for that.. Would that be the long straight soi that starts at the big Moo Kata (grill) restaurant and ends up somewhere in the bowels of Santhitham? Never mind though, I'll find it!!

Cheers,

Chanchao

[lamphun]

No greeks that I know of. Lots of Italians.

Babylon in front of the University has been there since King Mengrai. No Pizza but great value food.

Agree about the place on Sri Donchai.

The Scooter in the business park near the brewery is good value.

[chanchao]

> I hate lonley planet type restaurant recommenations only

> to find they SUCK.

> Can I add some of my own here?

Absolutely. Would love it if you did.

> Personally, I think farangs discussin' som tom is a bit odd.

Why? No stranger than Thais discussing pizza. (Well they'd know <deleted> about it, but that doesn't make it less of a valid topic.

> Show me the Kaek food!

From a well-informed source, straight from the khaek's mouth so to say: there isn't any proper ones. (None that he considers authentic anyway, there may be nice Indian places, but not "the real thing" whatever that is. I'm not even sure I'd WANT the real thing even it walked up to me.. Anyway the one place he said was okay would be the mutton curry at the place close to the Irish (?) restaurant at Anusarn Market (right immediately after entering the Anusarn area from the Night Bazar)

Cheers,

Chanchao

[chanchao]

Anybody know of Greek food in Chiangmai. like lamb chops an tzatziki ...

Haven't found it in thailand yet.

I think in Chiang Mai that Jerusalem restaurant (Moon Muang / Thapae) is closest they definitely do all kinds of mediteranean fare, including tzatziki. In Bangkok many more options, also Lebanese and Arab in the Suk Soi 3 area, which is pretty similar food I think?

Cheers,

Chanchao

[Ajarn]

As i don't like green papaya, i don't eat Som Tam. But according to my GF, some very aroy Som Tam can  found at a street stall in front of Nice Illusion (evening only) and in a tiny restaurant run by a khatoey on Moonmuang, soi 2.

The other common choice for Som Tam is made with green mango. I prefer that over papaya...Not all Som Tam places have a mango option, but many do.

And as for Mike's Hamburger joint, Mike has always been pleasant with me the 5 or 6 times I've been there. I especially liked his chilli and onion rings....

The best burger I've had is at Fillmore East, just down from the Green Mango....They flame-cook them, and have french bread as an option...

The best deal for your baht, hamburger wise, is the Green Mango. Huge burger, and quite tasty..

Green Mango also has real milk skakes, a rarity in Thailand anymore...

[Lordfoul]

Awesome!!! Thanks for that.. Would that be the long straight soi that starts at the big Moo Kata (grill) restaurant and ends up somewhere in the bowels of Santhitham?

Yep that would be the road.

> Personally, I think farangs discussin' som tom is a bit odd.

Why? No stranger than Thais discussing pizza. (Well they'd know <deleted> about it, but that doesn't make it less of a valid topic.

I have to agree with that. My favorite Place by far for som tom is SP chicken and that is probably the least thai-like som tom in town but it fits my palette perfectly.

[Larry]

For value and taste, no veggie lunch place can beat the veggie buffet at Khun Chern. Eat all you can of about 25 dishes, Thai drinks and dessert. All this in a pleasant garden location on Nimanheimen Soi 11, about halfway downt he soi. Nice group of people too. The price.....55 baht. 11-14 each day. DONT EAT BREAKFAST FIRST.

[lamphun]

Has anybody tried one of those freshwater shrimp places

Goong Dten - Dancing shrimp

They're dancing because they're being marinated alive in lemon juice and then eaten while still alive. Locals love it but I can't handle it. There's a few on the road from the new San kampaeng road to Bo-Sang if anybody is hungry.

[Ajarn]

Has anybody tried one of those freshwater shrimp places?

Not the shrimps, but the live freshwater prawns served at the place inside Anusarn Market, across from 'Fatties' Restaurant.....Spendy at 490 baht per kilo, but they'll cook them any way your heart desires...Tourists like it because they can catch their own prawns from the large pools, around which the dining tables are set. Also, during the hot season, you can get a nice cooling breeze off the water....

[chanchao]

Goong Dten - Dancing shrimp

They're dancing because they're being marinated alive in lemon juice and then eaten while still alive. Locals love it but I can't handle it. There's a few on the road from the new San kampaeng road to Bo-Sang if anybody is hungry.

Ah, yes, we usually have that when we're at Huay Thueng Thao lake. All places there have it. Great for scaring newbies. Should definitely include it on the site.

Cheers,

Chanchao

[adjan jb]

Goong Dten - Dancing shrimp

They're dancing because they're being marinated alive in lemon juice and then eaten while still alive. Locals love it but I can't handle it. There's a few on the road from the new San kampaeng road to Bo-Sang if anybody is hungry.

Ah, yes, we usually have that when we're at Huay Thueng Thao lake. All places there have it. Great for scaring newbies. Should definitely include it on the site.

Cheers,

Chanchao

Agreed. Huay Tung Tao is definitely the best place for dancing shrimps.

[chanchao]

> Not the shrimps, but the live freshwater prawns served at the

> place inside Anusarn Market, across from 'Fatties'

> Restaurant.....Spendy at 490 baht per kilo, but they'll cook them

> any way your heart desires...

Well.. I like prawns made to order as well, but I can't bring myself to spend more than double for them at what's basically an outdoors little restaurant with grumpy Chinese owners. The ONLY reason it costs that much is because it happens to be in the Night Bazar tourist area. I mostly found the service at those places to reflect the touristy locale.. They probably do a fine job at grilling/steaming/tom-yamming prawns, but at those prices, the tourists can have them. Note that this would very much include Thai tourists form Bangkok.. I'm really thinking about also doing something in Thai language to clue-in Thai holiday makers visiting Chiang Mai. They too often don't 'get it' or pick the wrong places for the wrong dishes. (i.e. many of the trendy restaurants actually have a VERY limited and non-authentic repertoire of Northern Thai dishes that Thai visitors from other regions would like to try. They'd perhaps do an overpriced "Or D'euf Lanna" (God my French is rusty.. how does one spell that) consisting of mostly of 5-10 baht market items that would also be more tasty at those markets (naem, moo yo, nam phrik num, khaeb moo, sai ua et al), as well as perhaps Kaeng Hang Lay, which as far as Norhtern curries go is really an odd one out) but that would be pretty much it. None of the more traditional more soup-like Northern curries. (Kaeng liang, kaeng khae, kaeng Noh and friends. Then they may know of 'famous' places like Huen Phen, but frankly I think this one is a bit over-rated too.

Cheers,

Chanchao

[adjan jb]

Hors d'oeuvre.

[adjan jb]

Saturday night, I went to Sai Lom Joy restaurant on Chan Klang rd.

Their "pla sa nam sai" is probably one of the best in town (if not the best). And at 99 bahts, it's a bargain. At the Brasserie, it costs 150 or 160 bahts and it's not as delicious.

please note that Sai Lom Joy has now a menu in English.

[Ajarn]

"Well.. I like prawns made to order as well, but I can't bring myself to spend more than double for them at what's basically an outdoors little restaurant with grumpy Chinese owners."

Well, maybe grumpy to some .....But, I'll admit to liking the people and overall scene there as much as the food...I like the open feeling, and having a great view of the passing parade of people, myself quietly away from being 'TheShow' for others...I've been going there for many years, so the owners and waitresses are all quite friendly, even waving at me whenever I drive by but don't stop....Dealing with tourists is incredibly stressfull at times, and I'm constantly amazed at the ability of some waitresses to smile, sincerely, year after year. They make me feel welcome in their establishment, and when I receive friendly service and decent food, I'll be sure to return. Frankly, the price does not enter into my reason for returning, or not returning...That's why I continue to do most of my shopping at Kasem Store...Everything is at least a couple of baht more than any other place, but there's so much more to Kasem's, in my view.

I also like being able to see into a restaurant's kitchen from the dining area. I've seen some kitchens in Thai AND farangs joints that made me gag...The former America restaurant comes to mind...ugh! Everytime they left open the small window through which the food was passed, the diners would be innundated with flies and gnats from the kitchen. And Rose guest house kitchen, which used to buy the garbage off THAI flights arriving in CM, then their kitchen staff would sift throught it looking for unopened (usually), but tossed, jelly and butter packs from the flight's breakfast meal...A savings of 2 baht.

As far as one place serving more authentic food, or more delicious food, that's mostly subjective. I may like the traditional foods, like Geang Hang Lay, but many others might not like the moo saam chan that's used, saying it's too fatty, or not meaty enough....Authentic doesn't neccesarily translate to 'better', in my experience. Atmosphere and service are my primary interests, as long as the food is edible, to my taste.