Salsa Kitchen (Mexican Food)

Mexican food! Admittedly, I really don't know much about Mexican cuisine and it's not something that I usually sought out. There wasn't much of it around when I was growing up in Sydney. In Chiang Mai though, there are several Mexican restaurants and I've heard that many of them are very good.

I've been to Salsa Kitchen several times over the years to both of their branches - the original one on Huay Kaew Rd, and recently, they opened another branch near Meechok Plaza. I've always found the food to be consistently good. The restaurant it self has a nice and cheerful vibe with all the colourful walls and chairs. The staff is friendly. The food does take some time to come out though, but it's worth the wait!

Last time I visited with a couple of friends, I ordered Mango Chicken Quesadillas - 199 baht -  flour tortillas filled with grilled marinated chicken breast, mozzarella cheese and topped with a mango salsa. It was simple, hearty and delicious! The tortillas were nice and soft and not too dry (which was the case with another Mexican restaurant that I tried another time). The filling was full of subtle flavour of chicken and mozzarella. The mango salsa added to the liveliness of the dish. The quesadilla was served with some Mexican red rice; refried beans; corn and condiments - sour cream and home made salsas, but I didn't feel that I needed to add extra flavours. All the different textures and flavours really worked well together and altogether made a super filling dish! I couldn't finish it all.

We also ordered a plate of Vegetarian Nachos to share (189 baht). Again, this was delicious and vibrant in flavour.

Salsa Kitchen also serves a variety of drinks including magaritas, sangrias and beers. I usually order the lemonade with soda (39 baht) and I love it - cool, sweet and refreshing for a hot day.

Vegetarian and gluten free options are available! 

Salsa Kitchen

Website:  http://www.thesalsakitchen.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/salsa.kitchen.3


Huay Kaew Branch
26/4 Huay Kaew Rd
(Down the road from Kad Suan Kaew, opposite Caltex Service Station)
There's free parking on the side street in front of Nakornping Condo
Opens: Daily 11am - 11pm
Tel: 053 216 605

Ruamchoke Branch
About 200m west of Meechok Plaza
Opens: 11am - 10pm
Closed: Tuesdays 
Tel: 094 613 4535

Map: (See purple markers)

Corner Bistro

I've heard that Corner Bistro's fries are amazing. On the menu, it said the fries are triple fried - not something I've heard of before! Sounds pretty special though, especially when you can choose various dips to come with it, as well as adding some optional toppings like cheese, gravy or chilli. Mmm..

I went with a friend to this great little restaurant for a late lunch. We had a choice of the breakfast or the dinner menu. The menus weren't large, but we really did have trouble deciding what to eat as everything seemed really good. Finally, we opted for the breakfast menu.. which then led to a bit of a discussion about how to have the eggs!

I've heard that the Eggs Benedict here is fantastic... and I've never had Eggs Benedict in Chiang Mai.. it's just not a common thing here. But alas, it was a very hot day and I felt like something a little lighter. The Eggs Benedict will have to wait for another visit ... so I went for the Slow Cooked Omelette with salmon on the side. The menu said the order will take a while but it's worth it, so why not? It did take quite a long time... and yes, the omelette was lovely, fluffy and creamy and went perfectly with the beautifully cooked and flavoured breakfast potatoes which were boiled the sautéed with onions, capsicum and herbs. The toast was good too - very nice bread! 90 baht + a bit extra for the salmon.

My friend, incidentally, chose the Eggs Florentine with homemade hollandaise sauce, and her order came at the same time as mine... which, I must say, is quite unusual in restaurants in Thailand (unless you go to more expensive Western restaurants). The Eggs Florentine looked terrific. I had a little taste, and it was very good. 150 baht.

...And the fries? Unfortunately, Corner Bistro was out of fries, so that'll have to wait till next time too... but that might have been good thing because I wouldn't have been able to fit in dessert. Now, normally, being health conscious (hehe),  I would usually share dessert, but my friend didn't want to share her brownie so I had to get one for myself! Not something that I was very sorry about... because the homemade brownie was very good - rich and very chocholatey.. It was nicely warmed up too, and contrasted well with the cold ice cream. Yum. 100 baht.

Corner Bistro is a very nice little restaurant with a lovely setting and relaxed atmosphere. They also have an outdoor verandah area. There is also an an air-conditioned room on the 2nd floor as well. 

It's definitely a great place for breakfast or brunch. I haven't tried dinner there yet, but the menu also looks pretty good with various steak and pasta dishes. Incidentally, Kevin, the Thai-American owner, said that dinner is when Corner Bistro really shines, so it would be worth going back and check it out at that time. 

The service is good. The staff is friendly and attentive, always kept our glasses filled with ice cold water (very much appreciated on a very hot day!). 

Corner Bistro

8/8 Ratchapreuk Alley

(Close to Kad Suan Kaew)

Opens daily: 

7am-3pm & 5pm-12am

Tel: 096 497 6766