Singto Khao Mok Gai

Khao Mok Gai is a Thai biryani style yellow fragrant rice with chicken "burried" in and cooked with the rice. The rice is served with fried shallots, slices of cucumber and a refreshing sweet and sour sauce with mint and ginger.

Khao Mok Gai is not widely available in Chiang Mai as Khao Mun Gai (Chicken rice). I've had Khao Mok at only a few places in Chiang Mai - one at Khao Soi Islam, where khao mok neur (beef version) is supposed to be really good, and which I found quite good when I had it. There's also a beef noodle shop at Meechok Plaza where I work where I can get my khao mok gai fix. It's good, but I wouldn't say it's amazing and the chicken piece that they serve with the rice is quite small.

Recently, I discovered Singto Khao Mok Gai, a newish eatery quite close to Meechok Plaza. It's quite a large eatery buzzing with local lunch time diners. I notice that the eatery is very clean and they do have menus in Thai and English.

Khao Mok Neur (Beef) - 60 baht | Khao Mok Gai (Chicken) - 45 baht

And here it is.. Khao Mok Neur (60 baht) and Khao Mok Gai (45 baht).  I must say the first thing I noticed with the large piece of chicken and quite a big serving of the beef (compared to other shops). The rice was well made, fragrant and packed with flavour of the spices. The sauce - sweet, tangy and refreshing adds a nice vibrant note to the dish. Delicious!

I also tried the Curry Chicken Laksa (45 baht), which quite different to Malaysian style laksas I'm used too. I suppose this is the Thai version! I've never had this dish before. It's pretty much curry noodles, a little like khao soi, but the curry is quite smooth, rich and tangy. Very nice as well although the tangy flavour is quite unusual.

Chicken Curry Laksa - 45 baht

Singto Khao Mok Gai also have various types of soups (chicken, beef, squid and oxtail) that I haven't tried. The oxtail soup should be ordered in advance.

In terms of desserts, Singto Khao Mok Gai has Lodchong (these are the green "noodles" in coconut milk) - 20 baht. The lodchong here is excellent and the coconut milk "soup" is lovely, fragrant and creamy. The dessert is served in a pinto and the ice is separated from the actual dessert so that the melted ice doesn't dilute the the coconut milk.

Lod Chong - 20baht

Singto Khao Mok Gai is a great eatery with excellent Khao Mok / Thai Biryani chicken and beef. Definitely a place to try if you're in the area! Don't forget to try the lodchong too!

Singto Khao Mok Gai
88/8 Moo 8
T. Sanphiseur A. Muang
Chiang Mai
Tel: 093 958 8264
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/singtomokgai/



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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)

Tum Sap Pun Nua Lao Cuisine (ตําแซ่บ พันนัว)

Not knowing much about Laos food, I was curious. Looking at the name, "Tum Sap", I guessed that it would probably serve a variety of somtums (papaya salad), and I was right!

Tum Sap Pun Nua is a chic modern looking restaurant with a spacious, open feel. It's actually quite a comfortable place to sit and enjoy a meal. I've been there several times and thought the food there excellent. Surprisingly though, whenever I go, the restaurant seem to be quiet (which is nice for me!).

The menu, as I mentioned, had a large variety of papaya salads to choose from. We opted for the Tum Thai. I know, I know, I shouldn't be ordering Thai food in a Laos restaurant, but "Tum Thai" is my favourite variety of som tum. Tum Lao (I don't know if this is really the Lao version, or if Thai people just calls it that!) also contains fermented fish, which does give the papaya salad a particular flavour. I can eat it, but it's just not something I truly enjoy.. but that's just me. :P

The papaya salad at Tum Sap Pun Nua at 65 baht, is not the cheapest of somtums, but it was well made and well flavoured. I noticed that it is not as sweet as "Tum Thai" from Thai som tum places where I normally would have to ask for "not sweet", and it also had the perfect amount of spiciness for me (where in other places, it would have been too hot. I would normally ask for 2 chillis).

Pho Vientian (beef). I really enjoyed the broth. I thought the soup was lovely and also it is served with various condiments, including some shrimp paste, lime and chilli on the side. The broth is already great without anything else added, but I did add the shrimp paste and lime to see what it would taste like (lovely too - with a richer, earthier flavour). The serving was quite big and there was a lot of noodles. I wouldn't have minded less noodles and more soup! The beef was a bit tough. 85 baht. You can choose between pork (75 baht), chicken (75 baht) , beef (85 baht) or fish (95 baht).

Ua Trakai Luang Prabang. Luang Prabang Herbed Sausage. 85 baht. This is Tum Sap Pun Nua's version of the much loved Chiang Mai Sausages (Sai ua). In this version, pork is mixed with various herbs and lemongrass and the "sausage" is placed in a "nest" of lemongrass and deep fried. Lovely and fragrant. The sausages were a little rich if eaten by themselves, but goes well with the ginger (served on the side).

Tum Sap Pun Nua also serves a variety of other dishes that I'd love to try. Their fried fish is also excellent.

All in all, I always enjoy dining at this restaurant. The atmosphere is lovely, air-conditioning cool (very important especially in this very hot weather), friendly staff and excellent food. I think the food here is also quite good value. Our dinner for 2 set us back around 230 baht and we were really full!


Tum Sap Pun Nua ตําแซ่บ พันนัว
V Community, 1st Ring Road, next to Payap University
Tel: 089 758 4408, 053 126075
Opens: 10am - 10pm daily
GPS location: 18.798926,99.032916

Enoteca Italian Restaurant & Buonissimo Food Affairs

A fellow foodie friend was really excited when he told me that the former executive chef of Le Meridian has teamed up with Buonissimo to open a new Italian Restaurant, Deli and wine shop at Fifth Avenue (near Meechok Plaza).

Searching for a place to eat one day, I was driving in the area and a thought, "let's drop in and see if they're open", and yes, they were. It was their 3rd day!

We were warmly welcomed by the staff. The downstairs area was quite cold (as it's also the wine shop and deli). There was a very big selection of wine, and in the deli counter, lots of cheeses, and dessert.

If you're someone like me who feels the cold (the downstairs area need to be the right temperature for the wine), you might want to head upstairs, where the temperature is a bit warmer, and where you'll also find the open kitchen, and tables with Doi Suthep view.

The menu at Enoteca is quite varied, and has interesting dishes (at least I haven't seen them before), including the Marinated Eggplant Rolls Stuffed with Cream Cheese and Sundried Tomatoes. This turned out to be a rather decadent starter. It is exactly what was described in the menu. The more earthy flavour of the eggplant was highlighted with the tartness of the sun-dried tomato, and complimented well with the creaminess of the soft cheese. Lovely. 140 baht.

The Insalata Con Feta salad ordered was lovely and fresh, simply dressed with lemon juice and olive oil. I thought the fetta was a bit hard though (I prefer the softer variety). 180 baht.

My favourite for the meal, the "handmade" lasagne, was a dream. The chef said it was done to his mother's recipe. The pasta was so soft, and the filling full of cheese and beef flavours. I think it might have been one of the best lasagne I've had (although I must say I'm no lasagne expert!). 190baht.

I must say I'm quite impressed with Enoteca. The food and ambience is lovely. I like the decor too - simple and stylish, and the staff are very friendly. Will definitely be back to try other dishes.

Enoteca (Great Fine Wine)
555/148 Fifth Avenue
T. Nongjom, A Sansai, Chiang Mai 50210
Tel: 093 272 2406
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GreatFineWine

Kelly's Bistro

If you're craving Fish & Chips, Kelly's is a good place to go. Rob, the owner has won a couple of Fish & Chips award in England, so you can't go really wrong!

Kelly's serve other various dishes as well eg. Shepherd's Pie, lasagne, panini sandwiches, hamburgers, etc. Their breakfast is also very good.

I particularly like Kelly's home made English muffins with Egg and Sausage patty (59 baht) - the eggs are cooked well, and the sausage and muffins are home made - much, much, much better than McDonald's!

The Toasted Chicken Panini is also great if you're looking for something a bit healthier. Grilled chicken with mayo, lettuce and tomato. (90 baht). You can also add cheese, bacon or pineapple as well (extra charge). There are other fillings are also available.

OK, on with the show... the specialty here is of course, Fish and Chips. We chose the deep sea cod (195 baht), which was nice and meaty and with a stronger flavour than dory. I think they do have dory as well. The fish batter was nice and crispy, and not oily and is served with tartare sauce. You can choose your sides - chips, mushy peas and / or salad (extra charge). This time I just had the chips, and they were good. On the table, there are bottles of malt vinegar, tomato sauce, and chilli sauce, so you can take a pick!

If you're on a diet, or feel like a healthier alternative, they do have grilled dory as well.

Shepherd's Pie - this is not something I have very often. The Shepherd's Pie here is made form pork and cooked in gravy. Not bad, but I found it quite salty. Served with peas and toast (to soak up the last of the gravy!). 160 baht.

A few standard Thai dishes are also available as well. I've tried a couple of these, and they were well made from good quality ingredients.

Kelly's Bristo
206/26 Meechok Plaza
T. Faham, A. Muang, Chiang Mai 50000
Tel: 098 016 1990
Opens: Tue- Sun 9am-8pm
Closed on Mondays

Wasabi Japanese Restaurant @Meechok Plaza

Sometimes one just feel like eating something else other than noodles or pad kraprao for lunch. Fortunately, at Meechok Plaza, there are many choices... Italian, salad restaurant, a couple of Vietnamese restaurants, Korean, and two Japanese restaurants, etc... (You'll never go hungry at Meechok!)

Both of the Japanese restaurants are very good, and I really enjoy Wasabi, a cosy place that serves simple, hearty Japanese meals.

The restaurant is very clean, spacious and cheerfully decorated with a large cherry blossom (or may be plum) tree in the middle!

The menu is quite large, offering the usual Japanese fare of various types of sushi and sashimi, udons, tempura, rice dishes with various toppings...

My all time favourite here is the potato salad (which I happen to order almost every time I go there). I love the chewy-soft texture of the potatoes and subtly flavoured creamy mayonnaise. Once I start, I can't stop!  90 baht.

If you're looking for something a little different, you can try the Enoki Tempura- very nice and crunchy batter, served with tempura sauce. It certainly did satisfy my craving for fried food!  159baht.

Hiyashi Chuka is another dish that I really like here. This is a cold noodle dish with various toppings and a lovely and refreshing soy sauce with sesame oil. The sauce is deeply flavoured with slightly sweet, tangy and salty tastes. Simply toss the whole thing to mix together and eat. Perfect for a hot day! 139 baht. 

There are many other very good dishes here too, including: gyoza (plump steaming hot dumplings.. love the sauce!), takoyaki, salmon sashimi, etc

Wasabi Japanese Restaurant 

206/14 Meechok Plaza
T Faham, A Muang, Chiang Mai 50000
Tel: 0811687577
Opens: 11am-9:30pm
Closed on Tuesdays

Pizzeria Giotto @ Meechok Plaza

Pizza Giotto is a relatively new Italian restaurant opened earlier this year by a young Thai chef. She did a fantastic job with the restaurant providing lovely Italian fare, including thin crust wood fired pizzas, lovely pasta, and various other dishes. There's even breakfast too!

Another good thing about it is, it's just a few doors down from my office at Meechok Plaza. This is welcomed addition to the various restaurants and eateries, providing a nice mix of International cuisines from Thai to Chinese to Korean, Japanese, Vietnamese...and now Italian.

The service is very friendly and warm, and the staff very well trained.

Ok...on with the food!

Ceasar Salad with Prawns. This this the first time I've had caesar salad with prawns, and it was lovely! Beautiful, creamy dressing that I can just keep eating non stop. The prawns were well seasoned and full of flavour, and I was quite pleasantly surprised with this as the prawns I've had in Thailand are generally tasteless. 185 baht.

Pesto Pizza - also quite lovely, cooked in one of those impressive igloo looking wood fire pizza ovens. Crispy thin crusted pizza topped with pesto sauce (crushed garlic, basil, parsley and nuts blended with parmesan and olive oil) and topped with mozzarella cheese. I love the thin crust that actually felt quite healthy, and I was able to un-guiltily enjoy the pizza...after all, there's lot of calcium in cheese, right? The flavours, by the way, came together very well.

Just as a general note:  I find the food at Pizzeria Giotto not too salty, and I could enjoy the "real" flavours of the cheese (beautiful!), and the pesto sauce.  250 baht.

The Oven

Home Made Potato Fries. I think potato chips and fries must be the ultimate comfort food. I particularly like thick cut fries and potato fries / wedges. There's something about biting into the crispy "skin" into the warm and soft "centres" that's immensely satisfying, especially on a rainy day or when you're tired and hungry! So...being very hungry and tired that day, I couldn't help myself but order these potato fries served with spicy mayonnaise... And the fries were scrumptious, especially with the paprika sprinkled on top for a little added kick. 95 Baht.

Spaghetti Olio Garlic, Prawns, Mushrooms and Dried Chilli. This was a great dish infused with beautiful garlic aroma, and quite strongly flavoured and pretty spicy. The prawns were very well seasoned. A very nice dish. 250 baht.

The Verdict

The food here is very nice, and the staff very friendly and knowledgable. Great addition to the variety of restaurants at Meechok Plaza. Not cheap, but comparable to other Italian restaurants around town.

Pizzeria Giotto
206/24 Meechok Plaza
T Faham, A Muang, Chiang Mai
Tel: 0835821551
Opens: 10am-9pm (Closed on Tuesdays)

I'm trying out the New Google Maps. Hope you like it!

Wo Wo Tou - Chinese Fusion Restaurant

Wo Wo Tou is the name of the this new Chinese Restaurant's specialty dish - steamed bun made with corn and soy flour. The waitress also mentioned that there is pumpkin in it as well. The bun has a hole in it where you can put in fillings.

Wo Wo Tou also happens to double as the name of the restaurant too, as you might have noticed from the title of the post!

This is actually the first time I've seen this Northern Eastern Chinese dish, and this sense of novelty actually  extends to a lot of the other dishes from Wo Wo Tou's extensive menu which comprises of dishes from various parts of China. The "fusion" bit, I guess, means Thai-Chinese fusion to suit the taste of local Thais.

This is probably what sets this restaurant apart from other Chinese restaurants in Chiang Mai - You can try a lot of dishes here that's not available (as far as I know!) else where in Chiang Mai.

Ok..on with the review.. first dish.. Wo Wo Tou. The buns are served steaming hot, and are slightly chewy with a smooth texture and slightly sweet taste. A little heavier than mantou (Chinese steamed buns). You can choose between 3 fillings - catfish, pork or chicken, all stir-fried with pickled mustards, garlic, scallion, parsley and spices. We chose the pork, which was very nice. The filling is quite strong in flavour - salty and a bit sweet,  and the more prominent sourness from the pickled mustard, which goes very well with the buns. There is a bit of sauce from the stir-fry, which makes the whole thing nice and juicy. 220 bath for the set (with 4 buns). Extra buns cost 10 baht each.

It's also interesting to note that this restaurant also focuses on the fact that food can be used as medicine and the menu tells us what each dish is good for. For example, wo wo tou works as a kidney tonic.

The Spicy Tofu is pretty much the regular mapo tofu. Given the name, I thought it would be quite spicy, but the flavour is quite mild (for me!). The fermented soy beans add a depth and richness to the dish. 180 baht.

This dish is good for "menopause and prevents many diseases such as cancer, blood clot..".

Fried Chicken with Dried Chilli - This one is for people who loves strong spicy flavour.. and as a bonus, you get the mouth and lip numbing, tingling  "ma-la" flavour from Sichuan cuisine. "Ma" is the Chinese term for the numbing effect from sichuan peppers. "La" means spicy. May be the numbness helps us to eat more chilli!

In this dish, the meat from the chicken thigh is fried with the sichuan peppers, salt, and heaps of roasted chillies. My mouth and lips were left slight numb and and quite tingly after eating the chicken. Loved it! 190 baht.

This dish, according to the menu, is great for reducing blood sugar level and increasing blood flow.

There are a lot of other interesting sounding dishes as well, including Over the Bridge Noodles (a Yunnan dish), Frog Spicy Soup, Fried Duck Mouth (!). For the not so adventurous, there are also "normal" sounding dishes as Mushroom Salad, Sweet Potato Soup, Sweet and Sour Fish...

The restaurant, in addition to serving good food, is also nicely furnished. The outdoor section is lovely, and overlooks a stream and bushes. The only complaint I would have is that it's right on the busy Mae Jo Rd, so it can get a bit noisy from the cars zooming past.

If you look closely at the top left photo (below), you may notice some fans under the seats on the edge of the restaurant. Very interesting! I guess it would be nice sitting there on a hot day...our legs certainly won't get hot...and it might also work as a mosquito repellant too (I guess!).

All in all a nice restaurant. Lovely ambience, good interesting food not found else where.

Price wise:  Around 180 baht/person. I think the prices are quite reasonable for the quality.

The serving size is OK (not huge, but acceptable). It would be nice if the portions are a bit bigger.

Wo Wo Tou 
203 Moo 6  T. Faham, A. Muang,
Chiang Mai
(Mae Jo-Phrao Rd)
Tel: 053 246 777
Hours: 10am-10pm daily
Facebook page

Direction: Coming from the city towards Mae Jo University, take the 1st U-turn after Meechok Plaza / Ruamchoke Market. Stay in the left lane. The restaurant is between Suan Nonsee Restaurant (the restaurant with the lake in front) and Lotus Supermarket.

There are a few parking spots in front of the building.


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Ratsstube German Restaurant

I was very excited to see a flyer in Rimping Meechok Plaza about a new German restaurant that recently opened in Moo Baan Tanawan.

The flyer described the food so deliciously and I was transported back a couple of years ago when I went to Munich & Vienna... German pork knuckle, Vienna Schnitzel, Apple Strudel with Vanilla Sauce.... Mmmmm.... so of course, I have to give it a try.

First impressions. The restaurant is rather grand and opulent. Filled with antique treasures, Ratsstube feels rather formal, but the wait staff and owner are very friendly and welcoming. The lovely Thai owner explains that she learnt the recipes served at the restaurant from a dear friend who owns Ratsstube Bangkok.

Everything here is home made, including the sausages, mustard and salad dressings.

On with the food!

The German Pork Knuckle is fantastic. Apparently (if I remember what the owner said correctly), the pork knuckle is marinated in pink salt and herbs for several days, then "boiled" at a very low temperature for a while, then frozen. When there's an order, the pork knuckle is taken out of the freezer and heated up slowly, then deep fried (I think). The result is fantastic crispy skin (YUM!), and super tender pork that is pretty much falling off the bone. Served with very nice potatoes and sauerkraut. 490 baht.

To go with all that meat, we need some vegetables! The Mixed Salad with the three home made dressings is also great. Fresh and crispy veggies. The dressings, I think, are Italian, French and Thousand Island. 80 baht.

....and more meat! Mixed Sausage Plate with Home-fries and Sauerkraut. These are all homemade, according to the owner. Very nice, and again, loved the potatoes. 490 baht

There are loads of other dishes on the menu that I'd love to try, like the Vienna Schnitzel - I really want to see as it's as good as the one I had in Vienna (which was amazing)!

The dessert is very tempting too - like the Apple Strudel with Warm Vanilla Sauce... but I was just too full to eat any more.

Thai food is served here as well, but I haven't even looked at the Thai menu.

I must go back!

Ratsstube Chiang Mai
197 Moo Baan Tanawan
T. Sanphiseur, A. Muang, Chiang Mai
Tel: 053 230 388
Mob: 081 640 5884
Facebook 

Opens:
Tue-Fri 10:30am-2pm & 4:30pm-10pm
Sat & Sun 10:30am-10pm
Closed on Mondays.

GPS location: 18.827712,99.004616



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Talom Culture Cuisine (Northern Thai & Thai food)

I drove past this very good restaurant in a garden setting many times and never thought of stopping by. It's relatively new and a little bit unknown, I think, as I never see a lot of people there when I go. I've visited few times already, and I find the food great, prices reasonable...and grandma loves it too!

Talom does Northern Thai food and Thai food. As Northern Thai food isn't our specialty, we relied on our excellent and knowledgable waiter a lot...and all the dishes he suggested were great!

Spicy Roasted Fish Dip (Nam Prik Pla Jee) - This is a bit like the green chilli dip (Nam prik noom) mixed with mashed up grilled fish. Lovely, a touch spicy and and served with steamed vegetables. 65 baht.

Deep fried Pla Nin with Garlic  (Pla nin = a type of fish) - this was fantastic. The fish was very nicely done, and the meat was lovely and soft. Very, very nice! 190 baht.

Gaeng Pak Wan with Dried Fish & Vermicelli - "Pak wan" is a local vegetable. This soup is for the adventurous only! The flavour is quite good, but I think it contains "Pla ra" or fermented fish, which I'd say is an acquired taste.  A lot of westerners may not like this one. 85 baht.

Pak Chiang Da Stir-fried with Egg. "Pak Chiang Da" is a type of local vegetable. Very nice when stir-fried with egg- slightly bitter and salty flavour. 75 baht.

All in all a very nice and enjoyable meal. There are heaps of other dishes on the menu, so if these dishes don't appeal to you, then there are lots more to choose from!

I've been to Talom a few times, and the food has been very good and consistent, and the price very reasonable.

The bill for 6 people came to 985 baht (only about 160 baht each)!

Open air area 

Indoor dining ...and lots of wines to choose from too!

Talom Culture Cuisine
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Talom-chiangmai/490487534373167
413 Moo 6, Sanphiseur, Chiang Mai
Opens: 5-11pm except Mondays.
Next to Nakorn Payap International School



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