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

Kafe Vino Coffee and Wine Bar

Kafe Vino is one of those places that only locals would know (unless you get the word from bloggers like me!)..actually, some locals may not even know about it... This funky cafe is a great place for coffee by day and wine by night! ...Although the you wouldn't want to have a little too much wine after leaving Kafe Vino for fear of driving (or falling) into the very large drain along the road side opposite the cafe (you'll know what I mean when you see it!). Don't let that deter you though...the food here is  good, the ambience nice and cosy, and there's a wine buffet for wine lovers!

Kafe Vino offers Thai and Western food, as well as mouthwatering desserts. Lunchtime specials start from 49 baht. I went for dinner though...with a goal of eating dessert in mind...

So I order a...Crispy Prawn Salad with Thousand Island Dressing, which is lovely and fresh. The thousand island dressing is quite interesting with a peachy orangey flavour. My friend orders the Grilled Beef Salad with Sesame Dressing, which is also very nice ...looks exactly the same, but with tender grilled beef on top. Both 125 baht each.

We also order the Fried Chicken with Wasabi Mayo Sauce to share, which is more of a snack size. I would have liked the chicken to be hotter (but it could have turned cold as I took photos though..hehe) and crunchier, but overall, it's pretty good, and the wasabi mayo adds a nice punch to the dish. 115 baht.

...And now the dessert... There is a selection of about 6 different types of cakes in their fridge and they all look great. The owner recommends:

Green Tea Crepe Cake...crepe cakes seems to be the rage in Chiang Mai at the moment. I have been meaning to try one for a while so here is my chance. The layers of the green crepes and cream looks great. The flavour was quite subtle. The cake is served with a strawberry sauce (very yummy!), but it overwhelms the green tea flavour. Still, the crepe cake is very nice.

Coconut Cake - lovely subtle flavour, only slightly sweet. The fresh cream is mixed with coconut juice, and there's a generous layer of thin coconut slices as well. I really enjoyed the coconut cream (and I'm not normally a cream person).

The ambience at Kafe Vino is very nice and cosy. The cafe is set in a Thai wooden house, and the tables are set in various rooms of the house. There is a very quiet, comfortable and relaxing feel when sitting down for a meal or chat.

Kafe Vino
38 Moo 2
T. Nongjhom, A. Sansai
Chiang Mai
(near Meechok Plaza/Ruamchoke Market)
GPS Location: 18.831780, 99.020130
Website: http://kafevinocm.com/
Tel: 084 595 5777
Opens from 10am-11pm
Closed on Mondays


View Kafe Vino in a larger map

Baan Piem Suk - Cafe / bakery

After hearing one of my friends gushed about Baan Piem Suk's coconut cake, I simply had to visit this little cafe selling drinks, cakes and cookies.

Baan Piem Suk is a cosy little shop on the "Riverside" strip .. If you come from The Riverside Restaurant towards Good View then keep going down the road, the cafe is on the left hand side of the road, opposite Sop Moei Arts. There are only about 5 tables. We were lucky it was a quiet moment when we arrived.

Their specialty cakes are the  Coconut Cream Pie and Coconut Cake.

As I was going with another lady friend, we couldn't possibly try everything...we do have to watch our figures! We settled on Mango Cream Pie to share, as it was the special of the day. Mango is in season!
Although it's pretty much a biscuit base with mango pieces and lots of cream, the "pie" was rather light and lovely. The mango was nice and ripe - very intensely flavoured - a nice contrast to the lightly sweetened cream and slightly salty base. We both rather enjoyed it.

Since Baan Piem Suk is famous for the coconut cake, I took away one of these, as well as a cheesecake to try. The coconut cake was great - light sponge cake layered with cream and fresh young coconut pieces. Very refreshing when served chilled. The cheesecake was nice, but not really something to write home about. I'd love to go back and try the other cakes (and have more coconut cake!).

Mango Cream Pie & Thai Tea

There's not much by way of parking in front of the shop. If you are riding a motorbike, there's a small parking area at the back of the shop. If you have a car, you can park at the sheik temple across the road from the  (I've checked this with the shop assistant!).

Baan Piem Suk
Charoenraj Rd, T. Watket,
A. Muang, Chiang Mai
Tel: 0857088988, 0855250752
GPS location: 18.792908,99.001831
Opens daily: 9:30am - 7pm daily
https://www.facebook.com/baanpiemsuk

View Baan Piem Suk in a larger map

Nakara Jardin Patisserie & Bistro

Nakara Jardin is such a lovely place I almost wanted to keep it as my secret garden and not blog about it. But, for the greater good, I guess I should let my wonderful readers know. : D

Nestled in a beautiful garden next to the Ping River, Nakara Jardin is a tranquil place to spend a few hours either by yourself or with friends. It's a little oasis in the middle of sometimes crazy Chiang Mai!  I really enjoyed the quietness eventhough it was a Sunday afternoon and the shop was quite busy.

Now, let's meet the young chef, Pomme. Chef Pomme opened Nakara Jardin only 2 months ago. Previously, he studied French Cuisine at Le Cordon Bleu in Bangkok, and worked for 5 years in the city. Later on, Chef Pomme went back to Le Cordon Bleu to do the patisserie course and returned to Chiang Mai to open Nakara Jardin. The reason I know all this? I actually got to meet Chef Pomme as he brought us our order.

...And he's serving us this beautiful Blueberry Mousse Cheesecake (90 baht), which is not only pretty looking, but is also very good. I loved the plump, juicy blueberries sandwiched between the blueberry mousse and the cheese cake. The creamy tanginess taste is lovely, but I wouldn't mind a bit more of the actual cheese cake.

 

Opera (85 baht) - lovely too. The different textures are very interesting. For some reason, the cake kind of "melted" as we were enjoying it. Still tasted great though.

The Verdict
I love Nakara Jardin. The location is beautiful, the ambience is great, the cakes are good. Prices comparable to similar quality bakeries / cake shops / patisseries. What else can you ask for? I'll definitely go back and try other cakes. They also serve simple lunches like soup and pasta as well.

Nakara Jardin Patisserie & Bistro
11 Soi 9 Charoenprathet Rd
Chiang Mai 50100.
(Behind Ping Nakara Hotel)
Tel: 053 818977
Opens: 10am-6pm
nakarajardin.com

View Nakara Jardin Patisserie & Bistro in a larger map

Mood Mellow - French cake shop (Now closed)

 

Introducing...my current favourite cake shop in Chiang Mai, Mood Mellow. Recently moved from their previous location on Sirimankarajan Road to the hip Nimmanhaemin area,  Mood Mellow's French style cakes are not just simply beautiful ( both in look and taste! ), the shop itself is pretty funky too!

 

This time I had bambini (the white one in the photo below), and the lime tart.

Bambini is a cheesecake - and is so light and fluffy, only slightly sweet, and covered in white chocolate shavings and topped with a single gooseberry -  simply divine.

The lime tart is delicious too. Lovely and tangy, with nice and buttery base. Very nice indeed. 

 

Other cakes to try: Taro Cake - melt in your mouth softness with gorgeous purple colour! The chocolate cake is also great - full of chocolaty goodness! Mmm. I think I'll have to take another trip back to Mood Mellow soon! 

...Oh, don't forget to check out the toilet!

Mood Mellow
Soi 3, Nimmanhaemin Road.

Mont Blanc Sweet Cafe - Japanese Style French Cakes

 

I love success stories! ..And here is one starring a local young woman who followed her dreams to open a patisserie. It all started when the then 23 year old local girl, Panit Palapong, for the first time in her life, baked a cake. She simply wanted to impress her mum. Since then, Panit went on to study at a French Patisserie school in Japan and came back to Chiang Mai to open her first patisserie, Mont Blanc. It's so successful that she now has 3 branches.

Mont Blanc cakes are all French cakes and made from French recipes. The Japanese part comes from the way the cakes are decorated...well...in Japanese style! The result is light, soft and smooth tasting cakes.

 

The cafe in a quiet lane off the trendy Nimmanhaemin Road. This shop is decorated in retro-modern style (I guess!), and you have a choice to enjoy your cakes in the garden, or inside in air-conditioning.

There is a HUGE variety of cakes to choose from - all beautifully decorated and delicious looking. I wanted to try everything! After some consideration, we opted for:

Chocolate Caramel Cake - smooth chocolate mousse at the bottom, followed by a layer of hazelnuts, then soft and fluffy cream. Yum!

 

Mango Rare Cheesecake. "Rare" cheesecakes are what the Japanese call "no-bake" cheesecakes. Lovely, light in texture and creamy. 

 

Souffle Cheese Vanilla. Fluffy, creamy and light cheesecake (in texture, not calories!) covered with white chocolate shavings. Very, very nice. 

 

Mont Blanc

Branch 1: Nimmanhaemin Road (main road, near Soi 7)
Tel: 053 210 776

Branch 2: Central Airport Plaza
3rd floor, near escalators & Robinson
Tel: 053 280 662

Branch 3: Nimmanhaemin Soi 2
Tel: 053 210 776

Tea Garden by Anotai

This little bakery is just adorable. It's located in the garden of the owner's Thai teak house on the Mae Rim tourist route - you know, the one with Mae Sa Elephant Camp, Tiger Kingdom, Bungee Jumping, ATV, Monkey School, Snake Farm..etc. etc....and after tasting their scones, I wonder if I have perhaps found some of the best scones in Chiang Mai???

Good scones are hard to find here. Someone told me that it has to do with the flour. Thai flour seem to be different from "Western" flour. Often scones I found in Chiang Mai are too tough, don't rise enough and ended up looking like biscuits. Tea Garden's scones are great. Light, crumbly, melt in your mouth buttery goodness. The scones were even served with cream and jam!

What else can we find at Tea Garden? They also have delicious looking home made cakes, tea and coffee. No other food at the moment, but the owner is contemplating serving meals in the future.

If you're up in Mae Rim or Mae Sa area, do drop by Tea Garden, relax in the lovely garden, and tell us what you think! You can find the bakery on the left side of the main road up the mountain (Route 1096), just pass the turn off to Sukontara Resort.

Tea Garden by Anotai (Bakery, Tea & Coffee)

Open Daily 10:00am-6:30pm

Closed on Wednesdays