Jia Tong Heng (Faham Branch)

Being of Taechew Chinese heritage, one of the restaurants we often go to when we have our family reunion dinner is Jia Tong Heng. Family members often remark that the food is "just how grandpa made it"- that's a pretty good endorsement to me!

The Faham brach on the Super Highway has only been opened about a year or so, and is in a huge building with dining areas surrounding a Chinese garden, and also lots of private rooms that you can book (extra charge).

The service is usually OK and fairly efficient, but it can get quite frustrating slow when they are very busy (eg if they have a wedding - I had a particularly bad experience in the original branch at Sridonchai Rd). As for private rooms, a lot of the times, there is no staff stationed there, so we often would have to go out to look for someone to help us. Still, we keep going back because the food is good, price reasonable, and it's close to home!

Jia Tong Heng has an extensive menu, specialising in Taechew food, but also has other Chinese and Thai dishes as well.

My favourite is 'steamed bitter melon - Chinese style'. Bitter melon, I'm sure, is not on many people's list of favourite vegetables (or is it a fruit?). Bitter melon is cooked with tofu, various vegies, pork and mushrooms. The sauce has a nice combination of mild bitter and salty flavour. Not everyone's cup of tea, but I love it!

Other dishes I've had:

Suckling pig, called 'Hong Kong Roast Pork' in the menu. Beautifully roasted, the pork skin is nice and crispy with a thin layer of fat and meat underneath. Dip in the sweet soy sauce and eat with the steamed bun and pickled veggies. The only complaint I have is that they only give us one steamed bun, which is really not enough. The roast pork is one of the pricier dishes, but you do get a whole piglet - 1800 baht.

Deep Fried intestines - I can hear the squirms now (LOL). Innards are not something I would ordinarily order, if I had to choose, out of all the internal organs, I like intestines the best. There's something about the crispy "skin" and the soft chewy "meat" that makes it rather appealing, and Jia Tong Heng's version is pretty good. Really worth trying!

"Fried fish steamed" - well, that's the name on the menu. The fish has been deep fried and then boiled in a soup with sour plums. Very nice sourish soup and the fish was very fresh.

Fried Chinese Noodles (mi sua) - Very nicely stir-fried mi sua (wheat noodles). Not too oily and mildly flavoured, so it can be eaten by itself, or with other dishes.

Steamed mixed vegetables with pork. This is a very nice and healthy dish with steamed cabbage, dried mushrooms, lotus seeds and pork. The whole thing is packed into a bowl and steamed for around 3 hours. 

The verdict

Jia Tong Heng is a very popular restaurant, and is always packed with diners. The food is consistently good. The service is usually OK, but can sometimes be a bit slow. Very good value - most dishes range from around 60-300 baht. When my family went last time (9 people), it worked out to be about 400 baht/person and the Hong Kong Roast Pork (suckling pig) was ordered. 

Jia Tong Heng
Faham Branch
222 Moo 5 Chiang Mai - Lampang Rd (Super Highway)
T. Faham A Muang
Chiang Mai
Tel: 053 242 242

Sridonchai Branch (near Night Bazaar)
193/2-3 Sridonchai Rd
T Changkhlan A Muang
Chiang Mai
Tel: 053 820 860-2

http://www.jiarestaurant.com




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Khao Soi House @ Chaing Mai Airport

So you live in or have just visited Chiang Mai and fell in love with Khao Soi, and would like to have one (or more!) last bowl before you leave, Khao Soi House could just be the place to satisfy your craving.

It's not street cheap, though, at about 100 baht per serving of the Chicken Khao Soi, but you do get more than twice the amount that you would off the stalls, not to mention good quality ingredients and a nice and creamy, coconuty broth. I find (from the one time I've been there) that although the broth is pretty decent, it's a little mild and lacking the intensity and deep flavours from khao soi places "off the street".

Khao Soi House seems to be a popular restaurant at Chiang Mai Airport (not that there are many resturants there!). I think it's not a bad place to go if you're happen to be at the airport, or even as you arrive in Chiang Mai to wet your appetite for more khao soi to come.

Water is pretty expensive here though at 45 baht/bottle!

Khao Soi House
Chiang Mai Airport (Domestic Arrivals Hall)

Mira Terrace @ Ratilanna Riverside Spa and Resort

I generally don't really go to hotels for Thai food mainly because I assume (wrongly!) that Thai food at hotels are somehow modified to suit foreigners' tastes. A Thai friend, though, mentioned that he always goes to hotels for Thai food as he find the taste authentic and they use "real" ingredients. This is certainly the case for Mira Terrace. The Thai food there is excellent, and top quality.

Mira Terrace is a very lovely restaurant in a very lovely resort. The restaurant has a deck overlooking the Ping River, or you can choose to dine in air-conditioned comfort, and still with a view of the river.

Here we have Spicy Banana Blossom Salad with Grilled Prawns Skewer. It was very good - very nice peanut sauce, but also tangy and spicy at the same time. Nicely done!

Pan Seared Grouper fish with Chilli Sauce - also very good, covered with sweetish chilli sauce and crispy fried basil leaves.

Grilled Smoke Duck Breast with Tamarind Sauce - the duck breast was excellent - smokey and melt in your mouth tenderness. The sauce was like a tamarind syrup - use only a little bit as it is very strongly flavoured and quite overwhelming.

Green curry chicken - Mira Terrace makes an excellent green curry chicken. Beautifully smooth and rich curry. You could really taste the quality of the coconut milk. Loved it!

From the dishes I had, I would say my favourites are the duck and the green curry. There is something else on the menu that I would really love to try - Hung Ley Lamb - Northern braised lamb curry with ginger, gingko nut and cashew nuts served with crushed roti. Sounds fantastic, doesn't it?  Unfortunately most of the people I was with didn't eat lamb. Next time!

Mira Terrace also serves a number of international and fusion dishes.

The bill came to about 1800 baht for 5 people. Quite good value, I think for the quality and ambience, not to mention very good service.

The only downside was that the food came out very slowly. Perhaps the chef was making everything fresh. We were given a plate of very nice bread to have while waiting though.

Mira Terrace
Ratilanna Riverside Spa & Resort
33 Changklan Rd, Muang, Chiang Mai
Tel: 053 999 333
Opens daily:
Breakfast: 6am-10:30am
All day menu: 11am-11pm
http://www.ratilannachiangmai.com/dining_mira.php

Alfresco dining on the terrace

Cafe Mini

Mini is certainly the theme of this funky little cafe on Nimmanhaemin Rd - "Cafe Mini". The entrees, and some other dishes, the tables (which are kind of small), but thank goodness the chairs (and mains) are more regular sized!

Although rather small in size, the food at Cafe Mini is very good - beautifully presented, and more importantly, very good quality and tastes great.

The first dish to arrive was the Bruschetta - fresh vine ripened tomato salsa on garlic crouton with parmesan and extra virgin olive oil. The "crouton" was nice and crispy and the tomato salsa lovely and refreshing. 79 baht.

Fish and Chips - another appetizer dish (which means..mini sized), and the presentation totally unexpected! I've never had fish and chips this way before, and it was very good. The chips were nicely fried, and the fish sticks were nice and crispy. Don't worry about the cutleries - just use your hands! Served with tartar sauce and malt vinegar, and tomato ketchup. 99 baht. 

The mains, I was told by the waitress, are "regular" size. It's certainly is a more substantial portion. Here is the House Style Baby Ribs - slow cooked pork spareribs with barbecue sauce, sweet corn and french fries, and as you can see, a side serving of lovely vegies. The ribs were lovely -  tender and  succulent. The sauce was on the sweet side, but nicely flavoured and tasted great. 249 baht. 

The menu also boasted lots of other interesting sounding dishes that I'd love to try...eg. Duck breast - Roasted duck breast served with basil, potatoes, vegetables and cherry orange sauce. The Salmon Steak with saffron lemon cream sauce also sounded pretty good. I guess I'll just have to go back and try other dishes!

I really enjoyed having dinner at Cafe Mini. The servings are quite small, but it is a bit of an experience dining here - funky ambience, friendly staff, good food. 

Cafe Mini
12/2, Soi 9 Nimmanhaemin Rd, Chiang Mai
(Opposite Monkey Club)
Tel: 053 212 468, 088 411 4668



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Sansui Japanese Restaurant (ซันซุย)

The Japanese are serious about their sashimi, and Mr Sumo, Sansui's owner is no exception. He drives down to the seaside town of Rayong (a mere 8 hours drive!) 3 times a month to personally pick out the best fish for his restaurant. With the sashimi here so fresh, it's no wonder many people say Sansui is one of the best Japanese restaurants in Chaing Mai.

The fresh fish comes in generally on the 5th, 15th and 25th of the month. Sometimes this may vary depending on public holidays, etc. If you're also serious about your sashimi, the restaurant will take down your number and give you a call the day Mr Sumo comes back with the catch.

Not only is the fish fantastic, Mr Sumo is such a lovely host too. Each time I've been there, Mr Sumo will come by and have a chat, and offer advice on the finer points of eating sashimi. It turns out I've been doing it all wrong! If you want to know about how wasabi is grown and made, Mr Sumo is also the man to ask.

Other dishes ordered are also very good...

Grilled Squid - I think this must be one of the best grilled squid I've eaten. I've always expected this dish to be a little chewy, but Sansui's version is so tender (at least when I had this particular one, it was). Mr Sumo said that because the squid is so fresh. He also mentioned that fresh squids have lower cholesterol content than less fresh ones - just in case you're concerned about this! LOL

Tempura - Very nicely fried, perfectly crispy and they even gave each person their own bowl of dipping sauce!

Sansui has quite an extensive menu, including various sets, even special sets for children and ladies. Men can also order ladies' sets too (I've asked!).

Sansui Japanese Restaurant
Chiang Mai - San Kamphaeng Road
Opens daily for lunch and dinner
Tel: 053 116 131
(This branch is now closed)

Update: Now moved to:
Rim Tara Residence
265-265/1 Patan Road, Mueang District, Chiang Mai Province 50300
Tel: 0 5311 0430
Fax: 0 5311 0431
Website: www.rimtara.com
Map: http://rimtara.com/rimtara_residence/index.php?pages=contact_us

Mr Sumo's sushi chef

Old style Japanese Restaurant feel 

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Piccola Roma Palace (Italian Restaurant)

Having been opened 22 years and still going strong is a testament to how wonderful Piccola Roma Palace is. I think the restaurant's popularity is due to the very skillful and lovely chef / owner Angelo who comes an greet diners, give recommendations and take orders personally. This combined with excellent food and excellent service, is a sure recipe for success!

The restaurant is lovely, and has a classy yet comfortable feel. The staff are very attentive - I could hardly touch the water bottle on my table - as soon as I reach for it, a waiter comes and takes it off me to refill my glass. This actually makes an amusing game between my friends and I - let's try to touch that water bottle before a waiter comes running...lol...and yes, I would give the service 5 stars.

And the food....I must say it's excellent - excellent in quality and very, very large portions. You might want to consider sharing. The three of us ordered 3 entrees, 2 mains (pasta) and a dessert to share - I felt it was just right, but I don't normally eat a huge amount.  Just let Angelo know (if you want to share) when you order and the waiters will bring everyone extra plates and cutleries.

...And importantly, the pasta here is homemade.

Some of the dishes we had:

Prawn Cocktails - Simply delicious, tasty, oh-so-fresh prawns with lovely creamy sauce just to get the appetite going.

Bruschetta with olive oil, tomato and basil leaf - lovely and refreshing,  but I thought the bread was slightly dry (?). The table next to us ordered Bruschetta with garlic - wow, it was so fragrant and smelt so delicious, I must try it next time! 

Penne Carbonara - I don't usually order carbonara, mainly because for some reason, I have always thought that it's a creamy dish, and I can't eat too much cream....but this one was fantastic. The menu lists the ingredients for the "sauce" as bacon, egg and parmesan cheese, which I guess would be the "original" recipe. I could really taste the parmesan! Check out the chef's recipe here.

The next pasta dish wasn't on the menu. Angelo made it for my friends before and he did it again for us. I think it was Spaghetti with garlic, olive oil, chilli and tomato and prawns - beautiful!

...And of course, we have to leave room for dessert. My friends tell me that the tiramisu here is great. Tonight though, we opted for Profiterole with whipped cream and chocolate sauce to share.  and yes, it was wonderfully decadent. I think it would have been great even just having the cream and chocolate sauce!

The price: It worked out to be about 600-800 baht/person - on the expensive side of the scale for Chaing Mai, but well worth it for the quality.


Piccola Roma Palace 
144 Charoenprathet Rd
(Opposite The Chedi Hotel)
A. Muang, Chiang Mai
Tel: 053 820 297-8
http://www.piccolaromapalace.com

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The Olive Tree (previously Jerusalem Falafel) - Middle Eastern food

Looking through various reviews of The Olive Tree, I was surprised to see all the mixed reports. Some raves about the restaurant, others hate it...the most predominant complaints being the "rude owner" and "tasteless food". Having been there 3 times - once in the old restaurant, Jerusalem Falafel, and twice in the new one, I've found my experience to be very pleasant, and very much enjoyed the food there each time. In fact, I look forward to my next visit.

The beautiful new restaurant, The Olive Tree, is quite exotic, and exudes a feeling of cosiness and warmth. The lady owner, whom I found to be very passionate person, tells me that it took her 3 years to create this new restaurant. I could feel that she put her heart and soul into it, and into her food as well. Her husband, the host,  is very friendly and accommodating, and always has a smile on his face.

The owner recommended the special of the day, Chicken Tagin with Tomato & Olive. A tagin, she explains, is like a clay pot. The chicken is slowed cooked with the sauce in the tagin, which also imparts an aroma onto the chicken....and it was absolutely lovely! The chicken was so tender it's falling of the bone, and tasted wonderful with the tomato based sauce, and the olives...I think they were my favourite part of the dish....creamy and mellow. I couldn't have enough of of the olives! 240 baht.

I didn't have much of the Lamb Cutlets, and I don't normally eat a lot of lamb, but from the little bit that I had, the meat seemed to be well flavoured, although a little chewy. My friend seemed quite satisfied with it. 300 baht. 

So it seems, at least from my experience there, The Olive Tree is a very good restaurant, and the food is great. The previous time I went with some vegetarian friends, and we each enjoyed a platter of falafel, hummus and pita bread. Actually, Jerusalem Falafel (now The Olive Tree) is their favourite restaurant in Chiang Mai, and they make a point to come to the restaurant every time they visit this city.

A lot of people (from the reviews I've read) also complains that the restaurant is quite pricey. As for me, I think it's quite reasonable for the quality and type of food.

I'll definitely go back again.

The Olive Tree Restaurant
29/7 Moon-Muang Rd
A. Muang, Chiang Mai
(Between 7-11 & Pharmachoice Pharmacy)
Tel: 053 271 196
Opens: 11am-3pm, 5pm-11pm
Closed on Fridays




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