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

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Withlocals.com - eating with local families whilst travelling

Would you be interested in eating at a local family's home when you're travelling? A Dutch organisation contacted me and asked me to post info about their website, www.withlocals.com. I don't normally "advertise", but the work they do sounds very interesting and worthwhile.

The organisation aims to connect travellers with local people who could act as tour guides or host you for a meal. I would love to try a meal cooked by a local family while visiting a new place, or even have a local person to guide me...it would give a whole new perspective to the place I'm visiting ...more than just seeing things through tourists' eyes.

A few questions that come to mind, like safety for the traveller. I was told that the family / guide is selected by a local person.

If you are interested or have questions, please contact them directly. I'm not involved with them in anyway other than helping to "spread the word".

Anyway, here's their spill:

The ultimate travel experience: seeing Thailand through the eyes of a local

Everyone recognizes it: you are visiting a new city and all the streets seem unfamiliar yet exciting, but you have no clue where to start exploring. Often, you find yourself ending up in one of those already crowded touristic places, while missing out on a whole lot of fun that is going on a few streets down the block. Touristic places like to sell the idea of being authentic, but mostly, they are all providing you with the same experience. On your journey abroad, the real magic happens when you step out of the touristic comfort zone, and start thinking like a local. A place can be incredibly touristic, still there are areas where the ‘real stuff’ is going on. Ever wondered where the locals live, eat or do their shopping? You probably did, but weren’t sure how to take the next step in following this thought. 

Now there is a new kid on the block in travel land, Withlocals, which aims to change some things in the travel industry. By removing the intermediary travel agencies, Withlocals connects locals and travelers directly through food and experiences.

Now what exactly does this mean? Imagine yourself going on a trip to Chiang Mai, and having a dinner in a local family’s home. Instead of eating a standard meal in a tourist restaurant, you will meet new friends, discover a different culture and taste a real authentic dinner you will never forget.  

The idea is to enable people to show their own strengths and skills. After all, everybody is good at something. Withlocals gives you the chance to eat with locals, but also to go on tours and exciting activities with them. Locals are the experts of their area. Learn for instance how to make your own milk, navigate a long-tail boat, or where to find the best street food stalls!

The locals get a honest price for something they do daily because they can set their own prices. The ultimate local experience will be cheaper than in a tourist agency, but will make a huge difference for a local family. 

Withlocals will kick off in Thailand, a country renowned for its open culture and friendliness, making it the ideal base to depart from. After this, the organization will expand to other countries to Asia. Got excited? You can find more information and even subscribe for the first launch in September on the website of Withlocals. 

Godam Korean-Chinese Fusion Restaurant

Thanks to recommendations from a couple of readers, I finally managed to try Godam, and have been back a couple of times. Godam specialises in Korean-Chinese food - traditional Chinese dishes with Korean twist.

My favourite at Godam is the fried chicken. I think they probably make some of the best fried chicken in Chiang Mai! The batter is quite mild in flavour, but is served in a couple of ways - with sticky sweet chilli sauce with enough fresh garlic to scare away Dracula; or dipped in a mixture of pepper, salt and sesame seeds. I like both, and you can order half-half of each type. You can also choose between the whole chicken or the chicken wings. About 370 baht for the serving. The picture below shows half a serving. The other half (not shown) has the sweet chill sauce.

Jjamppong Noodles with Seafood - This is a very nice seafood noodles soup flavoured with onions and chilli oil. You'd think though, from the colour that the soup, that it would be very spicy, but it actually isn't. The broth is full of rich, subtle flavours, and I think they must have used a lot of prawns in the stock. The serving is huge!

Jjajangmyeon - noodles with black bean paste. A very nice dish as well. Actually, I just tried a bit as the three of us were very full from the chicken and the seafood noodles soup. The rest I had for dinner the next day, which I thought was even better. The rich sauce is made from roasted soy beans and caramel. I found the flavour a bit unusual to start with, but ended up quite enjoying it. Again, very big serving.

The bill came to a very reasonable 600 baht for 3 people. Actually, two dishes would have been plenty for us. So, if you'd like to try a variety of dishes, it might be better to go with a big group of people!

Godam Korean-Chinese Fusion Restaurant
277/11 Changklan Rd
T. Changklan A. Muang
Chiang Mai 50100
Tel: 053 204 270
Opens: 11am-10pm everyday.
http://www.facebook.com/TheGodam



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Cafe Din Dee (Mudhouse Cafe)

Nestled in a little mud house in the carpark of Chiang Mai University Art Centre on the quiet end of Nimmanhaemin Rd, this Japanese runned cafe offers lovely healthy vegetarian meals, fantastic looking drinks (especially on a hot day!) and desserts.

On Sundays, you'll also be able to sample some of their freshly baked bread... and I must say, these breads are delicious - quite heavy, crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside. The bread is a little salty and no butter is needed. I'll be happy munching on these all day! I even bought some to take home for breakfast for the next few days.

Other than the bread, the menu is pretty extensive, from Muesli with natural yoghurt to sandwiches to curry dishes and salads. Dishes are mainly Japanese, Thai and Indian inspired, and MSG is not added.

After much deliberation on the type of curry I want, I settle for the DinDee Original Curry, which contains chickpeas, kidney beans, vegetables and gram masala. If you can't eat spicy food, you'd be relieved to know that this curry is only very mildly spicy, and it's very lovely with the brown rice - a very nice, light, gentle and comforting meal. White rice is also available if you don't like brown rice. The soup that comes with the curry is great too. 109 baht for the set or 90 baht for curry only.

Yum Bai Bua Bok - Thai Pennywort (Gotu Kola) Salad. Pennywort (or Gotu Kola) is a herb that is generally served pureed as a bright green  drink in Thailand. (It's very good for you!). This salad contains gotu kola leaves, cucumbers, tomatoes, shallots and toasted peanuts. The dressing is mildly tangy and spicy, just enough to make the salad refreshing and vibrant. My Japanese friend loved it!

By this time, we are quite full, and didn't really have room for dessert! From various reports, I've heard that the cakes here are great. I'd love to try their chocolate cake and cheese cakes, so I must make an effort to get back there! :P

The price is pretty reasonable too. It ended to be around 250 baht for 2 people for the 3 dishes above. Free drinking water available. 

Cafe Din Dee

Chiang Mai University Art Center

Nimmanhaemin Rd

T. Suthep, A. Muang, Chiang Mai

Tel: 053 289 046

Mobile: 089 755 0192

E-mail: info@dindeecafe.com
Opens: Tuesdays-Sundays 9am-6pm
Closed on Mondays. 

http://www.dindeecafe.com/

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Kha Moo Chiang Dao 'original shop' (ขาหมูเชียงดาว เจ้าเก่า)

A trip to Chiang Dao (a town about 1 hour north of Chiang Mai) would not be complete without a visit to a "Kha Moo" place. "Kha Moo", literally, "pork leg", refers to a dish of pork leg/hog that has been stewed in herbs, spices and soy sauce for a very long time, resulting in a rich and fragrant melt in your mouth pork.

Chiang Dao, as you may have gathered, is famous for its' kha moos. There are many kha moo shops in Chiang Dao, but the most famous are Kha Moo Chaing Dao 'original shop' and Kha Moo Pornphen (ร้านขาหมู พรเพ็ญ).

The lovely 74 year old owner of Kha Moo Chiang Dao 'Original shop'

Kha Moo Chaing Dao 'original shop' was the first kha moo shop that opened in Chiang Dao over 60 years ago. They still use the same recipe from 'grandpa'. I had a chat with the current owner, 'grandpa''s daughter in law. At 74, she has worked in the eatery 50 years. The shop still retains a lot of its original features, and has a rather charmingly antique feel, with its large round wooden tables and wooden chairs.

The owner used to ride the bike (on the cabinet) to work. 

The kha moo of course, is the shop's specialty. The meat is very tender, and the sauce rich - perfect for drizzling on your rice. A part of the kha moo that I really enjoy is the trotter ('kaki' in Thai), which has mostly skin and tendons. Kaki is very tender, and the skin soft yet a little chewy, and (I hope!) not too much fat underneath!

As there were 5 of us, we ordered 1 leg and rice, separately, but you can also order the kha moo on rice as well for 1 person. A small range of other dishes eg. curry chicken are also available.

The main difference in taste between the 'original' shop and Kha Moo Pornphen is that the Kha Moo Pornphen makes Thai style kha moo, which is on the sweet side, where is the 'original' shop makes Chinese style kha moo, and not sweet at all. So, I can't really say which is the best - it depends on your personal preference, really.

Kha Moo Chiang Dao 'original shop' (ขาหมูเชียงดาว เจ้าเก่า)

Tel: 053455093

Please see map (below) for exact location!

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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)