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/

View Cafe Dindee in a larger map

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!

View Kha Moo Chiang Dao in a larger map

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




View Jia Tong Heng in a larger map

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



View Cafe Mini in a larger map

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 

View San Sui Japanese Restaurant in a larger map