Thailand (Lonely Planet, 13th Edition) - China Williams [251]
Pak Do Restaurant ( Map; Th Samlan; dishes 25-30B; 7am-early afternoon) Across the street from Wat Phra Singh, this morning curry shop displays its dishes in big metal bowls out front. To do as the Thais, you can lift the lid to survey the contents. If your stomach has developed a hankering for rice in the morning, you’ll be glad you peaked into the pots.
Kow Soy Siri Soy ( Map; 0 5321 0944; Th Inthawarorot; dishes 30-35B; 7am-3pm Mon-Fri) This simple shop prepares a rich and hearty broth for its kôw soy, served with or without chicken. It also serves the popular kôw man gài (chicken and rice) dish.
Nayok Fa ( Map; Th Ratchaphakhinai; dishes 30-35B; 10am-6pm) This ma-and-pa place cooks up fresh food in the massive woks out front. Try pàt see·éw (stir-fried wide noodles with a choice of beef, pork or chicken) or the suckling pig and rice.
Sailomyoy ( Map; Th Ratchadamnoen; dishes 30-80B) The Thai equivalent of a greasy spoon, this simple place serves all-day breakfasts, should your days be your nights, as well as basic Thai dishes. It isn’t the pinnacle of cuisine but it is cheap and conveniently located near Pratu Tha Phae.
Si Phen Restaurant ( Map; 0 5331 5328; 103 Th Inthawarorot; dishes 40-80B; 9am-5pm) This inexpensive stopover near Wat Phra Singh specialises in northern- and northeastern-style dishes, including sôm·am (spicy green papaya salad).
AUM Vegetarian Food ( Map; 0 5327 8315; 66 Th Moon Muang; dishes 50-140B; 8am-5pm) Feel healthier and less anxious with a full belly of AUM’s health-friendly meals. There’s organic coffee from Laos, seasonal juices and a range of all-veggie Thai-style stir-fries. The restaurant is friendly with an attached second-hand bookshop and an additional eating area with floor cushions and low tables.
Heuan Phen ( Map; 0 5327 7103; 112 Th Ratchamankha; dishes 60-150B; 8am-3pm & 5-10pm) At this well-known restaurant everything is on display, from the northern Thai food to the groups of culinary visitors and the antique-cluttered dining room. Chiang Mai locals might sniff at the quality, but for newbies the ambience and the dishes are a treat. Daytime meals are served in a large canteen out front.
Rachamankha ( Map; 0 5390 4111; Rachamankha Hotel, 6 Th Ratchamankha; dishes 250-1100B) Tucked away behind Wat Phra Singh, in the sumptuous grounds of the boutique hotel of the same name, one dines at the Rachamankha to enjoy the crisp white linens and antique atmosphere as much as the food. The menu is Thai-centred, along with hints of Myanmar, Yunnan and Europe at the periphery. Do yourself a favour though and skip the one-dish noodle meals, which, by definition, should be eaten at a roadside wok for around 30B.
INTERNATIONAL
Bierstube ( Map; 0 5327 8869; 33/6 Th Moon Muang; dishes 50-130B; 7am-midnight) This cosy wooden place is the restaurant version of an old German uncle. It has been cooking up German comfort fare for so many years that its age can be measured by the regulars’ expanding waistlines. In Bangkok such dinosaurs would be shunned, but here in Chiang Mai this is considered family.
Pum Pui Italian Restaurant ( Map; 0 5327 8209; 24 Soi 2, Th Moon Muang; dishes 60-180B; 11am-11pm) A charming ‘date’ restaurant, Pum Pui romances its guests with a garden setting and moderately priced dishes. The menu covers the usual Italian suspects, from antipasto to digestives and leaves room in the budget for some fine Italian beverages.
Chiangmai Saloon ( Map; 0 6161 0690; Th Ratwithi; dishes 80-300B) Welcome to the Wild West, Thai style, where a gunslinger, or more accurately a backpack slinger, can fill up on a real meal of meat – mainly burgers and steaks – before conquering some hill-tribe villages and taming wild elephants. The original branch is on Th Loi Kroh.
Amazing Sandwich ( Map; 252/3 Th Phra Pokklao; dishes 90-150B; 8.30am-8.30pm) A self-described island in a sea of rice, Amazing Sandwich delivers the bread to the wheat-deprived. Expats rank the make-your-own