Thailand (Lonely Planet, 13th Edition) - China Williams [254]
Art Cafe ( Map; 0 5320 6365; cnr Th Tha Phae & Th Kotchasan; dishes 60-150B) A classic holiday-land restaurant, Art Cafe could just as easily appear in an ageing beach resort back home. The menu aims to please with Thai, Italian, Mexican and American dishes. It is particularly good for breakfasts; the hours and location are both convenient and it gives your stomach a break from being adventurous.
Mike’s Burgers ( Map; cnr Th Chaiyaphum & Th Chang Moi; dishes from 130B; 6pm-3am) A little bit of Coney Island has been transplanted into Chiang Mai at this replica American burger stand. From the worn red vinyl stools, barely a barrier away from the moat-road traffic, watch the fry-cook flip burgers, or swivel 90 degrees for a view of Doi Suthep. There are other branches on Th Nimmanhaemin and near the night bazaar.
Giorgio Italian Restaurant ( Map; 0 5381 8236; 2/6 Th Pracha Samphan; dishes 150-300B; 11.30am-2pm & 6-10.30pm Mon-Sat) With a trattoria setting near the night bazaar, this well-loved Italian restaurant features all the favourites from the boot-shaped peninsula. During the high season, dinner is also served on Sunday.
Moxie ( Map; 0 5399 9999; DusitD2 Chiang Mai, 100 Th Chang Khlan; dishes 150-400B;6.30am-1am) This achingly hip restaurant in the DusitD2 hotel offers Chiang Mai a glimpse at what a more hyperactive metropolis would look like. The dining room is suited up in a clean geometric puzzle of orange, cream and dark wood. The dishes are edible sculptures of Thai, Japanese and Italian components.
Favola ( Map; 0 5325 3299; Le Meridien, 108 Th Chang Khlan; dishes 280-650B; 11am-11pm) Le Meridien’s showcase Italian restaurant features a flamboyant chef who has transformed mama’s cooking into a high-tech affair using molecular gastronomy techniques to prepare foams, infused oils and savoury ice creams. Hints of vanilla and pumpkin oil add dramatic character to fettuccini, but the best bets are the surprisingly affordable pizzas with wood oven–crisped crusts.
Good Health Store ( Map; 0 5320 6888; Th Si Donchai; 10am-6pm) Next to Suriwong Book Centre, this health-food store sells mainly chemical-free products, like whole grains, honey and nuts, as well as herbal remedies. They also sell fairtrade hill-tribe coffee.
Riverside
The area east of the river boasts two distinct culinary attractions. North of Saphan Nawarat (Nawarat Bridge) is a cluster of riverside restaurants that dish up dinner and entertainment with a view. Most are best visited on weekends when the locals celebrate a few days of rest. Srng·ta·ou and túk-túk drivers who sit outside of the restaurants typically ask for a flat and inflated fare of 100B to return to the old city after dark.
Further north, past Saphan Nakhon Ping, is Th Faham, known as Chiang Mai’s kôw soy ghetto. Situated here are Khao Soi Lam Duan ( Map; Th Faham; dishes 35-60B), which also serves kà·nm rang pêung (literally beehive pastry – a coconut-flavoured waffle), Khao Soi Samoe Jai ( Map; Th Faham; dishes 25-65B) and Khao Soi Ban Faham ( Map; Th Faham; dishes 30-55B). Kôw soy foodies sometimes spend the day sampling a bowl at each place to select their favourite. Also in the vicinity, near Prince Royal’s College, is Khao Soi Prince ( Map; Th Kaew Nawarat; dishes 20-35B; 9am-3pm).
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SOI BAN HAW
A remnant from the days when Chiang Mai was a detour on the Silk Road is the Thai-Muslim community along Soi 1 off Th Chang Khlan, near Chiang Mai Night Bazaar. The 100-year-old Matsayit Chiang Mai ( Map; Soi 1, Th Charoen Prathet), also known as Ban Haw Mosque, was founded by jeen hor (‘galloping Chinese’), the Thai expression for Yunnanese caravan traders. Within the past two centuries, the city’s Muslim community