Eat & Drink
Basic Thai Cuisine
Situated right off of the busy Rachadamneon Road, Basic Thai Cusine is the perfect place to escape the heat and crowds of the Old City and quell your rumbling tummy at the same time. Step inside and you’ll find a quiet haven for yummy Thai-style breakfast, lunch or dinner. Sophisticated yet inexpensive with plenty of authentic Thai food choices, the menu is currently in the process of changing, but hopefully the stir fried chicken with cashew nuts will make the cut! The chicken is fried first and then added to the stir fried vegetables and topped with chili paste for additional colour and flavour. And if you like fish, the steamed fish with chili, lemon and garlic is to die for. Want to recreate these dishes in your own kitchen and impress your friends at your next dinner party? No problem; you can attend one of their Basic Thai cooking classes and learn how to make five delicious dishes for 1,000 baht or seven for 1,400. Classes have a five person maximum, so you are guaranteed to get the best learning experience and plenty of individualised attention.
Open daily, 7 a.m. – 10 p.m.
21 Moon Muang Soi 5
www.facebook.com/BasicThaiCuisineChiangMai
089 672 6333
92 Rachadamnoen
“Inexpensive and worth trying,” as the sign out front of this brand new Walking Street eatery states, is a bit of an understatement. 92 Rachadamneon is a lovely little family owned and operated cafe that provides great Thai and Western fusion food alike, along with a lovely atmosphere worth not just a try but a lingering afternoon. The artsy interior features a collection of eye-catching paintings lining the walls, a television on mute, a nice soundtrack of contemporary tunes, free wifi and a collection of books for browsing in the corners. Settle down on a cosy couch or table and enjoy one of their tasty dishes made with love from local ingredients, from the creamy khao soy to the delicious pesto pasta with seafood to the fresh salmon with spicy wasabi sauce and pickled garlic (watch out, it packs a punch!). Cool down with a glass of fresh and local iced coffee or mulberry juice, or, for the ultimate refresher, a goblet of homemade sparkling mango sorbet with whipped cream, which for the month of July comes with a lunch set of fried rice and drinking water for just 99 baht total.
Open daily, 9 a.m. – 9 p.m. (Closed Mondays)
92 Rachadamnoen Road
www.facebook.com/92Rachadamnoen
089 191 2992
Maximato
Fresh strawberries, homemade orange cake and a dollop of thick cream. Green curry topped with perfectly crisped pork and just a pinch of phet. And, according to Chef Sethakorn, “the best Massaman in the world.” Located just off Hang Dong Road in the Mae Hia area, the six-month-old Maximato has become a pioneer for contemporising traditional Thai flavours. Alongside his co-owner and wife, Siriporn, Chef Sethakorn has developed an “all-encompassing” menu, which fuses cuisines from around the world with conventional Thai dishes starting at 150 baht. Diners can enjoy an array of ambrosial plates on Maximato’s spacious patio or in the main dining room, and for special occasions or important meetings there is a private room available as well. Lounge chairs, antique bookshelves, golden clocks and delicate tea sets lace the restaurant, so if you’ve had too much to eat (which is likely to happen) you can kick back, relax and digest. With impeccable service, fresh produce direct from the Royal Project and each dish made one loving whisk at a time by Sethakorn himself, you are bound to feel at home at Maximato.
Open daily, lunch 11 p.m. – 3 p.m., dinner 5 – 10 p.m. (closed on Sundays)
447 Moo1, Mae Hia
www.facebook.com/pages/Maximato-Restaurant-Cafe/521027531254380
081 839 7929
Café Culture
Crema Café
Loh Kroi Road is in the early stages of a facelift, with a growing number of classy new establishments opening up and transforming the once seedy zone into a nice place to spend an afternoon or evening. In that light, along comes Crema Café, a lovely little eatery that just opened and has already attracted the attention of Chiang Mai locals and tourists alike. Owned by two brothers who share a passion for premium coffees and healthy eating, Crema Café is the perfect spot for a delicious brunch or an afternoon cuppa with friends. Small and chic, with a minimalist yet cosy design inside and a leafy patio outside, it’s also a great spot for getting work done or just people watching. Try their specialty, the Golden Crema coffee, made with honey, cinnamon, and delicious coffee beans from Northern Thailand. Hungry? No problem – Crema Café serves much more than just beverages and bakery items. Try out their wide selection of yummy comfort cuisine, including smoothies, sandwiches, French toast and eggs, all of which are made with fresh, health-conscious ingredients.
Open daily, 8 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Loi Kroh Road
082 899 7790
Yok Intertrade
Interested in grabbing a slice of the café culture pie yourself? Perhaps it’s time to open up your own shop. Imagine the possibilities! Or maybe you’re already in the industry, or just love to cook restaurant quality cuisine in the comfort of your own home. Whatever the case, Yok Intertrade presents everything you need for a convenient and comfortable cooking experience. Walk into the shop and you’ll find a well-organised selection of culinary equipment and ingredients (over 70 percent are internationally imported) on the shelves, including everything from specialty cake flour to industrial strength cappuccino makers. The first floor is stocked with ingredients while the second floor houses the equipment. All items can be purchased in-store or delivered right to your shop or home, even if you are located outside of Chiang Mai. With a friendly, bilingual staff and two well-stocked branches, Yok Intertrade is the perfect first stop for anyone looking for top quality supplies at bargain basement prices. Yok Intertrade also offers free seminars and workshops twice a month for those who are looking for inspiration, tips and ideas from experienced chefs and food specialists.
Open daily, 8 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Superhighway Road, opposite Payap University (1st branch)
Rattanakosin Road, next to Denchai Trading (2nd branch)
053 248 248, 053 225 546
JJ Market
The brand new JJ Market (just across the street from the old one) is now up and running, with some businesses still in the process of opening but some ready to go and ripe for the picking. Here are a few noteworthy early birds to check out today!
45 Atsadathorn Road www.jingjaichiangmai.com 053 231 520
Rimping Grocery
The locally owned and exclusively Chiang Mai based premium supermarket chain has just opened its fifth and smallest branch at JJ Market. The warm and welcoming Rimping Jing Jai has an unprecedented commitment to organic awareness, and shopping there feels less like a harried trip to the supermarket and more like a pleasant jaunt to the corner store. The new branch is well-equipped with a selection of high quality local and imported foods, including one of the city’s largest spreads of well-priced wines and cheeses (perfect for last minute party planning), frozen items from some of the top international brands (hooray for Amy’s veggie burgers!), fresh breads and bakery items, beauty and household products, and plenty of freshly made, pre-packaged meals, from feta salad to pad thai. Home delivery is available at all locations free of charge for any shoppers spending 1,000 baht or more. Rimping is also committed to giving back to the community with their “Say ‘No’ to Plastic Bags” campaign, which pledges to make a donation of 0.5 baht to local charities for every transaction that does not include the use of plastic bags. So BYOBag and happy shopping!
Open daily, 8 a.m. – 9 p.m.
053 231 721
Pangkhon Coffee
Much loved for providing some of the smoothest and richest tasting coffee in town, Pangkhon Coffee imports its beans directly from the famous Pangkhon Village in Chiang Rai. Growing and supplying only the finest 100 percent Arabica coffee beans, Pangkhon has a total of seven branches: four in Chiang Rai and now three in Chiang Mai, thanks to the recent opening of their newest location at JJ Market. Escape the heat and step into air-conditioned ecstasy where you’ll find the perfect cup of pick-me-up along with sophisticated décor and free wifi for all customers. Order Pangkhon’s signature cup of coffee or try one of their other tasty refreshments, starting at just 50 baht each. Cappuccinos, caramel lattes, tea, Italian soda, cocoa and more can all be served hot, iced or frappéd and are meticulously presented by one of Pangkhon’s friendly and expertly trained baristas. A selection of mouth-watering bakery items are also available, from cheesecake to brownies to bread to pudding. Want to recreate the perfect cup of joe in the comfort of your own home? Fresh packaged coffee beans (250 grams) are for sale as well.
Open daily, 8 a.m. – 9 p.m.
083 576 2558
Kham Kaew House
JJ Market is shaping up to be quite a lovely new outdoor shopping centre packed with eating and shopping options galore, from cupcakes to coffee to handbags. But a day of heavy consumerism can take a toll on the body, which is why Kham Keaw House, a lovely Thai massage parlour located on the edge of the shopping centre, is the perfect place for a pick-me-up pit stop. At Kham Kaew House, Kwan and her team of expert masseuses will knead and twist your troubles away with a wide selection of massage and body treatment offerings. Try a luxurious oil massage, milk cream treatment or body scrub, or go traditional with one of their time-honoured Thai massages, which combines a thorough rub down with a series of yoga-like stretches that may be intense but will leave you feeling loose, energised and ready to take on the day (or at least the shopping bags). For a limited time only, all foot massages cost only 160 baht (down from 200 baht), and you can grab a VIP member card and collect ten hours of treatments to earn a free hour-long massage.
Open daily, 10 a.m. – 9 p.m.
089 644 2098