อ่านบทความภาษาไทยคลิกที่นี่
Stepping into Khu Khao, with its serene vibes by the Ping River, feels like taking a stroll with old memories. The restaurant is dressed with handcrafted objects that speak to the quiet beauty of Lanna folk wisdom — bamboo weaving, hand-loomed textiles, and clay pottery — each piece restoring life to traditions long at risk of fading away. Its menu, too, draws from a crossroads of cultures: Thai, Chinese, Lao, Burmese, and flavours borrowed from neighbours beyond the boundaries of Southeast Asia. Under its Crossroad concept, the restaurant reimagines the tastes of early Chiang Mai in a contemporary light, without losing either its artistry or its history.
Khu Khao Restaurant at Raya Heritage has recently unleashed new nostalgia with Childhood Heritage — a concept designed to rekindle childhood happiness through the familiar flavours many of us grew up with. Each dish is crafted with carefully selected, chemical-free local ingredients, transforming simple, familiar tastes into thoughtful, creative plates that invite diners to revisit the tastes of their childhood.
Behind these dishes is Chef Teerachai “Bank” Akkharasrisawat, the seasoned head chef whose culinary roots lie in Thai cuisine. Chef Bank began his career at Jim Thompson House Museum’s Thai Restaurant before moving to the Renaissance Bangkok Ratchaprasong Hotel. He then worked in the Michelin-starred Sra Bua by Kiin Kiin. He eventually put down roots in Chiang Mai during the COVID-19 period, drawn by its atmosphere, culture, foodways, and unhurried pace of life — a perfect fit for his work at Raya Heritage.
“Khu Khao has refreshed its menu while keeping the Crossroad concept at heart, and we’ve added the Childhood Heritage selections to deepen the experience,” Chef Bank explains. “These dishes grew out of the team’s own childhood memories — simple, local family foods we all grew up with. We chose twenty of them and reworked each one with a contemporary touch, while staying true to their original flavours. All curry pastes are made entirely in-house.”
Among the Childhood Heritage dishes is the grilled Thai–Charolais beef ribeye with Lahu-style tomato and yellow bean dip — inspired by the family recipe of a team member from the Lahu tribe. Tomatoes are pounded with chilli and shallots to create a full-bodied dip, served alongside tender ribeye and a basket of local vegetables: chayote shoots, fingerroot flowers, tiny green aubergines, lotus stems, and okra.
Another dish draws from the culinary traditions of Uttaradit’s mysterious Lablae District—fermented rice noodles with dried fish, pickled bean sprouts and lime. While “lod chong” is widely known as a dessert, this savoury version mixes the soft noodles with dried fish powder, ground chilli, fish sauce, lime, pickled beansprouts, culantro, and sliced long beans. It is presented with a modern flair that still honours its salty, tangy, lightly spicy heritage.
The fern shoot salad with prawns and coconut milk brings a taste of the South — crisp jungle ferns tossed with minced chicken, fried dried prawns, and a coconut-and-shrimp-paste dressing fragrant with toasted coconut. Fresh, aromatic, and delightfully textured.
Another highlight is the stir-fried bamboo shoot chilli paste with grilled river prawns. The restaurant’s signature nam prik num, enriched with bitter bean and young ginger leaves, coats tender bamboo shoots and is served with a plump grilled river prawn rich with buttery tomalley. Combined into a bite, the flavours become even more vibrant, smoky, and satisfyingly spicy.
From the Crossroad Cuisine collection comes the slow-cooked pork rib Yunnan soup with peanuts and dried pickled cabbage — its broth built from a mixture of house-made aromatics simmered with sun-dried, salt-fermented mustard greens, a traditional Yunnanese preservation technique. Chef Bank hopes to share and celebrate these age-old flavours with curious diners.
Though Chef Bank employs modern techniques often found in international kitchens, his mission is to preserve the soul of each dish. Take the spicy grilled organic chicken with local herbs and chilli in clear broth — a deep dive into Northern cuisine. The large pieces of chicken are grilled, then slow-cooked before being transformed into a classic yam jin gai steeped in vibrant, freshly made spices.
Khu Khao’s Signature category features beloved Northern staples, prepared almost entirely with local ingredients:
- Chiang Mai roasted pork ribs curry soup with fermented rice noodles, complemented by mustard greens, lime, sprouts, and fried chilli
- Chiang Mai egg noodles coconut curry with braised beef ribs, served with lime, chilli, mustard greens, and shallots
The Garden Harvest menu offers tasty vegetarian options that substitute local ingredients with creativity — like the mild spicy jackfruit dip with local vegetables and cashew nuts which sees the traditional fish sauce replaced with fermented soybean and pork crackling with nuts.
For dessert, the Sweet’s Endings range is a must. The local Karen rice pudding with butterfly-pea coconut sauce and pineapple compote uses bue gi, a heritage rice of the Karen people, in a fragrant pudding served with pineapple compote, kaffir-lime-leaf cookies, and coconut meringue presents as a beautiful bridge between Asian and Western pastry traditions.
Then there is Pandan tapioca pearls in coconut milk — soft, chewy tapioca spheres infused with pandan, served in syrup and finished with lightly salted coconut cream for balance and freshness.
Every dish at Khu Khao carries a history. Layered with stories, shaped by generations, refined over time, they form a collection that is both soulful and compelling. Here, diners are guided gently back through the culinary heritage of mainland Southeast Asia — a world of flavours impossible not to fall in love with.
Khu Kao Restaurant
At Raya Heritage 157 Moo 6, Don Kaew, Mae Rim
Open daily: 11.30 am – 11 pm
Tel. 053 111 670-73
GPS: https://maps.app.goo.gl/UoWq4d23EQQnsk7a7
www.rayaheritage.com
