I have been preoccupied by a great many things recently, including another trip to Chiang Mai, where I went on a visa run. (The Chinese consulate there is very efficient, friendly and conveniently close to the old city.) But the real reason (or at least one of them) why I’ve gone to Chiang Mai twice [...]
Posts Tagged ‘Thai’
Huen Phen Magic
We went to Huen Phen twice during our Chiang Mai trip, and each time, the experience was transformative. Imagine this: it is 38°C in Chiang Mai. The sun is beating down. The wats are shiny. We’ve been wandering around, looking at things, and getting hotter and sweatier, melting a little more with every step (I [...]
Sup Nawmai (and chicken too)
Sup nawmai was one of my favorite dishes in Chiang Mai, and no surprise: it’s got a winning combination of bamboo shoots and chili pepper. This spicy salad of fermented bamboo can be found at places that serve Isaan, or northeastern, styles of food. It’s usually pounded with a mortar and pestle, which is a [...]
Patara: Sophisticated Thai, from Bangkok via London
Good Thai restaurants are few and far between in Beijing, which I suppose is only fair, given how far we are from limes and mangoes and galangal. Most Thai restaurants here are operated by Chinese staff and serve what they bill as “Thai flavor” food. So what a surprise when Patara comes along, with not only chefs transplanted from Thailand but also special ingredients like galangal and lemongrass…