jin loves to eat: lanna

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Kalae Restaurant ♥ ♥ ♥

“OMG! Are we going to some garden AGAIN??? But I am really NOT a flower person!”

Of course, no voice escapes my throat.

I dare say this only to myself.

But, oh wow! Do I see tables and chairs? And most importantly, are those FOOD on the table? The mood has now turned into absolute excitement. Thank you, Jesus, from the bottom of my heart.

Suddenly, colors are sharper and scents are sweeter. Suddenly I find myself liking flowers a little bit more.

As long as there’s food, any place is heaven

Kalae Restaurant is located within the compound of the Northern Region Agricultural and Cooperative Office in Chiang Mai, known locally as “The Reservoir”

This is the view when I look to my side

This is the view when I look to my front

Immaculate, eh?

Eh.

Now, the food.

Tom Yum Goong – has fresh coconut meat in it!

Gai Yaang – marinated barbecued chicken is just okay

Kor Moo Yang – marinated barbecued pork neck is sweetish and delicious, perfect with the amazing dipping sauce

Goong Choop Paeng Tord – in short, Shrimp Tempura
Aside from a couple pieces of shrimp, everything else is vegetable. So fried but so healthy (?)

Stir-Fried Mixed Vegetables – I suppose this is much healthier

The food in Kalae is actually simple fare, but once you step into this paradise, suddenly everything tastes like chocolates.

Must be the flowers.

Ahhh… we love this place.

Kalae Restaurant: Su Thep, A. Mueang, Chiang Mai, Thailand. Tel: 053-278655

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Khum Khantoke ♥ ♥

“The most important thing is to try the local cuisine,” Uncle Richard tells me before our trip to Chiang Mai.

I. Totally. Agree.

Khum Khantoke is the newest and largest of all khantoke restaurants in Chiang Mai
(Actually, there’s only two)

Fruit-carving and flower garland-making. I super love the girls’ headpieces.

Replica of a traditional teak house

The young and adventurous sit cross-legged on open grounds

These triangle-backrest cushions are actually quite comfortable

The not-so-young-and-adventurous sit on these tables with “wells” to extend their old and brittle legs and feet

YES, we are young and adventurous! Sam, Auntie Susan, and Moi.

A Khantoke is a round tray atop short wooden legs and is used as dining table by the Lanna people. (See photos above and below) Khantoke dinners have been a tradition in Northern Thailand for centuries and centuries, although according to our tour guide, only the rich and famous got to enjoy this kind of meal back in the days. (Thank you, Lord, for creating me late.)

A khantoke meal includes the following dishes (clockwise from top left): Crispy Pork Skin (chicharon is love), Deep Fried Chicken (rather ordinary), Pork Curry with Ginger Chiang Mai Style (beautiful flavor but meat is tough), Crispy Rice Noodle (sweet and sour crunchiness), Grilled Young Chili Paste with Ground Meat and Tomato Sauce (my favorite of all), Stir-Fried Mixed Vegetables, and at the center is Assorted Vegetables with Mild Chili and Tomato Dipping Sauce

There’s also a basket of fried bananas for appetizer, and everyone gets a plate of
white rice, a bamboo basket of sticky rice and a bowl of clear vegetable soup.
Good news: Everything is refillable.

Midway through our meal, the cultural show begins.

Nice traditional costumes, but I don’t know about the long and sharp finger accessories…

I wish I had their gracefulness…

… Or a man who will perpetually hold an umbrella over my head

The first number is about two birds dancing together (or something like that)

Drum Dance to encourage warriors before a battle

Umbrella Dance

Hill Tribes Dance

It is very thoughtful of Khum Khantoke to make sure their foreign guests understand what’s going on, but repeating everything in 3 different languages before each number is such a draaaaaaaaaaaag. After the 5th or 6th performance, I stop taking pictures and start falling asleep.

Luckily, I am not the only one.

Dessert: Rice Crackers, Watermelon, Pineapple
(Forgive the ghastly color. Blue lights = picture fail)