Lunches are a very social time in this country, as offices empty of staff who rush out to fill their hour with the latest great dishes. Here are a few ideas for your next lunch escape.
Mam Kitchen & Sarinya Café
Kuakai Nimman has been a runaway success since it opened its doors serving sizzling plates of chicken noodly delights topped with gooey soft boiled eggs, fried squid and chicken skin. Kuakai Nimman’s vibrant and chatty owner, Sarinya ‘Mam’ Sriyarb has now opened a second branch of the restaurant under a new name: Mam Ktchen & Sarinya Café. Residents from further afield no longer have to battle Nimman’s traffic to find this restaurant, which has good parking spaces and more tables as well as a new bakery and café corner. Sarinya is proud of the fact that most of her ingredients are sourced from the Royal Projects and are organic. If you haven’t tried the famous sizzling chicken noodle plate, then that should be your first order of business, but if you are an old hand at Kuakai, try branching out and ordering the minced pork toast, a classic central Thai dish and the rich and creamy drumstick khao soy. Wash it all down with some refreshing lemon tea or freshly squeezed orange juice.
Near Lanna Commercial Technological College, Soi Photharam, Chang Puak Open daily 10am – 9pm (the kitchen closes at 8pm) Facebook: คั่วไก่ นิมมาน kuakai nimman 083 285 1188, 094 748 7070
Holy Grill
Spicy Korean chicken wings served on a hot plate piled with cheese…what’s not to like?! At Holy Grill the focus is all about cheese, and for just 259 baht you can choose between a hotplate of wings, pork ribs or soft stir-fried pork with their famous cheese side. The staff go fully Korean and serve your food piece by piece, as they expertly twirl the cheese around the soft juicy meat, just ready to be picked up and enjoyed. New to the menu is the takochan squid, a bowl of baby octopus tenderly cooked in spicy Korean sauce, served as a perfect complement to the cheesy main. After spending time in Australia, the owner is keen on keeping a tight ship, making this the Holy Grail (get it?) of restaurants for those who just love melted cheese and Korean flavours.
Open 11am – 9pm daily Old Wing 41 Airport Road, Suthep Facebook: HolyGrill2 091 551 9222
The Volcano
Packed full with bread, toast, desserts and drinks (and all with very reasonable prices), The Volcano is a Chiang Mai favourite. Toast topped with sweet milk or honey has been a trend for over a decade, but is still going strong thanks to innovations that places like the Volcano make. This month try their new cheese toast, with both sweet and savoury fillings. The Japanese style cheese sandwiches are packed with matcha red beans, green tea, spinach, custard, sweetcorn and much more. With prices starting at 65 baht, these cheesy bites are a steal, and currently available at the Central Festival branch of The Volcano. Whether you go cheese crazy or want to sample the classics, The Volcano is where you need to be to fill all of those sweet toast cravings.
2nd floor, Central Festival Chiang Mai (front of CC-OO shop) Mondays – Fridays open 11am – 9.30pm, Saturdays – Sundays and holidays open 10am – 10pm Email: thevolcanotoast@gmail.com 062 172 2270, 062 172 2205
