Who would ever have thought that some of our city’s four and five star hotels would be selling street-side food? While it is a tragedy for so many hotels, and to be fair the rest of us, who are suffering from this stagnant economy, our palates have pretty much won the lottery with this new, and for their sake temporary, trend!
So, without further ado, here are some of the hotels we have driven thru, ordered from and popped into the past week, and frankly we can’t recommend them enough.
Ratilanna Riverside Spa Resort
Breakfast and dinner drive-thru starting from 30 baht per set.
A classic breakfast of sticky rice and grilled pork or a box of sandwiches with all sorts of fun fillings are sold daily between 7am-10am. For those with somewhat deeper pockets, try the crispy pork belly with rice dishes, whether they are served with Chinese red sauce, pad krapao or pad Thai, nothing costs more than 60 baht.
137 Pillars House
Sweet teeth will come with a huge smile with this special 137 Pillars Classic Afternoon Tea takeaway set. While the price isn’t quite as street-level as others’, costing 1,200 baht per set for two, this is no normal soi-side tea set. Arriving in an elegant reusable container complete with napkins and cutlery, this tea set which includes all manner of exotic teas to choose from as well as both sweet and savoury bites, will be delivered to your door with three days’ notice within a five km radius of the hotel.
Le Meridien Chiang Mai
French style classic croissants are served by Le Meridien’s bakers, starting at a lovely 60 baht for a plain croissant. However, the special 80 baht croissants are so tempting you must try at least some of these: butter, almond, chocolate, raspberry, pandan, cheddar cream cheese, salted caramel, purple sweet potato, hazel nut and nougat are just some of the premium croissants flying off the shelf. Thai social media is especially abuzz over the almond croissant and you can pick yours up between 6am-10pm daily – but at this rate of popularity you are going to need to order at least a day in advance.
Anantara Chiang Mai Resort
Slashing all prices, the Anantara drive-thru can’t be more accessible to us all! They serve lunch boxes of kurobuta krapao on rice at 79 baht a pop, chasu Japanese braised pork belly on rice with mala sauce and fried bok choi on rice for 99 baht and our absolute favourite, juicy generous chunks of grilled duck on rice for 99 baht. While Anantara’s croissants haven’t quite hit the social media highs of others hotels, we highly recommend you try their savoury croissants; both of the unusual mala and krapao are surprisingly and unexpectedly excellent.
Shangri-La Hotel Chiang Mai
None of these French croissants here, Chef Paolo sticks to his Italian roots and serves up Italian croissants, which we never knew was a thing. Thing or not, they are now selling 1,000 croissants a day from the front of their hotel!
Pretty as a picture, Shangri-La’s croissants range from kaleidoscopic rainbow to rich Nutella; decadent strawberry and fresh vanilla cream to handmade Italian sausage…oh and definitely try the silken salted egg yolk! Prices start at 40 baht for a plain Jane croissant and rise up to a lofty 55 baht for posher offerings. Oh and they also have delicious muffins!
Holiday Inn Chiang Mai
Drive-thru breakfasts Mondays to Fridays right in front of the hotel opposite the Caltex station. Everything costs 40 baht across the board from plain croissants to pork dumplings, ham cheese and egg sandwiches to teriyaki rice. Their menu is also constantly evolving week to week.
Dusit Princess Chiang Mai
The price can’t be more right with this hearty breakfast. You can order a scrambled eggs on toast with cheese for 50 baht, a cocoa coffee for 40 baht, or both together for a lovely 80 baht! Daily between 7am-10am.
Siripanna Villa Resort and Spa, Chiang Mai
If you don’t know how popular mala sauce is, then its time you tried some. Siripanna’s staff man a stall outside their resort every evening between 5pm and 9pm where they grill all sorts of goodies, coated in mala sauce. Each stick costs 5 baht and if you order ten you get two extra sticks, if you order twenty you get five extra sticks and if you take a whopping 100 then its only 400 baht AND you get a jug of something to drink…we aren’t sure yet what it is as we didn’t order that many – got to watch the waistline you know.
U Nimman
Lovely traditional Thai breakfast of patongko fried bread sticks, hot soy milk, jok rice porridge, Chinese steamed buns and pastries. Served every day either on site or as a take away between 7am and 10am. It’s best to order and pay in advance and simply drive by and pick up if you are in a rush.
Movenpick Suriwongs Hotel Chiang Mai
Lots of breakfast options such as the generously overflowing sandwiches for 50 baht, the Vietnamese breakfast of pan fried eggs with toppings as well as coffee and Malay-style tea at only 30 baht. Or if you order a drink and a breakfast the price drops even lower to 70 baht. 7am-10pm daily.
Smile Lanna
This is all about Southern food, so if you have a yearning for some roti stop by between 5pm-9pm.
Four Seasons Resort Chiang Mai
Four Seasons’ croissants look almost too good to eat – yet we persevered! French style croissants arrive picture perfect starting at a mere 60 baht for a plain croissant and going up to an affordable 80 baht for
any of the tantalising-sounding offerings – chocolate, strawberry, white choc, vanilla, blueberry, lemon meringue (sooooo good!) ham and cheese and matcha.
Order in advance and pick it up later (there is a long queue; we hear you may have to wait a whole week!)
