Foodgasmic Chiang Mai

A very common pastime in Chiang Mai is the local food. We also spent quite some time finding, enjoying and even making it. 

You can't really skip the prospect of taking a local cooking class while in the city. There's plenty of them around - we just checked the ratings a bit on Tripadvisor to find one with good reviews. We settled for a full day course at Thai Cookery School Siam Rai, with five full courses.

The first step along the way was to drop at a local food market to find and get acquainted with the ingredients of traditional Thai cooking - our instructor turned out to be like King Julien in Madagasgar. If nothing else, we'll be sure to remember to "Squeeze and move our bodies" while working our way into Thai Cuisine.

King Julien and the rare white eggs

The worms on the left are probably what the lady on the right ate before the pic

And the compulsory food blogger hipster photos:

"Thais use 8-12 chillies, you'd be best off with 2-4" 

Unless you want to drink the Andaman Sea dry

The ingredients on the right are not for the five course meal - they're all just for making curry paste 

Nice work - making curry paste is so much fun!

Someone stole J's apron... them thieves.

Salads, porridge and bananas in brain fluids

Guess who carved the best carrot flowers?

Hidden secret spots in the city

Chiang Mai overall is packed with nice restaurants and cafes, but there is also great street food all around. Local thai food totally deserves its own post, but here's a few special, up-scale secret gems worth mentioning in the local food scene:

Brown Rice

Located on the first blocks of Sam Lan, from the south end, Brown Rice is hidden in a leafy camouflage. Just spot the sign and you'll find your way in. Breakfast starts at 6pm, so don't be early.

Brown Rice is a vegan joint known for love and excellent food. You can enjoy a range of interesting textures, tastes and smells hidden away from the noisy streets. No fussy serving or white table cloths - just relax away and excite yourself by staying a moment.

Definitely would recommend the Mushroom Satays with peanut sauce + some raw spring rolls with a spicy chilly sauce. And get some of those drinks as well - really good!

 :p~~~

Kalapela

Kalapela is a real hidden gem in Chiang Mai. It's positioned as a high end tearoom, which kinda turns you off when accustomed to the local thai prices (you usually want to avoid expensive, touristy things). But Kalapela is a lovely exception - you don't really go in with the worry about prices, you go to get a short hideaway from the busy streets.

Going in, we were greeted by the Thai part of the male duo who own the place, and asked if we want to see the garden in the back yard. Yes please! And those words quickly hide you away from Thailand, as you enter the secret hideaway in the back:

The backyard garden is a mix of greens and Japanese minimalism. A cool, green ambiance with flickering candle light. Time stops, and it's pretty difficult to find anything that could possibly distract the zen of the place.

Service is top notch - you'll be treated like royalty, but in the relaxed fashion. No fuss.

And the food - Kalapela focuses on a quality selection of teas and wines, and sweet things to accompany them. We went for a simple dash of the recommended Macaroons and House Parfait, with limited edition Sakura tea. Turned out to be "Oishisugiru" (too good).