[audio:http://media.libsyn.com/media/earthoria/Earthoria_S03_-_restaurant.MP3|titles=Sound file 03: Our local restaurant in Chiang Mai|artists=Earthoria] [Download MP3 | Add to iTunes | Subscribe to Podcasts]
This was recorded at around 7.30pm on a weekday night at our local vegetarian restaurant on Suthep Road in Chiang Mai. I popped to the restaurant and had a Khao Soi – one of the traditional northern Thai ‘curry’ dishes. Dinner cost 25THB (about $0.60) and was incredibly tasty. As I ate I was treated to some wonderfully cheesy background music, as you will hear in the recording.
You may also be interested in the podcast interview I did with the owners of Pun Pun (Peggy & Jo), where we discuss some of their views on sustainable living & organic farming, and talk about the courses they offer on their Pun Pun Organic farm outside Chiang Mai.
If you live in Chiang Mai, or even Northern Thailand for that matter, you may well already have heard of Pun Pun restaurant. It’s one of those word-of-mouth epidemics that spreads so fast that before you can recommend it to someone, someone else has got there first! Pun Pun opened a few months ago in a small area towards the back of Wat Suan Dok, which itself is located about 2kms along Suthep Road to the West of Chiang Mai’s old town.
Pun Pun was set up by a Thai/American couple and sells organic vegetarian food, grown at Pun Pun Organic farm in the countryside outside Chiang Mai.
So what’s the food like? Absolutely amazing. Even for a non-vegetarian like myself it beats most other restaurants I have been to in Chiang Mai. Almost all dishes are 35 Thai Baht – about $1 – and the fresh fruit shakes are about the same price (The Passion fruit is recommended!) .
Atmosphere-wise, set in the middle of the Wat Suan Dok grounds, monks are continuously slowly wandering past, and the backrgound sounds are often interspersed with the monks chanting nearby. Finally, the friendly, smiling staff makes it one of our favourit restaurants in Chiang mai!
More info for those that need it:
Pun Pun’s opening hours are 9-7pm. They have a delivery service that costs an extra 20 Baht ($0.60) on top of the menu – the phone number for this is 086 573 7049 – the delivery service only runs from 9am-5pm. To get to Pun Pun, head to Wat Suan Dok then walk down the road to the left of the main temple towards the back of the temple grounds, it is on your right near the back. Pun Pun’s website – www.punpunthailand.org.
Shoshana is a small Israeli restaurant near the Khao San Road in Bangkok – it’s a popular hangout for the backpackers of nearby Khao San Rd. It is not really a place to go for a romantic dinner, but the food is very cheap and good. Felafel, Snitzel, Humus etc.
It’s near the Northern end of the Khao San Road (the Soi Rambuttri end) and down a little side street called Chakrapong Rd. We often eat there when we are in Bangkok as we can’t really get the same food at the same prices in Chiang Mai.
Here’s Tina looking satisfied having just finished a MASSIVE plate of potato salad, falafel and pitta:
