Casablanca -- a Chiang Mai restaurant review

I was putting down Nimmanhemin Soi 7 today when I saw this nice-looking new restaurant. I looked at the menu and it was definitely on the pricey side -- apparently trying to compete with "The House" -- another great restaurant in Chiang Mai.

So I went for a sample tonight. We had Tom Yam Kung (which you can't get at "The House") and some pork cutlets mignon, with nam manaaw and nam farang to wash it down.

It was great! My boyf had already eaten, so he just went along to keep me company, but wound up eating a lot of the fabulous soup: no polite little dish here -- a big bowl with lots of big tasty shrimp. The pork was also fabulous -- an excellent "kind-of-mashed potatoes" and lovely mushrooms and veggies.

I was surprised to feel so full (but my kind friend had been shoving some of those shrimp my way.) The bill for this very modest feast was 770 baht.

I'll definitely be going back for special occasions....I think this is a real find! Just be aware that the portions are on the large side -- none of this "nouvelle cuisine" stuff where the waiter lifts the giant silver dome up to reveal one tiny shrimp exquisitely arranged on three paper-thin slices of carrot and celery. Nope! Bring your appetite with you!

(I have no connections with anyone at this place. They are all perfect strangers to me. My only goal was to try and find another good restaurant in my neighborhood, and I did!)

[TrongpaiExpat]

Where is Nimmanhemin Soi 7, not in the index of my map of Chiang Mai.

The last trip we took in Chiang Mai we found this nice Thai restaurant out on rt 1006, off the Super Highway away from Chiang Mai towards San Kamphaeng called and I am guessing at the English spelling Himpochna. It's on you left going out about 5-7 km from the highway. It's in a nice garden setting with fish ponds.

You really are helpless, aren't you Trongpai Expat?

Click here:

Google Map (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Nimmana+Haeminda+7&sll=18.792405,98.973942&sspn=0.026855,0.037594&ie=UTF8&ll=18.791227,98.981452&spn=0.026855,0.037594&z=15)

Let's say you're leaving the Old City of Chiang Mai and are headed for Chiang Mai University along Huay Kaew. (If your map does not have Huay Kaew, I suggest a new map!) As you pass the giant edifice of Kaat Suan Kaew (Centran), you will come to a gas station and hit a stop light. That is Sirimangkalajarn. Continue merrily forward, and the next stop-light will be Nimmanhemin (one of old Nimmanhemin's offspring used to be in charge of the economy, pre-Toxin.)

Between Nimmanhemin and Sirimangkalajarn is a veritable warren of sois containing all sorts of businesses and wannabe businesses. You can find a Korean and a Chinese restaurant in there, just for starters. One of the currently interesting things in Chiang Mai is Nimmanhemin (and Huay Kaew) trying to become a sort of Rodeo Drive. It appears to casual observers that the people who own buildings and land along Nimmanhemin have bought into this concept furiously, and so have their new tenants (no Body Shop YET) -- but it is not terribly obvious that Chiang Mai has the plutocratic customer base to support this Starbucks-and-family invasion. Natch, the upscale college students think it is Way Cool to be seen (or at least heard) quaffing their 100-baht lattes at Starbucks.

But will it LAST? The heart rends at the question!!! :-)

Let's say you're leaving the Old City of Chiang Mai and are headed for Chiang Mai University along Huay Kaew. (If your map does not have Huay Kaew, I suggest a new map!) As you pass the giant edifice of Kaat Suan Kaew (Centran), you will come to a gas station and hit a stop light. That is Sirimangkalajarn. Continue merrily forward, and the next stop-light will be Nimmanhemin (one of old Nimmanhemin's offspring used to be in charge of the economy, pre-Toxin.)

Between Nimmanhemin and Sirimangkalajarn is a veritable warren of sois containing all sorts of businesses and wannabe businesses. You can find a Korean and a Chinese restaurant in there, just for starters. One of the currently interesting things in Chiang Mai is Nimmanhemin (and Huay Kaew) trying to become a sort of Rodeo Drive. It appears to casual observers that the people who own buildings and land along Nimmanhemin have bought into this concept furiously, and so have their new tenants (no Body Shop YET) -- but it is not terribly obvious that Chiang Mai has the plutocratic customer base to support this Starbucks-and-family invasion. Natch, the upscale college students think it is Way Cool to be seen (or at least heard) quaffing their 100-baht lattes at Starbucks.

But will it LAST? The heart rends at the question!!! :-)

...or, just click on my link.

[TrongpaiExpat]

Sorry I asked. I have three maps and they all have different English spelling variations for that street, but I see it now and put an red x on the spot.

Khop khun charp or chup or kup or kupt