I haven’t been to Bangkok but I’ve been to the Northern parts of Thailand, Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai. During the trip, I had two memorable dining experiences: Khantoke Dinner and Cultural Show & Khao Soi.
As I thought to skip updating the blog, suddenly I was (and still) craving for Khao Soi, thus the inspiration for this week’s blog post, hehe! 😋
Khantoke Dinner and Cultural Show in Chiang Mai
As most of us know, a trip to Thailand is incomplete without food hunting. The street food is delicious, however, don’t shy away from the traditional, cultural dining experience when you visit Chiang Mai.
Khantoke Dinner allows you to sample a few Northern Thai cuisine while enjoying traditional dance and music performances at the same time.
There will be no dining chairs but don’t worry! You’ll get a comfy pillow to sit on. The meal is meant to be shared and served on refillable platters.
My Khantoke Dinner consists of white rice, two varieties of chili, stewed pork in soy sauce, fried chicken, stir-fried mixed vegetables, fried bee hoon, crispy pork skin crackers and raw vegetables.
The food was good but I feel there’s nothing outstanding in terms of taste. However, I enjoyed the performances, even asked to dance together on stage ^^
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Khao Soi, My Favourite Thai Food
I ate in some Thai restaurants in Malaysia but not many served Khao Soi. The dish, which is similar to curry noodles, is eaten in Laos and Northern Thailand. However, each country has its own version.
After the Khantoke Dinner, the tour guide took my very small group tour (me, a Chinese girl, a Singaporean elderly couple) to a very huge night market.
There’re many things to see. And eat! I was so happy… Luckily I didn’t fill my stomach full so I had some space for extra food, hehe!
After a while, I found a beautiful area with food stalls and tables. There were a small stage and a band playing. Many locals and tourists there, so many food choices!
Finally, I decided to try Khao Soi because it looked super tempting. And I didn’t regret it!!! If there’s one thing to regret, I should eat it first before drinking the mango juice.
Khao Soi consists of boiled egg noodles, fried ground chillis, pickled mustard greens, shallots, lime and chicken in a coconut milk soup. Then topped with deep-fried crispy egg noodles.
Ahh… It was super nice!!
If I have to choose, I’ll choose Khao Soi over Khantoke Dinner. I wonder if it’s possible to pay just for the Cultural Show, without eating?
Also read: “I Made Chiang Mai as My First Thailand Trip… Though It May Be Unethical”
Also read: “La Vie en Rose”
Earlier, Before the Khantoke Dinner and Khao Soi Vaganza
On my first day in Chiang Mai, I visited a 3D museum. Then I had a few hours of free time to explore the city before the Khantoke Dinner and Khao Soi vaganza.
During my free time, I got a free motorcycle ride by a local man who sent me to a post office (was looking for a Thailand stamp for my Russian friend who helped me filled the Russian tourist visa application) ^ ^
Then, I visited some temples and took a mini truck taxi to a shopping mall. In the mall, I was awed by the selection of cafes and restaurants that made me drool.
On top of that, on the ground floor, there was a food bazaar!
Each seller in the bazaar offered a sampler, and boy! All of them were nice (T.T) God, why did I go to Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai alone? I wish I had a friend to share the food with!!
Closing this article, I’m still dreaming of Khao Soi… I hope the pandemic is over soon so we can travel again. I read some news about some potential vaccines, fingers crossed! Thailand, wait for my return xxx
What about you? Do you prefer Khantoke Dinner or Khao Soi? Let me know in the comment 😀
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