Like A Local

This shop serves the famous Khao Soi, featuring rich and slightly spicy curry notes. You can choose your preferred meat toppings, and the portions are so delicate that you might find yourself wanting another round!

After years working in various hotels and living for over a decade in Thailand, chef Chan went back to his Hong Kong roots to open this simply decorated Chinese restaurant inside a contemporary Lanna house in trendy Nimmanahaeminda. His cooking is fresh, clean and well-executed; the menu includes a variety of house-made dim sum alongside dishes like Chinese stir-fried prawns and a stand-out crispy pork belly. Advanced booking is highly recommended.

With just four large communal tables, Magnolia Café is a simple, cosy spot enlivened by bold colours, vintage décor, and chandeliers. The owner-chef’s exquisite personal collection is on display, and she pays meticulous attention to sourcing high-quality ingredients, some from overseas. Their à la carte menu offers tasty, well presented fare from across Thailand. Dishes are distinguished by vivid, gutsy flavours; fried sun-dried squid with peanut sauce and fresh watermelon with desiccated salmon are exemplars. A complimentary pandan pudding is offered, making for a sweet and satisfying finish.

Since 2004, Doctor Sai has been serving pan-Thai dishes, including royal fare, following recipes from her mother, Saiyud, a former cooking instructor, in a setting reminiscent of dining at home. Start with an elegant appetiser like fried prawns and peanuts in an egg net, flower dumplings, or deep-fried pork wrapped in egg noodles. By dessert – try the sweet potato in syrup – you’ll guess this home, with its warm service, belongs to a royal from a bygone era.

First-timers should order the plain crispy roti with condensed milk to start. The roti dough here is uniquely made without eggs, but slowly cooked to a crispy-chewy perfection in coconut oil. Choose from 20 toppings.

The décor is simple, with a display of photos and messages on post-it notes from customers gone by. Aunt Aoy spent much of her career cooking in hotel kitchens. Her expertise is realised in the fluffy yet crispy Chef Omelette with stir-fried minced pork, salted egg and pork crackling.

Chawee, named after the chef-owner's grandmother, offers an intimate, personalised dining experience, as Thai music plays softly in the inviting space with sage-green walls and vintage touches. Dishes draw on childhood memories or old recipes, in a menu that changes monthly, depending on the season and availability of local ingredients. With fragrant lychee and coconut in a harmonious mix, the spicy lychee salad refreshes the palate with its natural sweet-and-sour balance.