The Living Hills

Aeeen goes the sound of Ken’s unique laughter, according to wife Yuki. Under the concept of Neo Shojin Ryori, the Japanese couple craft their plant-based menu using seasonal ingredients. The dining areas span two floors of a cute wooden house that feels like rural Japan. Lines of jars contain the fermented ingredients they use in the food. We recommend the perfectly judged soymilk udon noodles and refreshing mango with ginger and honey drink.

With its simple, rustic look, this quaint eatery specialises in northern lap dishes, paired with a local chaeo dipping sauce with the aroma of toasted sticky rice. The spicy, sour and fragrant beef soup is a must.

Eung Kham Sai has been run by the same family for over a century and is still serving up classic Northern Thai recipes handed down the generations. The modest space has traditional decor; large windows frame the view outside. Try the freshly made khao bai, rice wrapped around a pork, fish or beef filling, or the spicy Northern-style curry, made from scratch with local beef brisket and exuding fruity acidity. Some ingredients come from local farms.

Tucked away in a quiet alley, this wooden Lanna-style restaurant has been around for over a decade. It stands in a garden and has open-air and indoor tables, plus private pavilions. The menu showcases the gamut of Northern Thai cuisine, from fiery dips to herby soups. Two recommendations are the spicy galangal dip with steamed mushrooms for its sweetness and aroma, and the spicy vegetable soup with serpent-head fish: fragrant, earthy and perfectly balanced.

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.

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.

The cosy design and small counter foster a vibrant, relaxed dining experience. The small yet high-quality dishes combine Japanese Izakaya style with Thai ingredients, enhanced with wasabi or yuzu. The ham comes from a Yunnan village in Chiang Mai, perilla from Mae Hong Son, sashimi-grade fish from the south, and meat from organic farms. We recommend the corn-fried rice Yunnan ham and the house-made ponzu sauce, elevated by a refreshing Somsa citrus oil.