Squirreling about - Chiang Mai

Yesterday we visited the restaurant Baan Suan to celebrate a special Birthday! 

Baan Suan lies nestled in a bend of the Ping River, 6 km north of Chiang Mai and offers a mouth-watering range of Thai and fusion food, well worth the extra distance from town.  The restuarant is owned by Chulathat Kitibutr, a Thai architect who is also responsible for the design of the Four Seasons near Mae Rim - another fantastic place to visit if you're ever in the vicinity.

During the off-peak season you can often have Baan Suan almost to yourself and spend time wandering around the garden admiring the river and beautiful yellow bamboo.  If you visit during high season though, be sure to book a table in advance as the restaurant fills up pretty quickly! 

Squirreling about - Chiang Mai

If you ever feel the urge to go for a little trip when in Chiang Mai, I would definitely recommend a visit to the lovely Sala Café outside Mae Rim (about 15 km from Chiang Mai). This is a true oasis for just relaxing and enjoying the amazing mountain views while eating good food and divine dessert in the lovely garden!

Squirreling about - far far away

A really nice place for great Thai food and with a stunning view of Wat Arun is a restaurant called The Deck! Trust me, just go there if you have the chance!  And if you get too full from the great food there also is a guest house in the same building whit the same gorgeous view :)

Acorn

I had Khao Soi for lunch today, bought from a street vendor.  This is one of my favourite northern Thai noodle dishes even though it really is quite spicy!

Acorn

As if Chiang Mai isn't hot enough, I received a gift of dried chillies the other day!  They will be delicious in a kaeng kiaw waan (Green Curry) or maybe a tom yam pla (spicy fish soup).  Luckily dried chillies keep for a very long time so I'm not going to have to eat them all up at once ;) 

Squirreling about - Chiang Mai

I blame plummeting blood sugar levels and feeling a little under the weather for getting lost in the old city today.  Lucky for me though, because I found Free Bird Cafe and stopped for lunch.

Free Bird Cafe is an eclectic little place with seating in a tiny but lush green garden.  There is also a shop attached which sells clothing.  All proceeds from the cafe and the shop go to support Thai Freedom House, which is a community learning center for refugees from Burma.  The menu is all vegetarian Thai, Shan and International cuisine.  There is also a large selection of fruit shakes and smoothies.  I ordered a delicious khao soi, which is a local northern Thai noodle dish, and, in a desperate attempt to stave off a cold - an Immune Booster shake made from pineapple, orange, apple and ginger.  Lets hope that does the trick!       

Of course, it turns out I wasn't lost after all, which I quickly figured out once I'd finished my lunch and nosed my bike out onto the road.  Free Bird Cafe lies on Moon Muang Road, soi 7, not far from Thapae Gate.  Simply follow Moon Muang Road which runs on the inner side of the moat and turn left into soi 7.