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Khum Khantoke in Chiang Mai

Khum Khantoke in Chiang Mai

I first heard about Khum Khantoke from Samantha Brown’s Asia series on the Travel Channel in 2010. I bought the series on Amazon and rewatched the Thailand episode again was inspired to go where she went for an evening of eats and entertainment. I thought an immersive cultural experience would be a fun midweek break during our week of classes so I booked a reservation online.


From our Airbnb, the Grab took about 15 minutes to get to the location which is northeast from city center.

On arrival, we marveled out how exotic and beautiful the the grounds were.

Once we entered the pavilion, you could see that the dining areas to the sides also served as seats for the performance. There was a stage and an entrance so the perimeter was essentially a square.

Our reservation was at 6:30 p.m and though we were a few minutes late, we were immediately served with coconut juice

and what would be round 1 of food which arrived in a circular rattan tray or “Toke” with two tiers of food. 

Chiang Mai Style Banana Fritter    

Clear Soup

Chiang Mai Style Pork Curry with Ginger & Tamarind Sauce    

Deep Fried Chicken

Grilled Young Chili Paste With Steamed Vegetables    

Minced Pork in Tomato Sauce

Crispy Pork Skin    

Stir-Fried Mixed Vegetables

Crispy Rice Noodle    

Sticky Rice or Steamed Rice

Seasonal Fresh Fruit   

My husband complained that the food was cold but was pleasantly surprised that we were offered another round of everything which arrived much hotter and fresher than the first serving. 

Because we ordered the premium Khantoke, we also received a side of what I believe was a fried cod dish.

For dessert, we also were served something I made in cooking class on Monday, water chestnuts with sugar syrup and coconut milk which is so incredibly easy to make and is ridiculously delicious. I was happy that I recognized it and could appreciate its flavor and simplicity. 

At exactly 7:30, the show began.

The performance commenced with a parade, a welcome dance previously used to greet guests.

The next dance hailed from the Mae Hong Song province and was an interpretation about the animal legends of the region.

This was followed by a war dance with drummers.

Then next performance was a tribute to the princess for her cultural influence and for being such a strong role model to the Lanna culture.

The Khone performance was a reenactment of a section from a book by Ramakian which is renowned as the greatest literary work in Thailand.

Then there was a sword dance/demonstration which was followed by a segment about Thai fighting.

The evening ended with a dance performance by a group of women using coconut shells and the finale was a large group of dancers performing a simple dance which hailed from the central part of Thailand prior to WWII.

They brought in members from the audience to join them in the finale which was a nice touch. 

The Khum Khantoke cultural center provided a beautiful ornate setting for an immersion in Lanna culture through its delicious and simple food, stunningly exotic setting and strikingly visual performance dedicated to its history. 

This is definitely on my top recommend for anybody visiting Chiang Mai. It’s expensive compared to Thai standards but for dinner and a show, by American standards, it’s a bargain.

Khum Khantoke

http://www.khumkhantoke.com

Ayara Thai

Ayara Thai

A week ago to the day was the first time we realized that Ayara Thai had reopened at its original location. Our only prior experience with the restaurant was at its pop-up which was located on the opposite side of the parking lot, on the east side of Sepulveda.

Looking for a nice but casual dinner out at the end of a very long workweek, I happily made our reservation for 7:30 p.m. We arrived on time but the restaurant does not have an on-staff host/hostess so after 9 minutes of waiting, I grabbed ahold of a waiter who immediately seated us window side at a four top.

Once our waitress had made contact with us and we ordered our food and drinks, everything came out quickly and seamlessly. First out was the chicken pad see ew which had a mild subtle soy flavor encompassing its al dente flat rice noodles. Then came the dungeness crab fried rice which had the opposite texture. It was light and fluffy but savory.

Then came the seasonal spinach and asparagus dish, the spicy basil with ground chicken and fried egg wok entree and the chicken tom kha coconut soup. Of the latter offerings, the vegetable dish was the weakest and didn’t really hold its own compared to the heat of the chicken basil dish and the slightly sour, savory complex flavoring of the tom kha soup which was probably the winner of the dinner entrees. Tied in second place were the rice, noodles and ground chicken. However, the icing on the cake or on the sticky rice was the very thick, very coconuty sauce drenched on the dessert dish sitting alongside fresh slices of mangoes. That was truly magical and should definitely be enjoyed over and over.

Ayara Thai is that sweet neighborhood gem that only those in the know are aware of and hope remains a secret. Although at first glance, it seems like a small restaurant, it actually 3 separate sections so it can accommodate many more who want to enjoy its many delicious complex offerings. We will be back for sure!

Ayara Thai

6245 W. 87th Place

Los Angeles, CA 90044

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Grace Gambin

A Travel Foodie

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