The Dining Out Group
Coordinated by Paul Schoenkopf
The next group of restaurants is the ones thatyou voted for as your favorites. They are in order of the most votes alternating between Asian and Western.
We had a wonderful evening at “House of Palm” last night. There were 13 people and they seemed to enjoy it very much. Montri and Tim, the owners are leaving for the USA on Monday and will be gone a month. Friends inNew York and New Jersey, who are devoted to food and love “House of Palm” have volunteered to host them in New York. They are really good people.
Photos by Nop: https://picasaweb.google.com/
All reservations must be sent todiningoutcnx@hotmail.com only and reservations and cancellations must be in by mid-night the night before the event. Please give the number in your party. “No shows” and people that show up without reservations or a different number of people than reserved will be deleted from the mailing list for six months. A confirmation will be sent when reservation is received. If you don’t receive a confirmation within 48 hours please, reserve again at diningoutcnx@yahoo.com
The next event will be at Le Crystal on Thursday, May 31, 2012 at 7:00PM.
Review by Chiang Mai Mail November 2007
One of Chiang Mai’s premier restaurants
By setting itself up as one of the city’s most elegant and expensive restaurants, Le Crystal must expect to be judged by the highest standards available within Chiang Mai and more widely in Thailand. It claims to offer the ‘Finest French Cuisine’ within a breathtaking setting. The question one must ask – and answer – in this review is does it live up to its ambitions?If I give you a full answer immediately you might not bother to read on, so here are a few important preliminaries to begin with. Le Crystal is solely a place for eating, with no attached accommodation and probably no ambition to attract those who might enjoy one of its collection of fine wines without eating there. The accent is decidedly French, although naturally there is a welcome element of local ingredients and some ‘fusion’ aspect. The spacious high ceilings and large windows give way to a lush garden terrace facing the Ping River.
The immaculate linens, handsome cutlery, crockery and glassware immediately give a sense of something special. The staff seems to glide gracefully rather than walk and three piece band provides a welcome diversion in the otherwise quiet surroundings.
This is what is known in the business as a ‘serious’ restaurant. It sets standards both in terms of presentation and quality that few other places within Chiang Mai aspire to. And let’s be honest, the prices reflect that ambition. But the two friends from England that went to Le Crystal with me on their last evening in Thailandconsidered it ‘not expensive by British price levels, which are admittedly among the highest in the world.
By chance we went there on a recent Friday evening when a special set menu with each course accompanied by a different French wine was the order of the day. Quite obviously the price would – or could –be considerably less for the normal menu depending on your drinks bill.
After the amuse bouches’ and a glass of chilled Champagne served as Kir Royale, we were led through half a dozen courses, each accompanied by a pre-selected and –it transpired – appropriate French wine. The first course was a duck liver pate, which my friends thought excellent but for which I substituted a delicious Caesar salad. This was followed by a ravioli with a lobster sauce. The wines here were a Chablis and then a very slightly ‘sweet’ white Bordeaux. A small bowl of pea soup with a perfectly poached quail egg decorated with lumpfish caviar followed and that in turn was followed by a refreshing sorbet into which was poured a splash of Champagne.
There were two choices for the main course. An Australian tenderloin medallion steak, served as wished but in a small portion that might not satisfy a ravenous meat eater. I opted for the superb pan fried snow fish. Here we were treated to two red wines, a Claret and a slightly earthier Bergerac.
For pudding we indulged in a vanilla ice cream with hot Morello cherries and other fruits in a light sauce. With this, a small glass of fine Cognac was offered, before a choice of coffee or tea. I went for a refreshing green tea and we all declared ourselves well and truly indulged. It must be added that each wine is served in moderation and despite the added temptation of French bread and unsalted butter none of us felt we had over eaten thanks to the size and quality of the portions.
This was subtle French food in the main, less rich or heavy on sauces and butter than would have been the case in the pre-nouvelle cuisine days.
This was quality food served with slightly brisk precision and accompanied by a whole series of excellent wines. The execution by the skilled staff was near flawless.
The cost for this sumptuous evening included bottled water, breads, service and tax and transportation – if you wish – from your home or hotel. And here’s the rub. This particular ‘event’ cost no less than 3000 baht a head, putting it out of most people’s reach for all but special occasions. But if you are looking for a special occasion this is it.
Le Crystal French restaurant is open daily for lunch: from 11:30am – 2:00pm and dinner from 6:00pm – 10:30pm. They accept all major credit cards.
The address is 74/2 Paton Rd., T.Paton, on the Ping River 750 meters north of the Superhighway. Tel. 0 5387 2890-1 Fax: 0 5387 2892. www.lecrystalrestaurant.com
Paul’s Review
I cannot review this as I’ve never eaten there. Normally we only go to restaurants that average below 500 baht per person without alcohol. In our annual request for people’s favorite restaurants of Asian and western food, Le Crystal received the most votes for western restaurants. By mistake I neglected to ask for restaurants below 500 baht. We are including Le Crystal because of this. This can average about 2500 baht per person depending on what you choose. To see menu and prices check:www.lecrystalrestaurant.com
Directions:
From Nimenhamen take the super highway and get off your first exit after Chang Puak Road. Follow this to the end and turn left onto Paton Road. It is .75 kilometers from the super highway on the right.
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