Please Dress Politely

   

Guys (and gals), leave your tank tops back at the guest house; its shirtsleeves only if you want to eat at Chiang Mai's Thanawm Pochanaa Restaurant (and, if you're in Chiang Mai, you really should eat there). I know it's hot out, but hey, the three sisters who run this tight ship have eased their requirements substantially: they previously banned shorts and flip-flops as well.

We were directed to Pochanaa by our friend W, immunologist by day and architectural preservationist/oral cultural historian/animal rights activist nights and weekends. This Chiang Mai native, whom you might mistake for a prim aunty should you meet her on the street, also finds time for serious chowhounding. She and her husband roadtrip just to eat. We're pretty sure our meeting her a few years ago was the result of an act of divine intervention.

 

'You must try Pochanaa before you leave Chiang Mai,' W urged over a lunch of Yunnanese food, right after she'd regaled us with descriptions of a two-table operation on the edge of town well worth the trek (we didn't make it there).

The restaurant has been around for years, and it really is run by three middle-aged sisters. And it's remarkably eat-off-the-floor squeaky-spotless. Pochanaa is probably the cleanest eatery I've ever been in in Southeast Asia - and that includes Singapore. We usually don't pay much notice to these sorts of things, but when you walk into Pochanaa you're practically blinded by the gleam of the windows, tables, chairs, the prep area. By the looks of things Pochanaa is the territory of some ferociously attention-to-detail cook-owners, an observation that's confirmed when the food arrives to table.

The dishes served here are central and Chinese Thai. Following W's recommendation we ordered gaeng kiaow waan gai ('sweet' green chicken curry), a dish that usually elicits nothing more than an 'eh' from me. Pochanaa's is simply exquisite. The chicken, though boneless and mostly white-meat, is tender and incredibly moist. Though coconut-y, the curry manages to be not too heavy, and the natural sweetness of the coconut milk is well balanced by a wee bit of heat and the bitterness released when one of its many pea eggplants pops between the teeth. Lots of Thai basil here, and lemongrass, galangal, and wild lime leaves as well, but also other (to me) unidentifiable, seasonings that really places this version high above most others I've eaten.

Nam prik gapi - slightly sweet, fairly spicy, and certainly fish-flavored (no doubt about it, you've really got like shrimp paste to appreciate the merits of nam prik gapi) - is served with long beans, chunks of cucumber, fresh bamboo shoots (wonderfully crunchy), and fried horse mackerel, which is the small fish you find beautifully displayed in baskets in the salted goods section of Thai wet markets. I'm a relatively late convert to these specimens, having only become enamored of fresh mackerel a few years ago while we were living in Saigon. Now I can't get enough of them. They're bony, but the meat slides away from the bones with the merest prod of a fork. The flavor of the fish's meaty flesh is not at all harsh, and the crispy tails make fine eating as well, bones and all.

We're glad that W insisted we order the muu op, or roast pork, which arrives as a mound of paper-thin slices of tenderloin doused with a soy-based, anise-scented sauce that begs for a plate of rice (I also fantasized about piling layers of the meat on a Vietnamese baguette).

A plate of pak beung (water spinach) perfectly stir-fried with minimal garlic (the sisters won't cook your pak beung with fermented soy sauce and chilies for that Thai green veg staple pak beung fai daeng, so don't even ask) rounded out the main meal, which is where we planned to stop ... until we noticed every other patron was finishing with Thai cendol.

And quite a good version it was too, boasting toothsome rice flour noodles (all too often those green pasta 'worms' are mushy) and very fresh coconut milk. No palm sugar here - that's the Malaysian version - and the fact that us palm sugar addicts didn't miss it says something about the deliciousness of this sweet.

Pochanaa has an English-language menu, but we recommend you walk up to the display case and ask the sisters what's on offer that day (or just point, if you don't speak any Thai - believe us, no matter what you order you're unlikely to be disappointed). We understand that you'll always find muu op, gaeng kiaow waan, and red curry with catfish, but other items come and go. You can also have any of the curries over rice or kanom jeen as a one-dish meal. The only beverage available is mineral water but - here again is the attention to detail - it's served ice-cold.

Thanawm Pochanaa, across from the walled city's Tha Phae gate, Chiang Mai. There's no sign in English, so look for the blue and white awning and a 'No Shirt No Service' marker on the door. And go for lunch - the restaurant is only open till 5 or so. Closed Sundays.

Comments

[Andrea Nguyen]

It's been -- gulp -- over 15 years since I've been to Chiang Mai. Glad to see that the "Dress Polite" signage is still around and the lovely food too. Thanks for the reminder of the town/city's charms and for the updated info.

[mary shaposhnik]

The photo and text of your description of the green curry were perfectly synchronized--I saw the photo and before I even got to your words, I was imagining the pop of pea eggplants and could taste that basil. And then I read on that that was exactly what stood out here... you all are a great team.

Out of curiosity, why do you think the insistence on preparing pak beung just a certain way? Nothing against it at all--perhaps they think that the fermented soy can bury the taste, or they are just cooks who say, "this is how we do it?" I just find it cute that they won't... but then, given the rules and dress code (such as it is), sounds like a place with a firm sense of itself.

Great suggestions. Three cheers for your prim aunty-looking chowhound.

[Leela]

Wow. Butterflied and deboned pla-too ... Brilliant. It's been ages since I last had pla-too with nam pril kapi and all the trimmings.

The foods on their menu (at least the ones featured here) seem Central, though. Are they known for (or do they offer) traditional northern dishes?

[Ana]

I typed "malay cuisine" in google and found your blog. That was two days ago, and I could not stop reading it. Luckely, I don't have anything to do at my work, so I can read it all day long, and that is realy, what i did in two days. I mailed the link to my home computer, so I could read it further. Also, my mouth has been watering all the time.

I love asian food and your blog is almost too good to be true. I'm visiting Singapore, Bali and Thailand in May and June and now I'm even more excited to go.

That green curry looks delicious and it makes me lough at myself, because when I first orderd a green curry in a Bangkok restaurant, I wasn't shore which things could be eaten and which not, because I realy didn't want to get sick, having my firs thai dish. So I remember picking the small hard green balls out :)
I asked the waiter what this was and if it could be eaten, but I think he didn't understand my question, so I wasn't relying on his answer. And a few meals later, when I got my answer, I couldn't get enough of everything in green curry and the been egplants are my favorite now :)

I am very happy to have found your blog,

have a nice day!

[eastingfeasting]

wow this is some of the similar stuff i ate growing up in vietnam. you doing this to taunt me :) making me appreciate what i didn't in the past.
you did it again,you write about food that as naturally any southeast asian would have in their lifetime. if i had a million bucks, i'll arrange for the next flight over and have the exact food you ate on this post.

[Robyn]

Oh Andrea, I wonder if the changes would be too much for you. More buildings, sprawl at city's edges, ring roads, traffic ... but somehow (in my opinion anyway) Chiang Mai has managed to maintain a certain bit of charm. I like it very much.

Hi Mary - Thanks. As for the pak beung, not sure. Wish we could have pictured the sisters - they are prim, super neat ... if you saw them you'd know that they're not going to be running a restaurant that caters to customers' whims. And there's minimal cooking there ... most everything's done in advance. Frankly I wouldn't be surprised if it's because they don't want to stink up their pristine restaurant with chili fumes!
As for our chowhound - she's a gem.

Leela - Yes, wonderful isn't it, the deboned and butterflied fish? Detail, detail. These ladies pay attention to the last one.
No northern food here - it's all central. This was the only non-northern meal we ate in 2.5 wks but if I only had 1 day in CM I'd take one of my meals here.

Hi Ana - Welcome. (Hope your boss doesn't know about your new obsession!). A good green curry is really a wonderful thing, isn't it? Enjoy your travels in June!

eastingfeasting - thanks for the compliment! I've said it before - we are not Asians but we certainly can eat like Asians... Sometimes it takes an 'outsider' to make you appreciate what you've always taken for granted. That applies to me as an American, as well.

[Dboy]

Really enjoying seeing your photos and reading about your adventures up north. I've done the overnight train to CM, but have never driven it..one of these days. The traffic in CM has really gotten insane over the past few years, but it's still a very nice place.

dboy

[Jarrett]

Wonderful post guys. I'll have to head up to Chiang Mai very soon and eat my way around town. I've lots to share on the food here in Goa, but I'm saving it for the new blog. Though I'm knee-deep in delicious Goan choricos and fish curries, this post really makes me want to get back to Thailand. Immediately.

[Robyn]

Dboy - all depends on your perspective, I suppose. CM roads are a dream compared to BKK's. A note on that - because of traffic issues the CM city govt is considering widening 35 roads in the Old Town area. It would totally destroy CM's character. IMO Thailand doesn't need another BKK (as much as I love BKK).

Thanks Jarrett - really looking forward to your Goan food tales. It's rarely the food there that gets attention in the press...

[Thai Green Curry]

Hi everyone

I like the curry and the soy chicken, pictures are nice. I haven't seen that type of fish in a menu here before.

The picture say "please dress politely" is funny.

Jane W

[Chili ~ Lime ~ Garlic]

First time we went there, recommended by a doctor who's lived here for over 15 yrs, I couldn't get in because I was wearing a sleeveless shirt. They certainly gave me a dirty look as well. Not to worry. I have returned since, properly dressed. YES, awesome food there.

Robyn, It would be lovely to meet up for dinner or lunch sometime.

Cheers from Chiang Mai, Thailand.

[Hungry Lemur]

You're adding to my list of places to eat in Chiang Mai. I wish I was going to be there for more than a couple of days now!

Funnily enough, the best green curry I ever ate was in Spain. The restaurant grew everything themselves including herbs and aromatics. I realised how much of a difference absolute freshness makes.

[Chili ~ Lime ~ Garlic]

By the way, the hours have changed. They are opened until 1pm for lunch. Reopen for dinner from 5-7.

[Annakin]

Went this evening. Divine!