The Luang Nua community is a perfect destination for those that want to travel and explore Chiang Mai. Instead of sitting in a coffee shop, we got to explore the local farm, meeting the locals, learning about the local traditions. Nearby there are many amazing restaurants from budget eats to western treats. There are so many good coffee shops. This community really does have it all. We contacted Mae Puk, a strong Tai Lue woman who arranged our trip through the community.
From Sipsongpanna to Doi Saket.
The Luang Nua community is a perfect destination for those that want to travel and explore Chiang Mai. Instead of sitting in a coffee shop, we got to explore the local farm, meeting the locals, learning about the local traditions. Nearby there are many amazing restaurants from budget eats to western treats. There are so many good coffee shops. This community really does have it all. We contacted Mae Puk, a strong Tai Lue woman who arranged our trip through the community.
Wat Sri Mungmuang Sattha
When you are driving into the Luang Nua community, you will come across an enormous temple. A temple that is a big part of this community. It is lovingly maintained by the locals, who donate their free time to help maintain the temple's beauty.
Wat Sri Mungmuang was built during the reign of King Saen Mueang in 1954. It originally had an old pagoda built in the back. Still, everything has been renovated now, and that pagoda has now been renamed Phra That Chedi Phisiphisan Mongkol. This temple is definitely worth a visit if you are in the area, and they have plenty of parking on site.
Enjoying the beauty of Taifa (Wide Sky Field).
On our next stop, Puk brought us to see Toi, the Wide Sky field garden owner, now known as Natai Garden Taifa. Toi actually used to work as an engineer in Singburi. But eventually, he grew tired of city life and went off to chase his dreams of getting away. Which led him to find his own piece of happiness in Luang Nua. What we saw that day are the results of his hard work and joy. He has a bamboo garden on 12 acres of land that produces sweet bamboo shoots, a longan tree farm, a vegetable garden, and a Campbell's Khaki Duck Farm. From the ducks, he collects the large duck eggs that have this beautiful reddish yolk. We got to try the eggs as well. Boiled and scrambled duck eggs and eaten with vegetables and herbs collected from the Tai Lue's girl garden. Everything is so fresh and so delicious. This was quite a memorable stop, as the location was just so unique and interactive. If you are a fan of nature and enjoy being outside, you will love it here.
The Tai Lue's Wisdom Learning Center
After leaving the Taifa garden, we headed towards the Lue's Wisdom Learning Center, Ban Baiboon, which is Puk Headquarters. Upon arriving, we were stunned at the amount of mouthwatering food stands that were set up. I highly recommend the Tai Lue's Pad Thai, a line of flat mung bean noodles, stir-fried with lentils and the sauce using the Tai Lue housewife recipe. Puk then proudly presented a dish called Soba Guaytedua. Using the Tai Lue's style by adding papaya, ginger, dried chilies, nuts, fermented fish, adding sour flavor with tamarind juice and sweetened using sugar cane.
The center began making food for sale intentionally during the COVID period. Puk said that other people might want to shut down the center. Still, she asked to open up along with the kitchen to help each other so that people in the community can have a job. "We have to help each other. To be able to get through this crisis."
Nai Tho's Wooden Figures
The owner of this shop is named Tho. Which is a handle he got from the Faculty of Fine Arts. His real name is Nui, and he runs this business with his wife, Pui. After graduating from University, he went home to take care of his parents and work as a teacher. When he saw that the villagers cut down Phaya Sattaban, he came up with the idea to make dolls out of trees. He has even received the Cultural Product Award for the dollmaking, the Phaya Lue doll, characterized by a cow-like face, horned like a deer, and trunks and tusks like an elephant. The body was crooked like a snake with fish-like scales, feet like a dragon, and wings like birds. The Chinese word "龙 long" means dragon, so it looks like a Chinese dragon. But he makes squirrel and rabbits, they look adorable.
Make your own paper at Huen Po
Opposite of the Puk Puk HQ Learning Center is a cute coffee shop named Huen Po, and behind Huen Po is Saa Paper Making Learning Center. It is a one of a kind limited patterned mulberry paper because there is definitely only one sheet like this in the world.
Herbs from Huen Hom Ya
At Huen Hom Ya, I walked in and met with Ad; he used to be a salesman and found luck in the herbs' field, opened in his own community. Learn how to use herbs for the benefit of people. In the Huen Hom Ya Herb Center, there are both herbal products that can help heal body aches, asl well as soak your feet and steam your body with herbs. They also have medication that treats gout.
Native Rice at the Yenta house garden.
Yenta House Garden belongs to Banyen Sunanta, a farmer who does organic farming. She combines her agricultural knowledge with the efficient use of machinery. Also, she makes sure she harvests the original rice seeds. During our visit, she was in the process of cultivating rice strains that are a native of Chiang Mai. She was collecting one rice seed from a strand called Khao Kaew Lanna. The seeds of this rice are actually surprised me in how big they are. Out of curiosity, I inquired if it was possible to purchase this rice. After all, who wouldn't want to try a food that native to this area? But to my dismay, this rice is not for sale to the public; it is only used as feed for chickens.
For those interested in visiting this farm during the rainy season, Yenta home garden, rice planting activities would be a great learning experience for both kids and adults. I know i learned a lot as well.
Maew, the owner of the Khao Soi shop, is also Tai Lue. He has a great personality and joked that if we had told him we were coming to film, he would have worn a Tai Lue outfit.
Maew's Restaurant is a favorite stop for many people who are traveling from Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai via Doi Saket. They offer both beef noodles and Khao Soi Nam Ngiao pork noodles. I did enjoy both but have to say I favored the Khao Soi noodles more in this occasion.
Great Coffee at Honey Box.
Chiang Mai is already known for the mass amount of coffee lovers and coffee shops in the city. Amongst all these amazing coffee spots, it is difficult to stand out. But I really enjoy this shop's honey coffee. They have one that they combine with freshly squeezed orange juice and add in a piece honeycomb. The flavor and combination have made this one of my favorite coffees to have in a while.
To me, this stop is a no brainer. Especially since the Honey Box is adjacent to Maew's Khao Soi. So you can easily have lunch and grab a coffee in one go. Honey Box is not a big shop, so you have to keep an eye out, or you might miss it.
Khao Ngiao Pha Nong at Doi Saket intersection.
This legendary Khao Ngiao restaurant has been around for many generations. This shop is located at the intersection of Doi Saket. To be a bit more clearer, if you are coming from the city, the shop is on the left corner next to the intersection before heading up to Wat Phra That Doi Saket. The outside can be really deceiving if you were not looking for this eatery, you would surely miss it.
Yai Nong, the owner of Khao Ngiao said when she could walk, she already started selling Khao Ngiao. Yai Nong's grandfather is Ngiao, who married a young woman from Ban Chang Phuak and moved to Doi Saket. They started selling other kinds of food, such as Nam Nang, Yum Nang, but now only Khao Ngiao is being sold.
Yai Nong talked about the techniques that were used in the past. I was shocked to learn that before, they did not finish the process with steaming as they do nowadays. They were eaten it fresh, the rice kneaded, and just then wrapped as is. Yai Nong, reminiscing about the years of making these recipes, talked about the prices. She mentioned she remember selling them for 50 satangs per pack, then adjusted the price over the years. It went from 3 baht, 5 baht, 7 baht, and presently the prices sit at just 15 baht.
The production process starts early in the morning. About 10 liters of rice are cooked, garlic is fried up, banana leaves are cut and prepared to be used as the wrappers. Around 3 in the afternoon, the rice will start to get packaged up and then will be steamed afterward. While we there taking photos, people would come in and order anywhere from about 5 packages and 10 packages at a time. Yai Nong sold both Khao Ngiao and Nam Ngiao to be eaten together.
The Khao Ngiao + Nam Niao Nam is 30 baht per set, buy Khao Ngiao is15 baht per pack separately, Kanom Jeen and Nam Ngiao 20 per set
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There were rumors around Luang Nua, there is a very delicious pizza. Eve and Sai opened this shop because they bought a house in the area. They believed that cooking would be good because they had traveled experiences and have been to so many countries, including Italy, Swiss, and Germany. Which helped them understand how to make western food and understand the flavors. So they mixed this knowledge with their knowledge of local ingredients. The taste was so impressive! They use great local ingredients, everything is made in house. Using local ingredients, it adds a bit of Thai flavors to their dishes. It helps make their food feel unique and has a charming taste.
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Pizza Plus with Eve & Sine at Doi saket
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