This week it was lunch at probably one of the most stunning
restaurant gardens in Chiang Mai. The Whole Earth Restaurant is set in a large
carefully landscaped area off Sridonchai Road. There is also a shady parking
area inside, so drive in (don’t leave the car out on the street in the blazing
sun as we did) - see, it has been worthwhile reading even just this far into the
Dining Out column!
Brick
pathways run through the gardens, which have topiary bushes, manicured lawns,
trees, statues, orchids and some large umbrellas. Everything is neat and
trimmed, and although we saw no gardeners, the restaurant must employ an army of
them who must work at night.
The paths take you to the dominant feature, a large steeply
roofed Thai house with a verandah all the way round the upper level. As you
approach there is a notice asking you to remove your shoes, with a shoe cabinet
for your footwear. Beside this there is a pile of leaflets offering an
Introduction to Transcendental Meditation. By this stage you know this is going
to be a different dining out.
We
divested ourselves of the clogs and climbed the stairs to the first level
restaurant. There you have the choice of either dining out on the verandah
section, enjoying the warm Chiang Mai breezes, or inside which is
air-conditioned. We decided on air-conditioned comfort, it being the middle of
the day when we visited.
The inner restaurant (better for inner peace perhaps?) has
woven bamboo walls and the chairs are cane, keeping to the ‘whole earth’
environmental theme. Both inside and out, the tables are covered with good
quality heavy linen.
The menu begins with Thai specialty vegetarian dishes with
the first category called Soup and Appetizers, and all priced at B. 95. In the
15 items are dishes as special Chinese soup with seaweed and black mushroom and
marinated minced bean curd saut้ed with chilli and a vegetarian tom yum.
Still in the vegetarian section there are 14 main dishes and
again these are all B. 95 including saut้ed heart of coconut with bay
leaves or another just proclaiming itself as saut้ed Whole Earth special
vegetarian spicy dish.
Next up are non-vegetarian dishes, again beginning with Soup
and Appetizers, with nine choices and all slightly more expensive at B. 110 with
tom yum chicken, shrimp or fish, a Malaysian chicken satay or Fancy bean curd
with crabmeat.
Main dishes are generally around B. 110-120 with items such
as saut้ed seafood with transparent noodle and mixed vegetables, while
items such as BBQ prawns are B. 250, as is the deep-fried snowfish with spicy
hot sauce.
The next section has Indian specialties, beginning with
vegetarian items at B. 95 or below, with all the usual favourites - samosas,
pakoras, paneers and even a vegetable biryani. Non-vegetarian Indian items were
B. 95-150 in the main covering chicken, fish and crab. There is a full range of
Indian breads and Lasi is available.
There is a separate desserts menu with most fruit items at B.
60-80, plus a large range of coffees and several teas, including ginger, herb,
lemongrass and Liptons! All menu prices are + + in hotel fashion.
Wines are available, one fridge having bottles under B. 1000
and the other the more expensive vintages.
We began with the samosas and a vegetarian satay, which were
very tasty, but at that point lunch had to be curtailed as I had to catch a
plane, but we were not allowed to leave until we had tried their mango and
sticky rice, which was very Thai - and very pleasant.
The Whole Earth Restaurant is definitely the place for those
in harmony with nature (and the whole earth). The food was well prepared and
well presented, but the lasting memories were of the beautiful gardens with Dr.
Budhacharan, one of the owners, walking through in his flowing white robes, his
enlightened aura almost visible. The Whole Earth is an experience.
Whole Earth Restaurant, 88 Sridonchai Road, Chiang Mai, telephone 053 282
463, fax 053 819 106. Secure parking in the grounds.
