The Riverside Restaurant sprawls along the Ping River across
from the Warorose Market, offering a mixture of architectural styles, wooden
walkways and multi-level seating with up to three live bands playing on any
evening. You may also hear a soft piano or a jazz duo if you go in the early
evening. There’s music for all party tastes, and dancing.
But for those of you who prefer a quiet evening, a romantic
evening of toasts and loving memories, go “Rolling on the River” on a
Riverside River Cruise. Just reserve a spot on either of two cruise boats, order
your choice of food and drink from the regular menu, and enjoy the view of
Chiang Mai as you cruise up the river and back. The boat charge is 70 baht for
adults, 35 baht for children, plus food. The cruise boats are also available to
charter for special occasions. And set menus, if you want them, will make your
special occasion simpler to plan. Lovely. The view of the river from the
restaurant is also lovely, especially if you choose a table on one of the higher
levels.
The
Riverside offers both Thai and western food. The Dining Out Team’s choice on a
recent evening was a menu of Thai delicacies finished with western desserts. We
were not disappointed. The first plates were set before us, and we savored the
delicious deep fried whole mushrooms with garlic sauce. This is the kind of dish
that both Thai and western diners will enjoy while sipping a glass of wine and
listening to music. It’s a dish of tasty nibbling food to be eaten with spoon,
fork, or fingers. Priced at 75 baht, it is number 157 on the menu.
A word about the menu – it’s huge. There are over 500
items featured if you count both food and drinks, and that does not include the
collection of set menus. Take your time looking it over. You’ll find something
for everyone from western sandwiches to Thai som tum. Spicy items are rated by
the number of chili peppers that accompany them, so diners are never
disappointed to find a dish too spicy or too mild for their taste. And there are
plenty of vegetarian dishes.
We loved the Riverside basket, which came next. This is an
edible basket created of deep fried noodles, then filled with seafood and
vegetables. We dipped deep into the basket and found hot seafood and a delicious
sauce. Don’t miss this one. It was the favorite of several diners. You will
find it as number 221, and it’s priced at 100 baht. Chicken satay with peanut
sauce and a traditional cucumber salad arrived next. A little decorative chicken
sat nested in lettuce on the plate as if to announce the delicious satay. No one
could resist the roasted spareribs in honey, number 258, which arrived with
traditional Thai som tom and steamed vegetables. Priced at a modest 150 baht,
the spareribs were sweet, tender and tasty, and the som tum spicy. Then we were
served a beautifully prepared and presented steamed whole serpent head fish
accompanied by steamed vegetables, very fresh and tasty. While this dish
requires extra preparation time, it is well worth the wait. Look for it as
number263 on the menu, priced at 150 baht. The naam chim sauce served with it
was excellent. The chef came out of the kitchen and spoke with us. Which dishes
were our favorites? Every diner voted for the fish, but each of us also had
other “favorites”, and no dish was left without a vote.
We completed our meal with a selection of desserts. The
overwhelming favorite was the crunchy Chocolate Ecstasy. Suffice it to say, it
was a big hit with the entire table. Priced at 110 baht, it served three diners.
By the way, we understand that the Riverside also offers a
cooking school. Phone the restaurant for details. And enjoy your dinner.
The Riverside Bar and Restaurant, 9-11Charoen Rat Road,
Chiang Mai 50000, telephone 0 5324 3239, fax 0 5324 2511, email river1
@loxinfo.co.th. Open daily from 10 a.m. until 1 a.m. Reservations should be made
for large parties. Parking across the street.
