BODHI Terrace at the Anantara Chiang Mai bodes well for our stay(2/17/25)

 We had a full day travelling by car from the remote Golden Triangle to Chiang Mai in central Thailand, where I had also been fore almost 40 years ago. The city has grown massively (as has every city in Thailand) and it was nice to have our stay at the serene Anantara Hotel & Resort on the river just blocks from the night market and the hubbub of the city, but with a quasi-quiet location. We decided to stay in the hotel and dine of the river at Bodhi Terrace and the first thing we told the servers was "spicy please!" P. arrived at our table with flair and they immediately were thrilled to cater to us and make our meal superb; indeed they did. The Amuse was Miang Kham and we finally figured out that Miang is a betel leaf stuffed with lots of things that you make tableside. This was a tiered tea tray like thing with coconut, peanuts, chiles, sauces and the betel leaves all separated for us to make our own treats. These were super and P. made sure we had extra chilies!!

The tables were simple and granite with woven wicker chairs and riverside fountains. There were many parties going on at venues and restaurants along the river, so the din got high at times, but never bothersome. A large lone bird (kingfisher?) sat in a tree on the river never budging, even for the fish in the river!

They did not have Bangkok Silver vodka, so I opted for a Campari & Tonic to start and then we had another bottle of our favorite Monsoon Valley Chenin Blanc from Hua Hin in Prachuapkhrikhan (I dare you to try that one!) which P. immediately told us was near their hometown.  We started with the tasty Larb Muang, the traditional larb with minced pork and (extra thanks to P.) Szechuan peppers. After this we decided on the Pad Thai with Chiang Mai River Prawn as P. said it was local and very traditional, and they could add some spice. We had not had any Pad Thai, so it was time, and we loved the Surat Thani stir-fried noodles in Tamarind Sauce and the huge prawns were again a true treat!!

We wanted something light and different for dessert and shared the Apong Itim Kai Kem Chaiya or Phuket crispy pancake with coconut ice cream and Surat Thani Salted egg yolk. It was really a tuille and we loved the custard, ice cream and flavors...truly anther wonderful dessert and so light and refreshing. Great start to our stay in Chiang Mai and great spice and service thanks to P.!!