S.P. Publishing Group Co., Ltd. 11/1 Soi 3 Bamrungburi Rd., T. Prasingh, A. Muang., Chiang Mai 50200 Tel. 053 - 814 455-6 Fax. 053 - 814 457 E-mail: guidelin@loxinfo.co.th

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Gourmet Visits

THE WHOLE EARTH Dine in a genuine traditional Thai building with pleasant and relaxing garden settings. _______________ Open every day 11 a.m. - 10 p.m. 88 Sridonchai Rd A. Muang, Chiang Mai Tel. (053) 282-463 Fax. (053) 819-106

For a number of years now, the Whole Earth Restaurant has stood as one of the genuine landmarks of Chiang Mai. This handsome and distinctive, Thai style, building in Sridonchai Road is situated with substantial garden surrounds that give it a comfortable appearance before you even considering entering.

Enter I did, and what a pleasant experience it turned out to be. Seated on the outer verandah overlooking the garden, and having an ice cold fruit flavoured yogurt set before me on a very warm evening was an excellent beginning. Though a number of meat and fish dishes are available, The Whole Earth is basically a vegetarian restaurant, and therefore, to keep in with the general atmosphere of the place, I decided to follow that line of fare. There are many, I’m sure, who think that vegetarian food is somewhat bland, but may I assure those misguided folk, that is absolutely untrue. So, I discarded thoughts of ordering barbequed prawns with mixed vegetables, chicken in coconut nut milk soup, or fried chicken with garlic and lemongrass, and even ignored the steamed snow fish with lemon sauce. Despite being tempted by the shrimp Tandori, I settled for a meal that was totally vegetarian, and with the aid of Assistant Manageress, Oui, set about ordering from the surprisingly extensive menu. After all, what is the point of going to a restaurant that specializesin a certain style of cuisine and not taking the opportunity to discover something different?

First of all came a vegetarian Indian curry in banana leaf bowl, a green curry served the same way, and Indian Samosa. Thence came two more curries, one a little spicier than the other, saut?ed heart of coconut with bay leaves and a vegetarian tom yum. To go along with these was a flat bread called Nan, which looked to me exactly like a Malaysian roti, and is a must to support a hot curry. To top things off, came a specialty of the house, a Whole Earth spicy vegetarian dish. Now that may seem quite a lot for one man who is not a huge eater at the best of times, but fortunately, I had with me our photographer, Mim, who is very good in that department and was of considerable assistance. Not surprisingly, she agreed with me that it was absolutely delicious.

As is so important in any restaurant of class, the presentation of the dishes was beautifully effected. When dining out, the excellence of the food is only part of the overall experience of the evening. To be seated on a balcony with a cool breeze blowing, and being able to watch the world go by whilst being served top quality dishes by a pleasant and efficient staff is the essence of dining out. At The Whole Earth all the above requirements were exactly as they should be, and were a credit to both management and staff.

Graeme Monaghan