Back in March I was contacted by the New York Times to photograph a 'food driven' story in Chiang Mai. Not entirely new territory. I've been spending a fair amount of time in Chiang Mai this year with a heavy focus on food. The assignment got elevated a notch when I found out that I would be following along with author J.J. Goode, Pok Pok owner / chef Andy Ricker around a few of the places that inspired him. The article is on line here with a bonus audio slide show here.
All in all, big fun and good eats, and I knew Andy was a cool guy when he said that Chiang Mai's Myung Mai market was his favorite in S.E. Asia. I can relate to that.
Love the photo with the chillis. Also, I didn't realize that congee is part of Thai cuisine. Good to know that this comfort food is not all just Chinese.
Posted by: Teri Y. | November 08, 2011 at 03:11 AM
Thanks, Teri! I love that you can buy 5-6 different types of chili in Chiang Mai. Makes for good photos, too :).
Chiang Mai has a fairly large Chinese / Thai community so you'll see congee and 'khao tom' (rice soup) side by side. The Thai twist on congee is the addition of dried chili, vinegar and / or sugar at the table. The perfect morning pick me up!
Posted by: Dave | November 08, 2011 at 09:45 AM
Really wonderful pictures, man. what's going on with those fish in the first picture?
Posted by: mike | November 13, 2011 at 07:24 PM
Thanks, Mike - Those are salted and steamed horse mackeral. People eat them with rice. They're quite tasty.
Posted by: Dave | November 13, 2011 at 07:27 PM
Incredible photos. Wonderful article in the NYT. I sure wish I could get out there and take photos like these. Funny, I'll be in Portland to see my sister's new baby in April. I would love to dine at Pok Pok!
Posted by: Snippets of Thyme | December 16, 2011 at 11:13 AM
Snippets - Lucky you! I've never been to Pok Pok but following Andy Ricker around I can imagine the passion and attention to detail that goes into his food. Report back if you do go.
Posted by: Dave | December 16, 2011 at 06:09 PM
Loved your pics! Headed to Chiang Mai in 5 days and hope to enjoy great food while there!
Posted by: tbluetravels | January 03, 2012 at 09:44 PM
Thanks, Tbluetravels - check out this place, too..
http://eatingasia.typepad.com/eatingasia/2010/04/hidden-in-plain-sight.html
There are a few more well worth visiting if you dig through the archives. Have fun in Chiang Mai!
Posted by: Dave | January 04, 2012 at 06:40 PM
I am in Chiang Mai Right now. These are beautiful pictures and the food tastes as good as it looks :-)
Posted by: Caroline | March 18, 2013 at 12:27 AM
Thanks, Caroline - I'm jealous..so much good food in Chiang Mai. Head over to the EatingAsia archives for more recommendations :http://eatingasia.typepad.com/eatingasia/chiang-mai/ Enjoy!
Posted by: Dave | March 18, 2013 at 03:09 PM