Ratree & Elephant Bar: Four Seasons Chaing Mai

The perfect place to watch the sun set and relax on the terrace under large Thai umbrellas nestled within charming elephant stands, this open, pavilion-style lounge at the Four Seasons Chaing Mai offers a truly relaxing ambience. With a creative special selection of signature cocktails by renowned Barcelona cocktail master Javier de las Muelas, of Dry Martini Bar in San Sebastien, we were able to sample many of his whimsical concoctions over cocktail hour each night, as the sun set and the sky changed from liquid blue to jet black with a canopy of stars overhead. Known for creating avant-garde cocktails that combine intricate preparations, unique textures and complex flavours, Javier de las Muelas' cocktail menu promised a surprise each evening at cocktail hour. The famed mixologist compares cocktail-making to painting — it's a multi-sensory experience.

View from our lounging bed at the Ratree Lounge overlooking the upper pool and rice barn

The Jim-Let Fox-Trot cocktail with Tanqueray Gin, Thai Lime and Fever Tree Tonic

Chiang Mai Mule with Stolichnaya Vodka, Chili, Ginger and Lime

Jungle Fever with Chalong Bay Rum, Cucumber, Lemon and Pineapple and served in a banana leaf tall glass tied with twine

Fried Banana Chips

Ratree Spritz (L) with Prosecco, Aperol, Cardamom and Mango, and a Blended Old Fashioned with Laphroig 10, Makers Mark and dewar's White label on ice

Geisha Heart Cocktail with Stolichnaya Vodka, Orange Curacao, Watermelon, Mango, Lime and Angostura Bitters, served in a heart-shaped bottle

Uncorked and poured into a highball glass, the Geisha Heart is garnished with Thai lemon and lime

Rock'n Mango with Tanqueray Gin, Cardamom, Ginger, Mango and Tangerine

Flowers in a ceramic bowl accented each table and lounge bed at the Ratree Bar

Sala Mae Rim Thai Cuisine: Four Seasons, Chiang Mai

With sweeping panoramic views of the Mae Rim Valley and overlooking bright green rice fields, Sala Mae Rim serves traditional northern Thai cuisine in a beautiful Lanna-style sala pavilion, with many ingredients such as local fruits and vegetables harvested from the resort's own organic garden and Royal Project garden nestled in the nearby hills. High teak ceilings complement the restaurants impressive Northern Thai artefacts and with its spectacular sweeping views of the green Valley, Sala Mae Rim is the place to experience the best of Chiang Mai cuisine, including sumptuous breakfast buffets, leisurely lunches and elegant dining in the evening.

Sala Mae Rim menu

A cold Thai Singha Beer for our lunch

Gaeng Kiew Warn Gai Rue Nua - Spicy Green Chicken Curry

Gaeng Massaman Nua - Massaman Curry with Beef Short Ribs, Potato, Onion and Cashew Nuts

Sweet and Sour Sauce for Massaman Curry with carrot, cauliflower, cucumber and corn

A small bamboo basket with sticky rice

For two evenings, we dined at Sala Mae Rim and explored their Northern Thai menu further, starting with a sumptuous Raum appetizer assortment of local specialties, fresh local vegetables and sautéed Morning Glory, and delicious wok-fried rice with crabmeat; Stir-fried Seafood; Red Curry with BBQ Duck; and baskets of traditional Chiang Mai sticky Rice.

Hors D'Oeuvres Ruam with fried noodle-wrapped Thai Tiger Prawns with Plum Sauce, Grilled Chicken Satays with Peanut Sauce, Homemade Spicy Chiang Mai Pork Sausage Spring Rolls, Chiang Mai Green Chili Dip and Minced Pork in Cucumber Cups

Pad Pak Ruam - Wok Fried Mixed Local Vegetables

Kaow Pad Poo - Wok Fried Rice with Crab Meat

Talay Phad Phong Karee - Stir Fried Mixed Seafood with Thai Yellow Curry Powder, Egg, Onion, Spring Onion, Celery and Fresh Chili

Gaeng Phed Ped Yang - Red Curry with Barbecue Duck, Fresh Fruits and Coconut Milk

Handwoven basket with Thai sticky rice

Nestled in a banana leaf, the sticky rice is warm, chewy and addictive

http://www.fourseasons.com/chiangmai/dining/restaurants/sala_mae_rim

The Four Seasons Chiang Mai in the Mae Rim Valley

A one-hour flight from Bangkok, Chiang Mai is literally and spiritually a long way from the capital to the south. Here in the green and mountainous north, the air is noticeably cooler, the orange-robed monks far more numerous, the pace of life — and even the spoken language — slower. Known as "the Rose of the North" for its lush landscapes and rich culture, Chiang Mai is in the heart of an area once known as the Lanna Kingdom, meaning "the land of a million rice fields." Still enclosed by ancient walls, and filled with peaked-roof temples, Chiang Mai is also the artistic heart of Thailand, where scores of galleries and workshops offer outstanding paintings, weavings, carvings and hilltribe handicrafts. Northern Thai cuisine is another lure, distinct and delicious. Located in the beautiful Mae Rim Valley just outside the artistic and cultural center of Chiang Mai, The Four Seasons Resorts Chiang Mai was designed to create a traditional Thai Lanna Village. Nestled against a backdrop of majestic mountains on 20 acres of tropical gardens, lakes, lily ponds and terraced rice paddies with two resident water buffalo, The Four Seasons is not just a resort – it's a rejuvenation for the mind and inspiration for the soul. It was also our home for five glorious days.

Designed to create a traditional Thai Lanna Village, the Four Seasons resort sits against a backdrop 

of majestic mountains on 20 acres of tropical gardens, lakes, lily ponds 

and terraced rice paddies with five resident water buffalo

The Rice Barn can be reserved for private dining under shimmering moonlight 

overlooking the Resort’s rice paddies and lake

The Ratree Bar & Lounge, named after a variety of Thai jasmine, is the place to relax with a cocktail and watch the rice workers end their day serenaded by local Thai drummers

With sweeping views of the Mae Rim Valley, Sala Mae Rim serves Northern Thai specialties

Pad Thai Goong

Local Pork Sausage

Som Tum – Green Papaya Salad

Thai Spiced Satays with Peanut Sauce

View over the valley, lake forest covered mountains and rice paddies, 

the harvest from which is distributed to the local community

The Lanna Pavilion at the Four Seasons Chaing Mai

Lanna Bathing Pavilion

Our outdoor Private Sala 

The upper and lower swimming pools overlooking the lush Mae Rim Valley rice fields

www.fourseasons.com/chiangmai

Sala Rim Naam at The Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok

Set on the west bank of the Chao Phraya River across from the Mandarin Oriental Bangkok, Sala Rim Naam is the setting for gourmet Thai cuisine and classical Thai dance performed by elaborately costumed dancers from Bangkok's Department of Fine Arts. A unique culinary and cultural experience, the one hour show includes royal dances of the Sukhothai and Ayutthaya periods, as well as traditional folk dances and mock battle scenes from popular Thai folklore. Housed in a lavishly decorated pavilion reminiscent of richly decorated 'sala' from Northern Thailand, Sala Rim Naam features a dramatic sweeping roof with high pitched ceilings and polished teakwood finishings. Mandarin Oriental Bangkok Executive Thai Chef Vichit Mukura’s authentic Thai menu includes sumptuous Thai dishes such as Lon Poo Talay, sea crab meat cooked in coconut milk, Yaam Talay, a spiced seafood salad, Goong Phad Prik Daeng, fried prawn with garlic and red chili sauce, and Massamun Nuea, a southern-style beef curry with sweet potato and onion.

To reach Sala Rim Naam, guests are ferried across the Chao Phraya River by private teakwood shuttle boat from the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, but a cocktail at the Oriental's legendary Bamboo Bar, is a fine way to start and end an evening in Bangkok. Originally opened in a tiny room in the hotel’s renowned Authors’ Wing in 1953, the Bamboo was refreshed, remixed and reinvented in 2014 by Thai designers, P49 Design. The bar’s original black rattan armchairs have been restored and tiger skin prints have been retained on the bar stools and some chairs. Hanging on the wall are historic photographs of the hotel and bar, with images of former patrons, such as Louis Armstrong, Mick Jagger, and Audrey Hepburn. The famous 'Thaijito' and other Bamboo Bar signature cocktail, created by the bar’s legendary barman Sompong Boonsri, remain on the cocktail menu, along with the classics that are still mixed according to their original recipes, and the bar continues to be inspired by its longstanding reputation of being the best live jazz spot in Bangkok.

The Bamboo Bar at The Mandarin Oriental — a Bangkok icon

The Bartender mixing our cocktails with great flourish and a smile

Negroni

French 75

Embroidered Bamboo Bar linen napkins - an elegant touch to an elegant bar

Bar snacks: crispy fried okra and salted Thai peanuts

Jazz vocalist Cynthia Utterbach at the Bamboo bar

Jazz musicians Marat Yuldybaev on sax, and Igor Suchkov on piano

Private launch from the Mandarin Oriental over the Chao Phraya to Sala Rim Naam for dinner

View to Sala Rim Naam across the Chao Phraya River

On the boat approaching Sala Rim Naam

The exterior of Sala Rim Naam

A bowl of fresh Thai orchids on our table

Sala Rim Naam menu

A Hendricks Martini to start the evening at Sala Rim Naam

One of the musicians playing a Ranet Ek, an Thai-style boat-shaped alto xylophone made of rosewood

Thai appetizers: Pineapple with minced chicken and peanuts; deep-fried herbed crabmeat and minced chicken; and steamed prawns wrapped in rice noodles

The deep-fried crabmeat and minced chicken stuffed in a crab shell

Steamed prawns with fresh salad and chill lime sauce wrapped in rice noodles and served in bamboo basket

Monsoon Valley Thai red Shiraz

A glass of Thai red wine, which is actually very good

Monsoon Valley Colombard white wine

The white white was served in a chilled glass to keep the wine very cool

Herbed pomelo salad with grilled blue river prawn

Baked Sea Bass and herbs with a cone of steamed Thai Jasmin rice

Green Pork Thai Curry in coconut milk

Stir-Fried vegetables with oyster sauce

Trio of desserts: Water Chestnut Rubies in chilled coconut milk; Rambutan Sorbet; and Carved tropical fresh fruit

Beautifully carved fresh fruit

The evenings dance performance was introduced by a beautiful Thai lady who explained each of the dance and performance pieces

Thai musicians serenade each of dances and performances and played throughout the evening

Suwannamalee dancer, representing a legendary Thai woman whose beauty sets her apart from others like a golden flower

Exquisite costumes and classic Thai dance hand gestures are part of traditional Thai performance

The Phrang Pra Theep Candle Dance, a classic Lanna kingdom performance which uses fire to worship holy objects

A masked dance featuring Rama in search of a golden deer to give his beloved

Rama capturing the golden deer

Tossakan disguised as a hermit

Mareed, Tossakan's uncle, with gorgeous costume and head dress

Catching the launch back to the Mandarin Oiriental

Strands oh twinkle lights hang from the trees outside of Sala Rim Naam

Twinkle lights decorate the planters around the terrace dining area 

www.mandarinoriental.com/bangkok

Egg Noodles in Chicken Curry Sauce

Serves 4

Recipe courtesy of Mandarin Oriental Bangkok

Curry paste:

1 tsp coriander seeds, dry-roasted

1 tsp cumin seeds, dry-roasted

1/2 tsp black peppercorns

1/4 cup of dried red chilis, seeded, cut, and soaked

1/2 tbsp of lemon grass, thinly sliced

1 1/2 tsp kaffir lime zest

1 tbsp galangal, sliced

1 tsp coriander roots, chopped

2 tbsp garlic

1 tbsp shallots, thinly sliced

1 tsp shrimp paste, wrapped in banana leaf and grilled

Chicken curry:

1/2 cup coconut cream

1/3 cup water

2 3/4 cups coconut milk

1/4 galangal, crushed

1 tbsp coriander roots, crushed

2 tbsp shallots, crushed

1/2 tsp kuruma powder

1/4 tsp turmeric powder 

1/2 tsp curry powder

3 1/2 tbsp fish sauce

1 tbsp palm sugar

1 1/4 cup chicken thighs, sliced

1 1/2 cup egg noodles, boiled

To make the paste, pound the spices until fine. Add the chilis, lemon grass, kaffir lime zest, galangal and coriander roots. Continue to pound until smooth and well-mixed. Add the garlic and shallots, pounding until a fine and smooth paste forms. Add the shrimp paste and pound until thoroughly incorporated. Set aside, but only use one tablespoon of the paste for this recipe.

Combine the coconut cream and water in a wok and reduce over medium heat. Stir well until oil surfaces. Add the red curry paste and stir fry until aromatic. Add the coconut milk, galangal, coriander roots, and shallots. Bring to a boil, then add the kuruma, turmeric, and curry powders. Flavour with fish sauce and palm sugar, then add the chicken to simmer for about 10 minutes or until just tender. Remove from heat and discard the galangal and coriander roots. In a serving bowl, pour the soup over cooked egg noodles and serve with the following accompaniments: crisp-fried egg noodles, crisp fried pork scratchings, preserved mustard greens, shallots, fried chili paste and lime juice.

Spicy Grilled Beef & Grape Salad

Serves 2

Recipe courtesy of Mandarin Oriental Bangkok

10 oz sirloin strip steak

2-3 tsp vegetable oil

1 cup small seedless red grapes, halved

2 stalks lemongrass, trimmed

4 stems mint leaves, reserving sprigs for garnish

3-4 kaffir lime leaves

2 large cloves garlic, peeled

2 tbsp fresh bird's eye chilies, to taste 

2 tbsp fish sauce

2 tbsp fresh lime juice

1 tbsp simple syrup

Coat both sides of the steak with the vegetable oil and grill over charcoal or in a grill pan to desired doneness, then keep the steak covered. Slice the lemongrass as thinly as possible, starting from the root end and stopping when the purple rings disappear at about 2 inches from the base; set aside. Remove the centre veins from the kaffir lime leaves. Stack the leaves together, roll them up tightly, and slice them slightly on the diagonal as thinly as possible, then set aside. 

Remove the mint leaves from the stems, reserving the sprigs for garnish, and slice the leaves crosswise into 1/8-inch strips; set aside. Reserve the stems. Trim off the tough bottom parts of the reserved mint stems, and finely slice crosswise. Place the mint stems, garlic, and chilies in a mortar or mini-chopper; grind to a fine paste. In a small bowl, mix together the fish sauce, lime juice, and simple syrup. Add the prepared paste; stir to mix. Slice the steak thinly against the grain into bite-sized pieces; transfer to a mixing bowl.

Add the prepared herbs, grapes and half of the prepared dressing to the steak bowl, and toss to coat. Add more dressing if desired. The salad should be spicy, equally salty, sour, and sweet. If the salad is to be served in the traditional Thai way, with rice as an accompaniment, the salad should be dressed a little more, in anticipation of the rice. Serve on a decorative platter.