ด่อง-Dông.cnx (local food) — Restaurant in Chiang Mai Province

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I stumbled into Dong by complete accident, right in the middle of a private party. Despite that, the owner kindly welcomed me in and it turned out to be one of the most memorable culinary experiences of my trip.

The food was absolutely exceptional. Each dish was crafted with great care, full of flavor, creativity, and attention to detail. You can truly feel the passion behind every plate. Prices were very reasonable, especially considering the quality.

What stood out most, though, was the people. The staff and guests were incredibly warm and kind they made me feel like part of the family.

A soulful restaurant, full of heart....

The retro decor and Thai pop drew me in. Although my server did not speak english very well, he was extremely helpful and offered great recommendations. I went with bamboo shoots w/ pork snack, nam prik ta dang, and steak. The steak was a little well done for my liking, but still incredibly flavourful and gently seasoned to the point where I couldn’t tell if the meat tastes this good or if the cooking method or a marinade imparted this flavour. The bamboo shoots were delicious and as far as I’m concerned, not “dumbed down” spice-wise to meet my dumb white palette. If I had friends, I would definitely...

sick of having pad thai and can’t stomach another mango? then dong is a great introduction to northern thai cuisine. you won’t find any standardized thai fare on the menu.

i know, it’s a big gamble to get out of your already uncomfortable zone. but at 50-90 thb per plate, they’re meant to be tasters and shared so you or your group can try a bit of everything. carbs (rice) optional. portions are surprisingly generous for what’s meant to be “small plates”. standouts for me were the grilled fish, pork rib soup, beef laab. the steamed chicken. the little fried shrimps. i think i loved everything.

service is fast, curt and friendly. you’ll be handed a menu and paper, write down the number of the food you want. there’s pictures. they arrive quick, good if you’re in a hurry. they are not pretentious, as the eclectic mismatch of tables, chairs and random objects of peronsal decor signal (which i LOVE- not not giving a shit about following a template).

intentionally obvious innuendo in the name or not, this place has character. and the owners aren’t afraid to show it. each dish is jam packed full of flavor that isn’t just overpowering spice. we’ve eaten at “michelin” rated restaurants, grandma’s generations old recipe isan food, random street stalls, riverside wisdom tree bullshit, but the only place we’ve returned to twice is: dong city.

ถึงเจ้าของร้าน ฉันชื่นชมในความมุ่งมั่นของคุณที่เป็นคนจริงใจและซื่อสัตย์ ฉันรู้สึกได้ตั้งแต่ก้าวเท้าเข้ามา บุคลิกของร้านปรากฏอยู่ในการตกแต่งและอาหาร ฉันชอบที่คุณไม่ขอโทษและไม่เสิร์ฟอาหารไทยสำหรับนักท่องเที่ยวทั่วไป อาหารที่ดีคือบรรยากาศที่ดี ❤️...