Saiyut & Doctor Sai Kitchen — Restaurant in Chiang Mai Province

Food is Art is the motto of this restaurant, and Saiyud’s Kitchen is a masterpiece of taste and beauty. I was worried that it was only going to be a Instagramable restaurant but the fusion of visuals, tastes and textures will blow you away. Our first dish was a spicy crab paste served with fresh and fried veggies. The veggies were unbelievably fresh and tasty in quality, artistically carved, raw, boiled and fried to best bring out the particular veggies flavors and texture. The crab paste added the extra layer of Thai tastes of crab, spices and herbs. Perfection!

Next the Rice Salad visually was the most beautiful and also extremely tasty. The 15 different combination of herbs, spices, dried shrimp, fish floss, Butterfly pea infused blue rice topped with a delicate tamarind sauce was exquisite. I actually enjoyed this dish the most although understanding the amount of work and care put into the other dishes were at a different higher level.

The third dish was a simple pork, crab and shrimp cake. I was a little reluctant to order this when there were so many other delicious looking dishes, but our waitress convinced us that most return customers orders this again. It will not disappoint, the best crab cakes I’ve had in Thailand.

Our fourth dish was a delicately balanced tastes of curry sauce, crab, shrimp and a local mushroom. Infuses your taste buds with a warm, slightly sweet, Umami seafood and mushroom rich, herby cream curry. Cleaned out the bowl with Kao Niao. Wonderful finish.

My wife had for dessert a sticky rice dumplings in sweet coconut milk with a soft poached egg. Strange combination but it really works.

Dinner also comes with Raw Mangos appetizer with Sweet Gapi Sauce and dessert, Fried Bananas in a similar coconut cream sauce.

I cannot imagine all the care, the intricate food carving, only using premium class food produce, meat & seafood products with a remarkable sense of mixing of different tastes, textures and aromas that goes into their cooking.

All this and the dinner cost less than 900B for the two of us.

The only down side was they served all the dishes at about the same time. And please note they do not serve alcohol but you can BYOB.

Most highly recommend! We love to eat and have never experienced this level of quality and tastes at this price level, ever. I will come back to Chiang Mai just to come eat here. It...

The food here is very beautiful, but not particularly tasty.

I went twice; the first time the waitress asked if i liked spicy food, and i explained i lived in singapore for years, i very much like spicy, please don't water anything down (forget the fact that i grew up in new york city where we have tons of spicy food from all over the world). the food was not all great, but spice level was not an issue.

The second time i did not have that conversation with the server, and was served the plainest, sweetest food i've had in a long, long time.

I assumed i'd been racially profiled as a white lady, but reading these reviews it looks like they're making overly sweet bland food for everyone.

what i tried, best to worst-

tom yum clear spicy prawns soup- 10/10. (visit 1) actually spicy with a great balance of flavors.

spicy pomelo salad with prawns and minced pork- 9/10. (visit 1) refreshing and lovely

appetizer sampler- 8/10 (visit 2) high score because it's very instagrammable, but repetitive flavors between the 10 appetizers. they have 3 dipping sauces, including one with chili, but they are all just insanely sweet.

deep fried curry mousse- 7/10 (visit 1) hard to go wrong with deep fried anything, but this had a spongy texture i didn't love

sand whiting fish with crispy tumeric- 5/10 (visit 1) i'd never tried this type of fish before, it's too dry and scrawny for me

stir-fried chili paste betel leaves with crab meat- (visit 1) 3/10 one of my favorite dishes but the flavors were off imo, i found myself just picking the crab out

stir-fried crabmeat with yellow curry powder- (visit 2) 1/10 canned crab meat with literally no seasoning atop scrambled eggs and baby corn with i suppose curry powder? but it was actually totally bland, zero spice. i don't think i've ever tasted a curry with absolutely zero spice before, bizarre.

i think i'd still give it a 4/5 despite the food just because it's all so pretty/lovely setting, but the fact that there's no alcohol served and it's a relatively expensive place bump it...

Ajarn Sairud's restaurant is a culinary gem that beautifully preserves the rich traditions of Thai cuisine. Steeped in a history that dates back to 2004, the establishment is a testament to Ajarn Sairud's unwavering dedication to authentic Thai flavors.

The culinary journey begins with Ajarn Sairud Nori, a seasoned expert in food and nutrition, who brings decades of teaching experience to the kitchen. Having pioneered the teaching of floral arrangement, carving, and banana leaf arts, her expertise shines through in every meticulously crafted dish.

Doctor Sai, the inheritor of Ajarn Sairud's legacy, seamlessly carries forward the culinary tradition instilled in her since early childhood. Her personal touch and deep appreciation for Thai food add a unique dimension to the dining experience. Beyond a mere business, Doctor Sai views the restaurant as a familial space, where the love for Thai cuisine is shared with each guest.

The restaurant's history unfolds against the backdrop of a changing culinary landscape. Ajarn Sairud, witnessing the decline of local Thai and royal cuisine, embarked on a mission to conserve these precious dishes. In 2004, she opened the doors of her restaurant, situated in her own home, creating an intimate atmosphere reminiscent of a grandmother's kitchen.

Every dish at the restaurant is a labor of love, personally crafted by Ajarn Sairud herself. This hands-on approach ensures that each bite is not only delicious but also a testament to the culinary artistry passed down through generations. The use of Celadon ceramics from Chiangmai adds an extra layer of beauty, allowing guests to savor both the flavors and the visual allure of the dishes.

In a world increasingly drawn to fast food and international flavors, Ajarn Sairud's commitment to preserving authentic Thai cuisine is a refreshing and admirable endeavor. Dining here is more than a meal; it's a journey through time and tradition, where every plate tells a story of passion, heritage, and the true essence of...