The Steak House JJ Market, Atsadatorn Rd. Open daily: 11 - 1 am Tel. 053 244 123

This modern style steak house is the brain child of the French eatery Le Crystal, known as one of the best French restaurants in Chiang Mai, providing guests the opportunity to experience superb quality gastronomic items and service as at Le Crystal's, but at more affordable prices.

Stand out items here include the premium Australian beef wagyu, the German fried pork leg, and sirloin sandwich. The Steak House also offers a huge selection of French style desserts, one of the highlights being the mandarin orange cheesecake baked by Crystal Cake Shop & French Bakery. For the health conscious a dish of Royal Project's vegetable salad delicately prepared by the experienced chef is also worth a try. And for beer lovers, there is a premium selection of world class draught beers including Leffe, Stella Artois, and Hoegaarden.

This month sees The Steak House celebrate its 1st anniversary and to mark the occasion there are currently several special promotions. Regular guests who spend 500 baht or more will be entitled to 10% off their bill; members who spend over 500 baht will receive 15% off and if over 2,000 baht 30% off; and VIP members will receive 20% off bills over 500 baht and a very generous 50% off bills over 3,000 baht. Complimentary gifts including tickets to Chiang Mai Zoo to see the baby panda and gift vouchers for Sunday Brunch at The Steak House will also be given to diners who spend over 5000 baht, with gifts changing day to day. So this is a perfect time to try out this great restaurant.

Rimping Village Chiang Mai -Lamphun Rd., Wat Ket Muang, Chiang Mai Open daily 7 am - 10 pm Tel. 053-243 915

Only fresh natural ingredients are used in the tasty dishes of the Rimping Village Hotel's restaurant, which offers a range of exotic Thai foods cooked with rice bean oil, famed for being cholesterol free and high in Vitamin E.

An excellent start to a meal here, which can be taken in the outdoor dining area in the shade of the majestic Yang tree by the salt water pool, or in the air-conditioned indoor area, is the mixed entrees; consisting of a collection of well known Thai favourites including spring rolls, fish cakes and chicken satay. No Thai meal is complete without a flavoursome soup for people to share and the Tom Yam, a type of hot and sour soup, is always a good choice. Lovers of curry should try the green or jungle curry, and if you fancy a stir-fried dish, you have a choice of sauces, such as garlic pepper or cashew nut, and a choice of meats and vegetables, which you can match to your tastes. Specials here are entitled Fabulous Foods, and of these the Siam Duck and Ocean Wok Fry come highly recommended. There is plenty of choice and so to make things easier diners can opt for one of the set menus for two or four people.

The restaurant also offers a noodle bar menu, where a choice of meats, noodles and sauces can be combined as desired, plus there is a range of excellent European food including steaks and salads. And as you would expect from any good restaurant there is a decent selection of drinks too; aperitifs, whiskeys, cocktails, mocktails and wines to make one’s meal complete.