Yesterday evening we went to Aroon Rai (review: http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g293917-d1129357-Reviews-Aroon_Rai_Restaurant-Chiang_Mai.html)
The building was set up like a workers’ canteen, with plain tables and chairs and plastic tablecloths. This was good simple Northern Thai food. We ordered spring rolls, salt and garlic squid and deep fried, battered prawns to start. This was followed by (or at least in our heads it was “followed”) Khao Soi (crispy fried and curried egg noodles), pork and ginger curry and red curried pork.
The dishes arrived in a fairly random order, as always in Thailand. The noodles and ginger pork were nice but not amazing. The red curry was very good and pretty hot – not Thai hot but not the bland Phareng hot either. (More on that word later!)
Afterwards, we went to the Horn Bar at Chiang Mai’s Mandarin Oriental (also known as the Dhara Dhevi) for drinks.
http://www.mandarinoriental.com/chiangmai/
The hotel itself was difficult to find and looked eerily like a temple or a Thai tomb, which seemed almost appropriate as it was as dead as a tomb. We had Singapore Slings, which I belatedly remembered that I don’t like because I cannot stand the taste of cherry brandy, and a big, fat G&T. The bar was lovely and the best of the snacks on offer were the spicy cashews with deep fried lime leaves and chilli.
We left the Mandarin nursing a bill which, for three drinks, was 50% larger than the three meals at Aroon Rai.
I feel no real need to rush back, although I will go to the equivalent in Bangkok to see whether they are all this dull.
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Greedy Gyal 
Was just wondering what your ‘risk management’ strategy is; Pepto Bismol? Imodium?. Have you checked out the medical facilities along your route? I’m not trying to scare you . . just don’t want anything to happen to you . . .jus’ sayin’ . . .
Love it, Nix.
Hi Nix: This is great. I will be following your journey for the next 2.5 months daily (or as often as you care to post). I’m waiting for you to post a non shrimp recipe so I can try it out.
OK. My next post includes a link to a recipe for son-in-law eggs.
You could exclude the shrimp paste from the Tom Kha recipe but increase the salt / fish sauce to your taste.