THAI BEEF NOODLE @ ROTE YIAM BEEF NOODLE, CHANG KLANG RD., CHIANG MAI

Even before we left for the trip, my brother was telling us to "must-try" beef noodle opposite the Shangri-La Hotel. Again avoiding the "provided meal" of the tour, we as the tour guide to take us to this place; as usual, she's clueless of the place - maybe it's because she doesn't take beef. As we park in front of the shops opposite the hotel, there seems to be only two coffee shops in that block. But there's nothing to indicate the "best beef noodle" as we are told. So I walk around the block and into the nearest side street, and still come out empty. So this is the only beef noodle shop, it has to be it. Contrary to expectation, the place is not all that packed even when it's near lunch time.

PHOTOGRAPHY OF FOOD IN RESTAURANTS IN SINGAPORE Via Red Dot Photo

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DINNER @ JIA TONG HENG RESTAURANT, 193/2-3 SRI DON CHAI RD., MUANG, CHIANGMAI

After a disappointing meal the previous night, we opt not to take up on the meals provided by our tour, but have meals at our selected restaurants out of our own pockets. Our first choice is to have some roast goose, but our guide, either non-knowledgeable of food in town or reluctant to take us places where there are no commission to be earned, suggests this place where they have roast piglet instead. Well, from the looks of it, this place it seems to be better than the last one, in terms of the crowd in its dual-levels dining area (one can't compare a city to a county).

PISS-STOP @ MAE KHAJAN HOT SPRINGS, HWY. 118 (CHIANG MAI/CHIANG RAI)

This is a midway point between Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai. It's known for its hot springs - pungent sulphuric smell. Little girls will try to push their hard boiled eggs cooked on the spring water. The whole township is built around a u-shaped wooden shop houses, and at its center is a gemstone shop selling trinkets. It's one heck of a sleepy town. In the midst of all the souvenir stalls, there is one lone coffee shop selling noodle and drinks; not just any drinks but home-grown, machine-brewed coffee. Of all gin-joints and coffee shops, this dinky place is not to to be sneered at; in fact, it impresses so much that we request to stop here again on the return trip.