eating out in mae sariang: random restaurants and cute cafes

The streets of Mae Sariang.

I wish I could have explored more of Mae Sariang. I wasn't feeling particularly well for the couple of days that we were there, so I wasn't up for much action. For once, we didn't hire a scooter, so there goes all those opportunities for exciting escapades!

However, I wasn't in too bad a shape - I was still fine for some leisurely walks, and I still had a reasonable appetite. All was not lost - as long as I can eat, I can have fun!

So, anyway, going back to the beginning...

It was raining as our bus trundled to a stop in Mae Sariang. We made a dash to get some shelter, and ended up having lunch at a little shack near the bus station.

I had a plate of pad see ew - stir-fried flat rice noodles with meat, egg, and vegetables - for 35 baht.

Pad See Ew at the stall near the Mae Sariang bus stop.

That evening, we visited Inthira restaurant. Simon had green curry chicken with rice.

Green curry chicken at Inthira restaurant in Mae Sariang - not sure of the price.

I opted for a lighter dish - a lemony glass noodle salad with minced pork and toasted cashews. It was just what I needed.

A tangy glass noodle salad (yum woon sen) with pork and cashew nuts at Inthira restaurant in Mae Sariang, 70 baht.

The next morning, we took a walk around the area, and Coffee House caught our eye. It has a charming atmosphere, and we made ourselves at home. Simon had a coffee, as per usual, while I decided to try a green tea milk.

Green tea milk at Coffee House in Mae Sariang.

I also enjoyed a delightfully flaky raisin pastry to go with my hot beverage. Together, the two items cost me only 45 baht.

Pain aux raisins - a raisin pastry in an escargot shape, at Coffee House in Mae Sariang.

For lunch, we wandered off to find the Maeloegyi vegetarian restaurant (I think this has since closed, but it seems that the Maeloegyi guesthouse is still around - so check for the latest information if you're planning to pop by). Here, I sipped on an invigorating dragon fruit smoothie. I really liked the decor and setting here, too - it's a friendly sort of place that beckons to you - "come on over, and let's hang out!"

Dragonfruit smoothie at Maeloegyi restaurant in Mae Sariang - I think this was 30 or 40 baht.

I wasn't very hungry, so I snacked on fried mushrooms that came with a spicy dip. Deliciousness.

Fried mushrooms with chilli dip at Maeloegyi restaurant in Mae Sariang - something like 60 or 70 baht.

Simon had a vegetarian pad thai - rice noodles stir-fried with vegetables, egg, and mock meat.

Vegetarian pad thai at Maeloegyi restaurant in Mae Sariang - don't know how much Simon paid for this one.

That night, we were on the prowl for dinner, and from memory I think we were seeking out some restaurant I read about online - possibly on TripAdvisor. Alas, our search was fruitless. As our tummies grumbled, we gave up. We picked a random restaurant on the street, and hoped for the best.

This restaurant appeared to be popular with the locals. It turned out to be quite an eventful night, though. The electricity went out at one point, and they had to get a generator going to keep the business in operation. It was quite dark, and the mosquitoes started to descend upon us.

But at least we have food! A huge deep-fried fish, topped with a generous scattering of crispy golden garlic. We had that with rice, and it was enough for us.

Fried fish at a random restaurant in Mae Sariang - 240 baht with rice.

As we paid on our way out, we noticed this... thing at the reception area. It appears to be a colony of ants making themselves comfortable in a big bowl of rice grains. I'm not sure what the purpose is. Perhaps some Thai delicacy?

Mysterious bowl of creepy-crawlies at random restaurant in Mae Sariang.

Another sleep, and our time in Mae Sariang was running out. We went back to Coffee House again for a small breakfast (I had a chocolate scroll this time!).

Then we went to Cafe De Grill for lunch. Simon had a coffee frappe, and I had a Yakult frappe. My frappe was fabulous. Why aren't more cafes offering Yakult frappes? Get onto it, people.

Coffee frappe and Yakult frappe at Cafe De Grill in Mae Sariang. I think they were 30 baht each.

Cafe De Grill is a very cute place. The cheerful panda mascot in front of the cafe is probably a clue. The presentation of certain dishes on the menu is another. Simon ordered some kind of salad, and this was what he got.

Some kind of salad at Cafe De Grill in Mae Sariang - I didn't note down the price.

I loved my choice of lunch - a pork steak with Karen chilli sauce. Karen is an ethnic Burmese group, and there is a significant number of Karen people living in Thailand, especially near the border to Myanmar. The chilli sauce was moderately spicy and had a nice savoury kick, and it complemented the tender, juicy pork very well. It also came with a small salad, and a side of chips. Mm-mmm!

Pork steak with Karen chilli sauce at Cafe De Grill in Mae Sariang - only 49 baht!

And that was that - before we knew it, our self-guided tour of the Mae Hong Son Loop was coming to a conclusion - after 3 nights in Pai, 2 nights in Soppong, 3 nights in Mae Hong Son, and 2 nights in Mae Sariang. It was time to go full circle and head back to Chiang Mai, where we started!

View from the deck of our guesthouse in Mae Sariang.