A recent visit to Northern Thailand brought us to Witheelaab Charoenmuang, which was recognized by Michelin in 2025 and 2026. The restaurant specializes in Northern Thai cuisine, which is significantly different from what one finds in, say, Bangkok. The establishment is located in Chiang Mai. We were especially interested in the raw buffalo dishes. Visitors are encouraged to explore their other offerings, too, as they are quite good. The focus of this entry, however, will be on buffalo.
It was hardly our first experience with this meat, which, not surprisingly, bears a strong resemblance to beef. We prefer to eat certain kinds of meat raw and sparsely seasoned, so the flavor of the flesh comes shining through. A mound of raw sirloin with a pinch of salt would be just fine with one of us here at drinkingjapan.org.
At this restaurant, diners are given a choice between a dish that is, shall we say, potently spiced and one that is much milder. The former nearly brought tears to our eyes. Think a level of hotness that far exceeds that of Tabasco Sauce. The latter offering was consumed with great pleasure, of course.
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