Khantoke dinner - enjoy the North’s tastiest specialties
Does the idea of eating some of northern Thailand’s tastiest specialties while enjoying the graceful movements of beautiful women dancing with candles sound like a good night out? Then don’t miss the chance to catch the unique dinner-dance combination known as Khantoke while you’re visiting the Rose of the North.
Chiang Mai is famous throughout the kingdom for its incredible cuisine and rich Lanna culture. But did you know you can experience the best of both these worlds in one evening at a Khantok dinner? Many visitors dismiss Khantoke venues as overpriced tourist traps, but nothing could be farther from the truth. Unless you’ve got a local friend guiding you around Chiang Mai, you won’t find a better representation of true Lanna cuisine than at a Khantoke dinner.
Guests will be treated to northern-style dishes in traditional Thai fashion by sitting on the floor and eating off large low round tables known as toke. While you sample the many dishes offered, skilled dancers will perform traditional Lanna dances such as fon lep (finger dancing), ram dab (sword dancing), and fon thean (candle dancing). Truly skilled cultural performers like those employed by Chiang Mai’s leading Khantoke venues are a dying breed, so whether you come for the food or the dancing, don’t pass up this unique experience.
Khantoke is a Lanna Thai tradition, not something cooked up to lure in tourists. The name Khantoke refers to the low round teak wood table used to hold the food, and its origins can be traced back to 1953 when Ajarn Kraisee Nimmanahaeminda held a dinner party for some important guests. She brought in traditionally dressed singers and dancers to add some flair to the evening, which was so well-received that she turned it into a regular event. Even among average Lanna people, a Khantoke meal is always served at important occasions such as weddings and graduations.
Five different Lanna dishes, accompanied by a big basket of sticky rice, are traditionally served in a Khantoke dinner. They include gaeng hung-lay (Burmese pork curry), gai tod (fried chicken), paad pugg (fried cabbage), nam prik ong (tomato, chili and minced pork dip) and keb moo (fried pork rinds). Sliced cucumber and other fresh garnishes round off the scene. You should use your fingers to pull clumps of sticky rice from the basket and scoop out a bit of each dish. However, forks and spoons are always available if this proves too challenging.
Halfway into your meal, the traditional dancing will begin. A classical Thai orchestra using time-proven musical instruments set the scene as small groups of dancers dressed in beautiful clothing move across the stage. The dances performed at a Khantoke dinner are authentic creations unique to northern Thailand. You will see them nowhere else in the kingdom. They are rooted in the history, stories and culture of this region of Thailand and are very old.
The dances range from sublime visual creations like the candle dance, where women hold tiny candle bowls in their palms as they twist and swirl around the floor, to more virulent acts such as the sword dance, performed by a single, dexterous and brave young man. Dances such as the magic fowls dance and silk reeling dance represent the folklore and daily life of traditional Lanna culture.
Even if you’ve seen a tourist dinner dance in Bangkok or elsewhere, it won’t compare to an authentic Chiang Mai Khantoke dinner performance. Even Thais from other regions make a point to enjoy these entertaining and mouthwatering evenings when they visit Chiang Mai.
There are a handful of reputable and professional Khantoke venues in Chiang Mai. The Old Chiangmai Cultural Center has been hosting these dinners for the longest, and offers an impressive selection of shows and dinner options. Khum Khantoke, housed in a magnificent and massive Lanna building, is the newest addition to the scene and has developed an excellent reputation. Other noteworthy venues include the show at the Imperial Mae Ping Hotel, and Nakorn Lanna 1296.
More on Thai culture in Chiang Mai
Information details for the venues are listed below:
- Old Chiangmai Cultural Center
- 185/3 Wualai road, Chiang Mai, Tel: +66 53 275 097
- Khum Khantoke Chiangmai Business Park
- 130 Moo 4, Nong Pakrung, Chiang Mai, Tel: +66 53 304 121 2
- Nakorn Lanna 1296
- 84 Changklan road, Chiang Mai, Tel: +66 53 818 428 9
- Mae Ping Khantoke (Imperial Mae Ping Hotel)
- Imperial Mae Ping Hotel, Seedonchai road, Chiang Mai, Tel: +66 53 283 900
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