Glai Baan has been getting a lot of hype lately and I really wanted to try it in hopes that the publicity has been warranted. The verdict is that it has been! First off the ambiance is very cozy, tastefully decorated, the dining area and bar are quite quaint and has a welcoming vibe. We started off at the bar since there was a wait for a table and had a hard time deciding which cocktail to try as they all sounded very interesting. I went with the Laab Sided which was a liquid cocktail version of laab and my husband had the Anywhere Door which was an alcoholic version of a Thai tea. How the bartender was able to get the flavors of laab into liquid form was very intriguing to me and I had to pick his brain on the recipe. He enthusiastically spoke to me about the process of inventing this sweet yet savory drink which is a must try.
Our table was ready, the menu had a lot of fantastic looking dishes. We of course had to try the Khao soi as it was my favorite dish that I had in Chiang Mai and is also one that I learned to cook at a cooking class there. Our server helped us with the rest of our choices, the pork dumplings and the special of mackerel fried rice. The dumplings were wonderful, you could tell how fresh they were. The Khao soi met my expectations, and tasted spot on with the ones that I had eaten in Thailand and the mackerel fried rice was to die for. Portion sizes were large and we were full about 3/4's of the way through, but it was one of those meals you couldn't let go to waste so we licked our plates clean even though we were stuffed!
Service was warm and welcoming from the front of the house, to the bartender and our waitress. All were very knowledgeable and willing to describe the dishes/cocktails to help make choices. Overall it was a well rounded fantastic experience, one of those places you will just want to eat your way through the menu. The hype is definitely deserved!