I was talking to a friend about Chiang Mai and suddenly decided I needed a Gang Hung Lay meal ASAP. I was the only person there at 1;30’ish but the service was quick. The Gang Hung Lay is served with sticky rice and it looked something like the dish I enjoyed so much in CM but it was a bit bland and mild. GHL is not a spicy super hot curry but it is a spicy rich curry with a touch of chili, and the version at Elephant Jumps lacked that richness. Almost no ginger, galangal, chili or tamarind flavor, just sweet palm sugar and a touch of curry powder. Not a bad meal but not what I was hoping for.
So a couple days later I hit the Duangrats Oriental Market (the one next to Rabieng at Bailey’s Crossroads) and went to the back to their little eatery called Zaap. They have Gai Kaprow with Kai Dao (fried egg) but I like the pork version better and asked for it and in this case they were able to sub out the chicken and sub in the minced pork. Love this dish! Both in Thailand and at Zaap it is a simple yet enjoyable dish with layered flavors and the richness of soft fried egg to top it. I also ordered Ping/meatballs but they were only good not really good. For a hole in the wall place it is kind of cool to be able to get a rather good dish at the back of a Thai grocery store. It is actually prepared by the chef/cooks at Rabieng, of course. Well worth visiting again! The Nam Kao Todt/Crispy Rice is probably their best dish but I have had it so many times I have started working my way down their menu a bit further.
