Food Fit for a Thai King

Chedi Luang, Umeda and Kitahorie, Osaka

When Chedi Luang opened, 10 years ago, Thai restaurants in Osaka only served Bangkok-style food. “We filled that gap,” said supervisor, Chieko Suzumoto. “Bangkok cuisine is food-stall based, whereas Chiang Mai cuisine is the royal, restaurant-style Khantoke. Neighbouring countries – Laos, Myanmar and China – have an interesting influence on the regional cuisine.” Chiang Mai, located 700 km north of Bangkok, was the capital of the Lanna Thai kingdom in the 14th century and is the cultural centre of Thailand, like Kyoto is to Japan. Elaborate, Lanna Thai-traditional Khantoke meals are served to guests at ceremonies and celebrations on khantoke pedestal trays used as tables, similar in style to Japan’s traditional kaiseki cuisine.

I was first served Nanprik Wannii, a Khantoke-style platter of cucumber, carrots, broccoli, beans and other fresh vegetables eaten with a hot, spicy, tangy sauce (taste before dipping or you will be breathing fire) and a mild, nut sauce. A friend recommended I try the Kung Nangfaoa Chae Nampla. The raw tiger prawns in nampla fish sauce, garlic, chilli and mint looked harmless until I put one in my mouth. Said friend’s head may have “exploded with delight”, but for me it was instant bliss. The remainder on the plate disappeared quickly. Your mouth will be tingling from the spices, so cleanse your palate before you eat on with a glass of Thai wine, Thai beer – Singha and Chang – or tea. I also tried another Chiang Mai specialty, Kao Soi Gai, a Laos-style chicken curry over flat noodles, topped with crispy noodles piled like the stupor for which the restaurant is named, Wat Chedi Luang. Usually yellow, the noodles are green and red for Chedi Luang’s 10th anniversary. This curry is not hot or runny like Thai curries, so season it to taste with lemon, onion, cabbage pickles and chili oil. A popular dish with women is Puu Nim Pad Pong Karii, soft-shell crab stir fried with egg and curry. Of course, Chedi Luang offers popular Thai dishes, too. Their tom yum kung is made with menam sweet river prawns, which have long legs and make a delicious broth.

“Chiang Mai cuisine is healthy, like herbal medicine. It uses ginger that warms the body in winter, peppers, garlic and lemon grass that is good for digestion,” said Suzumoto. “Our Thai chefs at both branches are particular about the spices they use, so we import chilli, coconuts, prawns, curry base and other ingredients direct from Chiang Mai to serve our guests fresh, authentic food. Last year’s floods did affect supply, but it is now back to normal.”

Opened in March 2011, the furniture and the gold interior at the Herbis ENT branch makes you feel royal. The tableware and the objects incorporate designs and patterns for which Chiang Mai is famous. The view of the Umeda Sky Building at night adds to the feeling of occasion, ideal for special occasions, dates or if you want to splurge. Both branches offer a 90-minute lunch buffet serving 15 dishes on weekdays and 20 on weekends and public holidays. They also offer a one-hour all-you-can-drink Heineken Extra Cold beer option for an extra 998 yen. The chefs can adjust the dishes spiciness and to accommodate pescatarians.

Chedi Luang
(English menu and English-speaking staff)

Herbis ENT Branch
Address: Herbis ENT 5F, 2-2-22 Umeda, Kita-ku, Osaka
Access: Umeda Stns (JR, Hankyu, Hanshin, Subway)
Weekdays: 11:30–15.00 (lunch, last order 14:30), 17:30–23:00 (dinner, last order 22.30)
Weekends, Public Holidays: 11:30–16.00 (lunch, last order 15:30), 17:00–23:00 (dinner, last order 22.30)
Closed: when Herbis ENT is closed.
Reservations: 06-6344-6116

Kitahorie Main Branch
Address: 1-17-11 Kitahorie, Nishi-ku, Osaka
Access: Subway Nishi-ohashi Stn 1 minute walk, Subway Yotsubashi Stn 4 minute walk
Weekdays: 12:00–15.00 (lunch, last order 14:30), 17:30–23:00 (dinner, last order 22.30)
Weekends, Public Holidays: 12:00–16.00 (lunch, last order 15:30), 17:00–23:00 (dinner, last order 22.30)
Closed: Monday lunch (open when Monday is a public holiday)
Reservations: 06-6535-1515

Text: George Bourdaniotis, Photos: Courtesy of Chedi Luang. Originally published in Kansai Scene #141, February 2012.

Counting My Blessings - 常に感謝を心に

同業者や異業種の懇親会に参加する内に、友達や仕事仲間、世間が広がります。その時は将来どんな事になるか想像できません。goodspeedとの出会いもその一つ。 楽しい仕事を一緒にしてきたからこそ、先月の旅番組、 CNNGoの現地コーディネートの急な話がきた時、きっと やり遂げられると思いました。短期間でゲスト選定やス ケジュール調整、ロケハン...皆様のお陰でいい仕事がで きました。常に周りに感謝していますが、今回は特に感 謝しています。ありがとうございました! この取材の模様は今月中旬放送される予定です。 お楽しみに!

I attend many professional and business networking events. Over time, I make new friends and business partners, and my network grows. When we meet, neither of us knows what the future holds. Meeting Daisuke at goodspeed was no different. We have worked on some interesting projects together since we met, so when I was contacted to be fixer for the CNN travel program, CNNGo, I did not hesitate to bring Daisuke on board. In the very brief time leading up to the shoot, we searched for guests to appear on the show, slapped together a filming schedule, went location scouting,... Thanks to everyone's cooperation, we got the job done. I always count my blessings, but this time I cannot express how grateful I am for everyone's support. Thank you! I hope readers catch the finished product on CNN, this month.

The Japanese version first appeared in the March 2012 issue of the goodspeed monthly newsletter. 日本語バージョンはグッドスピードレター2012年3月号に掲載されました。 CNN International will first air CNNGo Rebuilding Japan! Rediscovering the Beauty of Japan (Kyoto/Osaka) on March 14 and repeat it in the following weeks. After its premiere, it will be available for viewing on the CNNGo web site. 本番組は3月14日から放送されます。その後、CNNGoホームページでご覧ください。

Leading Kansai Development for 102 years

Newly arrived visitors to Osaka from abroad soon remember the name Hankyu. The name is seen everywhere in Umeda. Hankyu even gave Umeda its name.  Originally a swamp, Hankyu Railway’s predecessor bought the area, filled it in (umeru, in Japanese) and called it Umeda, using the characters for fill and field (埋田). The first character was later changed to the more romantic plum (梅). The area was subsequently developed by Hankyu, with hotels, department stores and shopping complexes in the area bearing the Hankyu name, today.

Established in 1907 by Kobayashi Ichizo, Mino-o Arima Electric Tramway actually began operations with two lines—the Takarazuka and Mino-o lines—on March 10, 1910. In 1918, the company was renamed Hanshin Kyuko Railway, from which the current name Hankyu was derived in 1973. The Kobe Line, which opened in 1920 and was extended to Sannomiya in 1936, was a direct rival to Hanshin Railway, which also operated between Osaka and Kobe. The rivalry continued until Hankyu acquired Hanshin in October 2006 to create Hankyu Hanshin Holdings, Inc.

Hankyu briefly merged with Keihan Electric Railway, another private railway in 1943. When Keihan spilt away in 1949, Hankyu retained what today are the Kyoto, the Senri and the Arashiyama lines. It was the first railway company in Japan to install automatic ticket machines at Kita-senri Station in 1967.

To ensure the company’s prosperity, Kobayashi developed the real estate along its lines. In particular, he established the Takarazuka Revue and the Takarazuka Family Land amusement park, which closed in 2003, to draw passengers for the Takarazuka Line. Today, the real estate along most of the Hankyu lines has a prestigious image, with the real estate north of the Kobe Line between Nishinomiya-Kitaguchi and Rokko Stations being one of the most expensive areas in the Kansai.

Text and photos by George Bourdaniotis. Originally published in Kansai Scene #120, May 2010 as "Leading Kansai development for 100 years".