On my first night in Chiang Mai, I had Khantoke Dinners & Cultural Shows. Khantoke is a Lanna Thai tradition, not just something invented for tourists' amusement. Thai Lanna was a civilized Kingdom that existed during the 18th - 20th B.E. Centuries in the area of present-day Northern Thailand. King Mengrai was the king who founded the capital and the dynasty. He accomplished and contributed to the prosperity of the kingdom in several aspects especially in political science, Buddhist religion, art and culture. There are several traditions that eventually became northern heritage one of which is Khantoke. Even today khantoke implies dinner or lunch which is offered by a host to guests at various ceremonies or parties, example in the home or weddings, housewarmings, celebrations, novice ordinations, life extensions or funerals. At the temple, celebrations for buildings in a temple's compound namely, bhote, wiharn, sala, Grand Sermons annual festivals such as Khao Pansa, Og Pansa, Loy Krathong, and new year.
The Khantoke Dinners included their traditional soup as appetizer and then The meal is served on a wooden pedestral tray call "Khantoke", and the dishes are all authentic northern Thai delicacies such as Gaeng Hang Lay, a gingery pork curry; the chili-tomato-minced pork dip called Naam Prik Ong, and the crunchy pieces of pork scratching or Kaeb Moo, for dipping into the rich gravy.
While I'm enjoying the meal, there are performances of dance and music. They started with Fon Thiean (Thai Candle Dance) then Ram Dab (Thai Sword Dance) after that followed by dances by ethnic hill tribe group such as Karen, Hmong, Lahu, Akha, Mien and Lisu each in their own distinct dress and traditions and wear their own unique silver ornaments. Some Places have cultural performance from 4 different regions of Thailand. The distinct identities of tradition and the hill tribe groups is the entertainment theme during the Khantoke Dinner.
Feel like a king right? Well there is one hiccup, for 650 Baht, the dancers were keep on repeating and the lady or maybe she men or maybe even transsexual if my eye don't judge them me wrong, they had flat tummies yet they want to show us....
