last night i went out with a friend of mine who was leaving chiang mai today. so we went out to celebrate, and went to this little cafe he knew of on this quiet side street, called "the yellow bird cafe." a young woman named santhia cooks up random dishes everyday, depending on what she gets from the market, and what she feels like cooking. so it's something different all the time. she's a wonderful cook, and a really great presence. her cafe is just her living room with pillows and mats on the floor, and big double doors fold open into the street, with dishes and drinks written on them in chalk. she only has a few customers a night, but everybody is encouraged to stick around as long as they want.
the dishes take FOREVER. we waited for probably an hour. but in the mean time, we are served pineapple and rum, fresh fruit, spinach and mushroom spring rolls, and plenty of good music. so it's never boring. the food is so hearty and comforting, tons of textures and flavors all crashing together. last night i had some sort of curry, with rice and three kinds of mushrooms, with a myriad of veggies thrown in.
after dinner, we all just sat around, talking and drinking and hanging out. till about 2 AM when the police rode by on motorcycles, and told santhia that she should be closing up for the night. she said okay, and when they drove off, we started packing up. but santhia told us, "i'm just gonna close these doors. you guys are more than welcome to stay as long as you want."
that's some serious hospitality. i've never been to another restaurant where the owner invites random customers to just hang out in her house/cafe as long as they want. we were served some more fruit plates, and some more beers, and everyone helped wash dishes and clean the kitchen.
by the time we were headed out, it was almost 4AM. too late to find a taxi home, and i certainly wasn't riding passenger on a drunken motorbike cruise. so santhia said i could just sleep on the floor. plenty of pillows and mats, she brought out a mosquito net for me, and i was a happy camper.

i woke up at like 11, and realized there was a pretty big mess from everyone hanging out, and my sleeping there. so i started to just pick stuff up, throw out bottles, and straighten out the room. santhia heard me, and came out with a totally confused look, and says "YOU'RE CLEANING? WHY!?"
she insisted on giving me some coffee, and so we cleaned the whole place up. she showed me how to make fried rice with veggies, pineapple, cashews and raisins. while we were making it, two customers showed up, and santhia starts telling me to do things around the kitchen. it was great, i got to work in a restaurant for the morning, in exchange for some cooking lessons and a free meal. i made fresh orange juice, and helped with a papaya salad.

i had a huge pocket of coins when i left, just from spending throughout the week, and she even gave me a little coin pouch to carry them.



i think restaurants and cafes all over the world should take lessons from her.
her place is so cozy and welcoming.
she's leaving the restaurant at the end of the month though, to be with her son. he's 14, and lives with relatives in a town a few hours away. chiang mai is going to lose one of it's greatest hostesses (or people for that matter), i'd say. but more importantly, santhia has had her fun here, and knows that it's time for her to bow out gracefully, to spend her time with the people that she loves. i'll be headed back to that place until it closes, for sure. next time i'll be sure to take my camera. it's one of the most unique places i've ever seen.