This month, our The Art of the Snack takes us to Thailand at Meliá Chiang Mai’s - Mai Restaurant & Bar. We took some time to sit down with Executive Chef Suksant Chutinthratip (Billy) to find out more about this restaurant, Chef Billy’s background, the ambiance of this eatery, and what we should order when we’re at our next visit there!

ATHLEISURE MAG: Before we delve into

Mai Restaurant & Bar, can you tell us a bit

about the neighborhood and the Meliá Hotel

in Chiang Mai that this restaurant is in?

CHEF SUKSANT CHUINTHRATIP BILLY: Chiang Mai is one of Southeast Asia’s most exciting culinary destinations because it brings together nature, agriculture, and centuries of food culture. Surrounded by mountains and forests, the region produces exceptional seasonal vegetables, herbs, fruits, Arabica coffee, and tea. It is also home to rich Lanna culinary traditions and many ethnic communities whose recipes have been passed down through generations.

Today, Chiang Mai has become a vibrant food city where traditional street food, family-run restaurants, and Michelin-recognized dining exist alongside innovative chef-driven concepts that celebrate local ingredients.

Soaring over the Ping River and bustling Night Bazaar, our hotel is situated on the lively Charoen Prathet Road, Meliá Chiang Mai is located six kilometers from the Chiang Mai International Airport, near an array of tourist attractions. These include the Old Town with its ancient most and red-brick walls, the city’s oldest temple Wat Chiang Man, and the scenic Ang Kaew Reservoir. The elephant rescue center Elephant Nature Park, the stunning Mae Ya Waterfall, and UNESCO’s latest biosphere reserve Doi Chiang Dao are also within close proximity.

With a design that pays homage to contemporary aesthetics and Chiang Mai’s charming history and culture, Meliá Chiang Mai is housed in a 22-floor tower fronted by an adjoining seven-floor podium building. Our hotel’s dining landscape features restaurants Mai Restaurant and Bar and Laan Na Kitchen, bars MAI The Sky Bar and Tien Pool Bar, and lounges Ruen Kaew and The Level Lounge; the latter a 21st-floor executive lounge with panoramic views of the city. Other top-notch facilities include Meliá’s signature YHI Spa with seven treatment rooms, a fully equipped fitness center, picture-perfect swimming pool, ballroom, four other meeting spaces, and a kids and teens club.

Mai Restaurant & Bar is located on our 21st floor, offering guests panoramic views of the city and surrounding mountains, including famed Doi Suthep Temple on the mountaintop to the west. It’s a wonderful setting where visitors can experience contemporary Thai cuisine inspired by Northern Thailand while enjoying the comfort and hospitality of an international luxury hotel.

AM: What can you tell us about the ambiance and aesthetic of Mai Restaurant & Bar that guests can expect when they come in to dine?

CHEF SCB: Mai Restaurant & Bar was designed to offer a modern fine dining experience that feels elegant yet approachable. The restaurant combines contemporary architecture with subtle Thai influences, creating a warm, intimate atmosphere rather than a formal one.

Being located on the 21st floor gives our guests spectacular panoramic views, especially during sunset and in the evening when Chiang Mai begins to light up. Every detail from the lighting and interiors to the personalized service is intended to create a memorable dining experience.

Adjacent to the hotel’s executive lounge, and tucked under the highest rooftop bar in the city, the 38-seat Mai Restaurant & Bar is a visual marvel. Diners enter the venue under an arch that pays homage to a nearby temple. In a salute to Chiang Mai’s Bo Sang Umbrella Village, large lit installations of umbrella ribs cling to the ceiling. Various artworks of umbrella canopies hang on the walls, such as those made from antique Chiang Mai textiles. The carpet’s concentric patterns, in the likes of gun-metal gray, periwinkle and soft amber hues, reference umbrella tops in a striking yet subdued way.

AM: Tell us about yourself as a chef as well as where you trained and kitchens you worked in prior to coming to Mai Restaurant & Bar.

CHEF SCB: I’ve been fortunate to build my career across several leading hotels and restaurants throughout Asia and Oceania. Before joining Meliá Chiang Mai, I served as Executive Chef at Hotel Nikko Bangkok, Rayong Marriott Resort & Spa, and Courtyard by Marriott Bangkok. Earlier in my career, I also worked with The Peninsula Bangkok, Raffles Hotel Singapore, SKYCITY Auckland in New Zealand, and Lotus One Restaurant in Dubai.

I’ve had the privilege of representing Thai cuisine through food festivals and culinary exchange programs in countries including Spain, Italy, Norway, China, Vietnam, Hong Kong, and the Dominican Republic. These experiences have broadened my perspective while reinforcing the importance of preserving authentic Thai flavors.

I’m especially passionate about sustainability and supporting local communities. Earlier this year, I was honored to receive the Green People Award 2026 for my work with the Chiang Mai Green Kitchen initiative, promoting seasonal ingredients, supporting local farmers, and mentoring the next generation of chefs. Earlier in my career, I also received a Gold Medal at the Norge Mystery Net Seafood Contest organized by the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Bangkok.

AM: What is the cuisine that is found on this menu and what are the ingredients and spices that are associated with this cuisine?

CHEF SCB: Our cuisine is contemporary Thai, inspired by traditional recipes while embracing modern cooking techniques and presentation. We focus on highlighting Thailand’s incredible regional ingredients, especially those sourced from Northern Thailand.

Guests will find familiar Thai flavors created with fresh herbs and spices such as galangal, lemongrass, kaffir lime, turmeric, coriander, Thai basil, mountain chilies, and aromatic curry pastes.

Sustainability is at the heart of our philosophy, so we work closely with local farmers, artisans, and producers to ensure every ingredient is fresh, seasonal, and responsibly sourced to make the overall food system more resilient. Our ‘360° Cuisine’ program promotes healthy and sustainable eating based on ‘farm to plate’ and ‘plate to farm’ processes. Each dish from our restaurant’s seasonal menu is prepared à la minute from an open kitchen. Every dish reflects the people, ingredients, and traditions of Northern Thailand while presenting them through a contemporary lens.

Our ‘farm to plate’ efforts, sourcing organic produce that travels only a short distance to our hotel and using every part of each ingredient we can – roots, leaves, stems, stalks and more – come full circle with ‘plate to farm’ whereby we return food waste back to the farm as fertilizer in a truly 360° concept. Leftover cooking oil is sent to be recycled into biodiesel. The 360° Cuisine program is also designed to give guests peace of mind about where their food comes from.

AM: What are three appetizers that we should consider when coming in with friends and family?

CHEF SCB: I would recommend beginning with these three dishes:

Mai’s Samplers – A collection of our signature bites including glutinous rice cake with caramelized turnip, citrus tuna roll, shrimp in egg net, rice cracker with spicy tomato relish, and blacktail chicken sausage.

Hoi Shell Samunprai – Hot seared deep sea scallops served with aromatic herbs, dried chili drops, and crispy turmeric chips.

Yum Puu Nim – Soft-shell crab and pomelo salad with paddy field crab jus, wing beans, and toasted sesame.

AM: What are three soups that you suggest?

CHEF SCB: Gaeng Sor Me Phak Waan Baan – A delicate consommé with dried redtail catfish, seasonal mushrooms, and locally sourced greens.

Tom Saap Karieng – A vibrant hot and sour soup with mountain chili paste, baby pork ribs, and young tamarind leaves.

Tom Kha Gai – Coconut cream soup infused with galangal, chicken, wild chili paste, and fresh young coconut.

AM: For rice and noodle dishes, what are three that you suggest?

CHEF SCB: Khao Buri Gae – Cigarette-style biryani rice with safflower, lamb, and mint yogurt.

Kua Mee Moo – Fermented noodles wrapped in lotus leaf with pork neck, dark soy, and pickled cabbage.

Kanom Jeen Nam Prik Goong Pao – Fermented rice noodles with seared tiger prawns, aromatic curry sauce, and fresh garden herbs.

AM: When we think about a main course, what are three that we should have in mind?

SCB: Salmon Nam Prik Oung – Baked salmon with Northern Thai Nam Prik Oung relish and fragrant pandan rice.

Kaeng Hang Le Kra Dook Moo – Hang Le-style pork rib curry served with poached pear and pickled vegetables.

Kua Haam Gai Benja – Slow-cooked chicken roulade stuffed with Sai Oua sausage and finished with lemongrass foam.

AM: To end the meal, what are three desserts or fruits that we should be thinking about?

CHEF SCB: Lum Yai Pudding – Organic longan pudding with butterscotch sauce and coconut ice cream.

Kanom Thai Set – A treasure box of miniature Thai desserts including Luk Chub flowers, sweet Khao Soi, and Thai tea mousse.

Khao Niew Turian – Sticky rice with premium durian.

AM: What are three cocktails that we should think about pairing with our meal?

CHEF SCB: Bosque – Whisky, cinnamon, cranberry juice, lime, honey, and pasteurized egg white.

Jao Phraya – Phraya rum, fresh ginger juice, lime juice, and honey.

El Agave – Tequila, triple sec, pineapple juice, aloe vera juice, lime juice, and agave syrup.

AM: Tell us about Chiang Mai Green Kitchen farmers and why this relationship is so important to Mai Restaurant & Bar.

CHEF SCB: Through the Chiang Mai Green Kitchen initiative, we work closely with ethical farmers and producers who grow chemical-free, seasonal ingredients. It’s no easy feat to operate a chemical-free farm and it’s more expensive to support sustainable agriculture. Yet we believe it’s crucial to engage directly with local farmers, producers, professors and health sector professionals to create a unique connection within the community that ultimately benefits the health of our guests, our community and our environment.

One of our valued partners is Rong Khum Farm, founded by Chiang Mai University Professor Dr. Puangrat Kaewlom, whose research focuses on sustainable agriculture. Such partnerships allow us to serve fresher ingredients while helping strengthen local farming communities and encouraging environmentally responsible food production.

When guests dine with us, they’re also supporting the people who grow the ingredients behind every dish.

Also, in addition to working with farmers, we also work with universities to educate and train upcoming generations of hospitality professionals about sustainable farming, culinary and waste management practices. Culinary students from Suan Dusit University in Lampang, Chiang Mai University and Rajamangala University of Technology Lanna Tak study, and experience in action our ‘360º Cuisine’ concept. We have also hired some of the students upon graduation who share our passion for sustainability.

AM: Are there any upcoming events that you would like to share that we should know about?

CHEF SCB: I’m honored to serve as Event Coordinator for the upcoming Chiang Mai Chefs Charity: Chef to Farm, taking place on 8 August 2026. The event brings together chefs, local communities, farmers, and food lovers to celebrate sustainable agriculture while raising funds for elderly local farmers who are bedridden and in need of support. Participation begins at THB 599 per person, and every contribution support elderly local farmers who are bedridden and in need of assistance. It’s a meaningful way for our culinary community to show gratitude to the people whose hard work makes our profession possible.

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PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | Mai Restaurant & Bar