Tawan's introduce a range of fabulous new cocktails for everyone to enjoy!

Tawan's has always had a large range of spirits,wine and liqueurs to allow it's customers the widest possible selection. Now these have been combined to create a great mix of cocktails that range from subdued to wild so that whatever mood you are there will be a cocktail to suit.

Two of the simplest but best tasting cocktails are the Long Vodka and the Double Cuba Libre that take basic spirits like Vodka and Rum and give them a refreshing new taste just right for life in Chiang Mai.  The wine cocktail is back in fashion and a great example is the Chiang Mai Cooler with white wine, fruit juice and lemonade while for red wine lovers the Red Hot Summer adds a splash of lime soda and ice to make the perfect warm weather drink.

If you are looking for something unusual then the Revolver is an interesting mix of bourbon, coffee liqueur and orange liqueur with a slice of lime to set it off. While the Espresso Martini uses a chilled shot of fresh espresso, vodka and coffee liqueur for a coffee lovers treat.

This is just a small taste of the cocktails available at Tawan's so why not drop in and relax with a something new or an old favorite. Tawan's is located on the corner of Prachasampan Road and Soi 2 near the night bazzar and can be contacted by phone on 093167 3266 or on email at tawanscornerbar@gmail.com .

How to get the best food in Chiang Mai delivered to your door

Thailand is a fantastic place to get so many different types of food but in almost all cases it does require you to travel to restaurant, street stall or food hall to get what you need. Delivery is a fast growing are and one company, MealsOnWheels4U has been growing over the last six years adding the top restaurants in each category of food that is available.

Tawan's Corner Bar and Bistro has recently become a supplier to MealsOnWheels4U and can be accessed through the normal listing process on the website or via this direct link . This allows us to service our clients and attract new clients without having to worry about providing high quality delivery service. We make sure the food is perfect while MealsOnWheels4U has the properly equipped and knowledgeable delivery driver take care of pickup and delivery.

The next time you feel those hunger pangs but don't want to travel just log in and get the great taste of Tawan's Corner Bar and Bistro without having to leave your home. You can order from 10:30am to 9:30pm every day of the week.

Different coffee styles and how they are made

Coffee is a drink that you can get almost anywhere from Australia to Zimbabwe and be certain that you will get roughly the same thing. While the standard black or white coffee has been available everywhere some other styles are now also becoming popular even in the most unlikely places.

If you have always wanted to try something different but have been unsure what exactly a latte, cappuccino or espresso then you should definitely read on.

An espresso is coffee in its simplest form. Don't be put by its diminutive size it is intensely flavored and includes the first part of a coffee shot pour. Depending on the bean type used and how toasted it is the flavor can vary from strongly bitter to slightly sweet. Many people add sugar to an espresso though milk is not an option. If you like black coffee then you should give an espresso a try and leave the sugar out until you have had a couple of small sips to get a real taste of it with and without the added sweetness.

A latte is a coffee that has had warmed milk added to it giving it soft, light and creamy taste. There are literally thousands of variations. At Tawan's Corner Bar and Bistro they use an espresso shot for maximum flavor without the added water that a standard coffee shot would include. This blends fantastically with the steamed milk. The steaming process converts some of the milk to natural sugars adding sweetness and also increasing the milks volume slightly for lightness. They include a small amount of foam to add a decorative finish which some aficionados frown upon, but adds a nice touch with the cocoa powder dusted on top.

It is vital for the milk to be heated enough for the latte to have the right taste and texture. The common mistake is for people to avoid scalding (overheating) the milk by just warming the milk which does not breakdown the milk releasing the sugars or add lightness to it. Without a thermometer the easiest way is to ensure the milk is kept moving in a metal container and when it is uncomfortably warm then it will be heated enough. Pulling the steam nozzle to the surface as it is turned off will add a small amount of foam perfect for a decorative finish.

The final style of coffee is the famous and much maligned cappuccino that combines a heated milk layer a coffee layer and a foam layer for a fabulous taste and a great look. The process is exactly the same as for a latte except that the milk needs to be foamed through the entire heating process. Traditionally this is done by having the steam nozzle close to the surface where it sucks in air as it injects steam into the milk creating foam. The coffee is added to the cup then a layer of milk and finally a layer of foam that can be formed into shapes or patterns if you wish. A dusting of cocoa powder or cinnamon makes the cappuccino a work of art as well a fantastic coffee!

Jamming and Live Music in Chiang Mai

There is nothing as entertaining as live music and Chiang Mai has a huge number of venues that offer live music for their customers. This includes both Western and Thai music and any style that you can imagine from soft ballads and folk all the way to heavy rock, metal and dance.

While well known venues like Riverview, the Tiger Kingdom,Warm Up and Took's fabulous Brasserie are easy to find there are many other less well know places that offer their on special take on live music. Areas such Moon Muang Soi 1 and 2, Chiang Mai Land and many major hotels have entertainers, singers and DJ's you will appreciate.

One are that has recently become popular is jamming with popular venues such as CU Corner allowing anyone to play or sing during open night sessions and after the regular musicians have finished their sets. This is always a fun time with different people creating something new and exciting.

Tawan's Corner Bar and Bistro also offers live music on Wednesday nights from 5pm until 6:30pm each week with local legend Apple singing old and new favorites. He is very versatile and is very willing to take requests from the audience.

After Apple finishes his set the equipment is always available until closing for people that want to show off their skill, practice with an audience or to just have fun. Sundays from 5pm Tawan's also has an open mic night where everyone is welcome to jam to their hearts content.

 

Getting the most from your coffee

The humble coffee bean has become the way that many people in every part of tbe world start their day. While many people are happy to drink almost any sort of coffee to get their caffeine boost, there is a growing segment of consumers that want premium coffee that has the wonderful bitter but rich flavor that top quality coffee has.

It is mistakenly thought by many people that the only way to get really good coffee is by using an expensive and difficult to use coffee machine. The truth is that coffee is very robust and as long as you use the beans or grounds that you enjoy the flavor of then you can have great coffee.

The greatest problem with all forms of coffee machines is that people and many companies do not keep them clean. The internals need to be kept clean which can be a lot of work. The mechanism and lines need to be flushed after the last cup every day and before the first cup every morning. You might ask why and the answer is that coffee goes bitter and stale very quickly. Many people do not realize that there is always some residue left behind and if not flush can severely degrade the flavor of the coffee made.

Coffee beans are also an area where people become complacent. The beans are delicate vessels that hold the rich coffee taste that we want. Pour ring a weeks worth into the hopper is a guaranteed way to produce week bitter coffee. The beans need to be stored in a cool place in a container that has as little air as possible. This helps by stopping the oils from evapoieasting and from oxidizing. Oxidizing causes other unpleasant bitter flavor that is the hallmark of poor coffee. Ideally only the amount of coffee that will be used in the day will be added and if you are using ground coffee then this is even more important because the greater surface area and particle size can quickly degrade.

A great tip for getting the best coffee for yourself is to try as many different brands, price points and roasts as possible. Don't be scared of trying esspreso blends because many people enjoy the robust flavor in a standard cup of coffee.

Tawan's uses Boncafe beans because of their consistent quality and freshness. They are a little more expensive but on a per cup basis we believe they are worth it. You can always drop in and see how we make our coffee if you are in Chiang Mai.

The secrets of Tawan's bolognaise sauce

One of Tawan's Corner Bar and Bistro's most popular foods is pasta. This is because it appeals equally to both Western and Thai palettes with its deep rich tastes and filling pasta noodles. Today we would like to share our bolognaise recipe so you can try it at home. It is very simple to make but for the best results it does require a long slow cooking time.

The basic recipe is very versatile and you can tailor it to your specific tastes by removing or adding ingredients.

• 1kg   Peeled tomatoes
• 500g Onions
• 3       Large garlic cloves
• Tsp   Fennel seeds
• Tsp   Black pepper corns
• Tsp   Oregano
• Tsp   Salt
• 80ml Red wine
• 30ml Olive oil

The first step is to make sure that the tomatoes are chopped up well and for a finished sauce that has a more rustic look then a chunkier cut is better. A fine dice on the onions is recommended so that no firm pieces are left in the sauce. The same is recommended for the garlic so that the flavor is cooked in and no large garlic chunks are left in the final product.

Take the onions and garlic and gently sweat them in a pan with the olive oil until translucent. Be very careful not to burn the garlic because this will introduce a bitter flavor to the sauce. Next we take the fennel and black pepper and toast them in a dry pan.When you get the strong aroma you will know that they are ready to be taken off the heat. After they have cooled then crush them up into a fine powder.

We use a ceramic slow cooker to produce large batches of sauce but it can be equally well made in a sauce pan or fry pan. Add the tomatoes, onions, garlic, herbs and red wine and allow to simmer for a few minutes then lower the heat and cover. The salt should be added once the ingredients have had time to combine so that you get a better idea of the amount of seasoning that is required. Do not be frightened to add small amounts of salt several times instead of one large amount. A great tip is to stir the pot and take a teaspoon full of sauce that is the popped onto some bread to taste. This gives you a much better idea of how the sauce will when added to the pasta.

Generally we cook the sauce out for six to ten hours and the longer the better. If the sauce is more watery than you would like you can slightly open the lid to reduce it slightly. A great way to add an extra rich tomato flavor is by adding some tomato paste that will combine with the fresh ingredients well.

The quantities quoted in this recipe will make six to eight generous portions and not only is freezing possible but it is highly recommended. The freezing, thawing and second cooking really take the sauce to a new level and it keeps for months in a food grade plastic bag or container.

If you would like to try this great dish or any of our pasta range the just come into Tawan's Corner Bar and Bistro and we will give you a meal you well really enjoy. We are located on the corner of Prachasamapan Road and Soi 2 Prachasampan in Chiang Mai.

Tawans Corner Bar has new neighbours!

All the staff would like to thank our loyal customers for braving the current situation in Thailand and helping us to keep our doors open and our staff busy. We are open from 8am every morning to 10pm and will resume our later opening hours as soon as possible.

We have new neighbors that have moved in two doors down and opened a fantastic bakery that specializes in traditional British Pies and Sausage rolls. They have a great range and also bake sweet pies as well. They are located on Soi 2 Prachasamphan Road and can be accessed from Chang Klan Road or Prachasamphan Road for your convenience.

If you would like to contact the staff or owners of Great British Pies their phone number is 094 731 6152. A great new item that they have added to their menu is traditional style Fish and Chips. They are next on our list to try and they look very tasty from what we have seen.

Business Cards

Tawan's Corner Bar finally has business cards and if any wants to take a few to share around just drop in and grab some. They came out great and we really appreciate the hard work that our friends at Ki-Ku Graphics did to produce them for us.

Friday Night Barbecue

Our ever popular Friday night barbecue will be on again this week and we invite everyone out for a great meal at only 249 baht for as much as you would like to eat. We make fresh coleslaw and salad and have a limited quantity of fish available so be early!

Barbecue secrets from Tawan's Corner Bar and Bistro

We pride ourselves on producing high quality tasty barbecue and we have had many customers ask us how we manage to get our barbecued meat tasting so juicy. It is just a case of selecting the best cuts of meat, preparing them well and making sure that it is cooked properly without being overcooked.

Tawan's Corner Bar purchases all its pork and chicken from Makro because we select each piece. This not only means that we can make sure we have the best but also that it is the best size which is vital particularly when barbecuing. While many people like to use thinner cuts because they are easier to cook it makes it also makes it virtually impossible to retain the juices. We try to keep our chicken and pork to at least 10mm and preferably 15mm after it has been manually tenderized.

Yes that is right we beat all of our meat because it allows us to ensure that the thickness is as even as possible. It also improves the penetration of our marinade that then allows the entire piece of meat to be flavored. The combination of marinade and tenderizing make a huge difference and only take a few minutes yet gives a fabulous improvement even to lower quality pieces of meat.

Marinating does not need to be complicated and you can use anything that you have on hand including vinegar, fruit juices or wine as an acidic base while a great way to add an exotic flavor is to use fish sauce or soy sauce instead of salt. Onions, garlic, chillies and tomatoes all help to add flavor and tenderize the meat and even using a very small amount can have subtle but tasty results when you bite into your perfectly cooked meat.

Cooking meat on the barbecue can be difficult if you do not know how to tell if the meat is cooked. The most common result is overcooked meat that is tough and chewy. The first pro tip is to take your finger and poke the meatiest part of your cheek. That soft squishy feeling is very similar to uncooked or undercooked meat, be it beef, pork or chicken. Compare that to the meaty area between your thumb and first finger that when poked has a slightly springy feel.

When cooking the meat it is important to poke it with your finger to feel as it gradually cooks. We would recommend that when you think the meat is ready ie starting to spring pack when poked that you cut into the meatiest part and check to see that it is not pink for chicken or pork  slightly pink from medium beef. It is important to remember that the meat will not stop cooking once it is taken off the heat so always take that into account for the best results.

The last pro tip is to ALWAYS rest your meat. It doesn't matter what meat it will hugely benefit from either resting under some aluminum foil or as we do at Tawan's in a warm oven at 100 to 120 degrees centigrade. We do this in the restaurant as a final quality control step where each portion is check to make sure it is cooked properly before being added to the serving area.

• Thicker cuts
• Tenderize
• Marinate
• Do not under or overcook
• Rest the meat before serving

If you are near Prachasamphan Road in Chiang Mai on a Friday night the you can see our barbecue in action. You can call us on 093167 3266 or email us at tawanscornerbar@gmail.com .

Enjoy our great new Happy Hour promotion!

It has been a busy time at Tawan's Corner Bar and Bistro with a great turn out to our Friday night barbecue. We have been looking for some ways to give our regulars a reward and also attract new costumers to Tawan's. The result has been the introduction of Happy Hour between 5pm and 6pm every afternoon.

In an effort to make it as simple as possible we have included our entire beer range in the promotion. This means that for any beer ordered between 5pm and 6pm you will get a second absolutely free. You can have small or large bottles so that whatever beer you like to drink you can have it the way you want it.

We have expanded our beer range so now we not only have Singha, Leo, Heineken and Chang in small and large bottles but also have Chang Export, Chang Draught and Tiger in large bottles. We also have San Miguel Light in small bottles.

So why not come by and enjoy a cold beer at great Happy Hour prices!!   

What a week at Tawan's !

This week has been a whirlwind with lots of little niggles happening and lot's of new faces trying out Tawan's Corner Bar and Bistro for the first time. We have received a favorable response from everyone so far  and have reconnected with some old faces as well.

The Friday night barbecue will be a regular feature and last Friday's was a great night. We marinate fresh pork and chicken then barbecue on our own charcoal grill. It is a set price so you can have as much barbecue, sausages, coleslaw, potato salad and bread as you want all for a set price of 249 Baht.

Now that our hard working staff have gained some experience we will be introducing a Happy Hour from 5:00pm to 6:00pm every evening. We have talked long and hard about the best way to give our loyal customers a great way to start the evening while also interesting new people that have heard about Tawan's Corner. What we have come up with is a simple two for the price of one deal on our entire beer range. This means you have a huge range to choose from and applies to big or small bottles. We have also added large Tiger Beer to our range so you now have even more choices.

We always enjoy our customers feedback both positive and negative and you are always welcome to email us here at tawanscornerbar@gmail.com with any questions, request or comments so that we can make your experience even better.

Opening Party on the 4th May 2014

It was a great evening with new and former clients coming together and having an enjoyable time right into the wee small hours. We would like to thank everyone who attended and the great music provided by our two great friends that entertained everyone.

We are opening today, the 6th and will be serving breakfast all day so if you need a start to your day you get it no matter what time it is. The menu has some Italian influence with all sauces made from scratch on the premises as well as chicken and pork steaks.  An all Aussie beef burger and a range of Thai foods round out our offerings.

The great guys at Chiang Mai Gourmet supply all of our sausages, ham, bacon and 100% Australian beef burgers so you know you will be getting the best quality available. Along with the great food we have a full range of beers wine and soft drink available. Quality white and red wines are served with our 1 litre carafe special at only 399 baht representing great value.

Coffee is an important part of our business and we have a professional Secco machine that allows us to produce fine coffee with lattes, cappuccinos, espressos as well as iced coffee and iced chocolate. We only use quality Dilmah tea, Dutch Cocoa and BonCafe coffee beans for the best results.

We are located on the corner of Prachasamapan Road and Soi 2 Prachasampan in Chan Klan, Chiang Mai about 500 metres from the Night Bazaar. Our phone number is +66 (0)931673266 and we can be emailed on tawanscornerbar@gmail.com . Capacity is 35+ people and we have an exclusive air conditioned VIP room with comfortable couches and a complete entertainment system for your next event or party.