Meliá Chiang Mai’s 360-degree rooftop bar has unveiled a new menu with dishes underpinned by local sustainable and organic farming.
The highest bar in Chiang Mai, aptly named Mai the Sky Bar, is perched on the hotel’s 22nd floor, affording awe-inspiring views of the Ping River to the city’s east and famed Doi Suthep Temple on the mountaintop to the west.
Drawing on Meliá’s Spanish roots, the city’s most happening venue’s new menu serves a variety of tapas and pinchos, grazing boards and desserts under sections dubbed “Para Picar”, “Tableros” and “Postres” respectively.
Crafted by Jartisann’s Original Thai Cheese, from high-quality, locally sourced raw cow’s milk from Chiang Mai, the new menu’s artisan cheese board options include ‘Forest Tail’, ‘Palazzo di Palma’, ‘Ricotta Affumicata’, ‘Saltara Machima’ and ‘San Paquanburie’ paired with coated nuts, dried fruit, grapes and more.
Forest Tail, for example, originates from Chiang Mai’s Hang Dong district. The unique hard cheese was initially created to use leftover curd trimmings. Made from unpasteurized cow’s milk, Forest Tail is aged for a minimum of five months. It shares characteristics with French Tomme, English Cheddar and flavoured Gouda. The ‘Original Flavor’ Forest Tail offers a complex palate; a blend of buttery, fruity, nutty and wine-like flavours.
The new menu’s dishes such as the seasonal fruit platter, and ingredients including the tomato and basil used in, for example, the ‘Tostas Platter’ option of tomato cherry confit and pesto on toast, are sourced from nearby gourmet organic farm SEED as part of the hotel’s ‘360° Cuisine’ program. Sourcing ‘farm to plate’ organic produce that travels only a short distance, under the program as much of each ingredient is used – roots, leaves, stems, stalks and more – in dishes before ‘plate to farm’ food waste returns to the farm as fertilizer in a truly 360° concept.
In addition to cold cuts, the menu features mixed grill skewers, croquetas, fresh summer rolls comprising vegetables in fresh spring roll wrap and sweet tamarind dip, and salmon tiradito with mango passion fruit dressing, avocado mousse and pickled onion. Rich chocolate mud cake with berry compote and biscotti, and a jar of tiramisu with creamy sweetened milk and lady fingers are among the dessert options.
The dishes are designed to be accompanied by the bar’s vast array of spirits, cocktails, mocktails, wines, beers, coffees, signature tea concoctions, smoothies and shakes, fresh juices, and soft drinks.
“Mai the Sky Bar may be one of the loftiest venues in town, but we have a ground up approach when it comes to working with sustainable farmers, cheeseries, honeymakers and more in Chiang Mai to ultimately support sustainable agriculture and healthier eating,” said the hotel’s general manager Marc Selinger.
As part of its “Sunset Chill and DJ Live Sessions” staged every Thursday to Sunday until December 31, 2023, the bar will host a live music band from 6-8pm and resident DJ from 8-11pm. Bands named The Est, Smooth Friday Hey and Ripeye perform each Thursday, Friday and Saturday respectively. DJ Fufu spins the decks every Thursday to Saturday, with DJ Dexter taking over the turntables on Sundays.
To contact Meliá Chiang Mai or to make a booking, email [email protected], call +66 52 090 600 or visit https://www.melia.com/en/hotels/thailand/chiang-mai/melia-chiang-mai/index.htm