Hey everyone good morning hope you're having an amazing day. It's mark wiens, i'm in the small, peaceful town of mesarian, which is in the southern part of mehongsan province, which is in northern thailand near the border of myanmar and this city. I just love the relaxed pace. The friendly people, the natural beauty and the freshness of this - it's not really a city, it's more like a town, but it is an awesome place and i'm excited to be here today.

We're gon na go on a food tour of mesarian we're going to go around we're going to start at the market this morning. We're going to explore, see what there is to eat, see some of the ingredients and then we're definitely going to be eating. Some special type of khalsa and then also some very legendary something you have to eat when you come here, is the smashed meat and so in this video uh we're gon na walk around we're gon na explore mesarian and i'm gon na share all of the delicious Food with you in this video so welcome to the maine morning, food market in mesarian. We're going to begin the food tour here, we're going to walk around we're going to especially see some of the ingredients.

I have no idea what's available to eat or, if there's anything but we're just gon na walk around and begin now our exploration of mesarian so step into the market. Immediately, you can see some of the ingredients, the discs of tua now, which are fermented beans. There's dried chilies, it's extremely laid back, not too busy, but this is the the indoor section i think. Maybe if we get to the more outdoor section, there will be a little bit more uh going on and there are some definitely some unique ingredients that i haven't seen in other parts of thailand or never seen myself before, including this flower.

This is going to begin. Our tour of mesarian and she said it's related or it looks like a galangal plant, a little bit sour, oh, very, very fragrant, kind of floral, a little bit ginger man, natural medicinal hello, a little bit. Spicy too. We just found an auntie selling some of the fish i was hoping to see which, in thai it's called salawin the salween river, which is on the border between me hongsan in this area and myanmar, and so these fish are from the salawin river.

She also has some frogs. She has some crickets. She has some wild boar. She has a nice selection of proteins.

All the people we've met so far. The market they're so friendly, so nice uh, but we were talking with one of the aunties and she said we're here kind of late, we're here at 7 00 a.m and we're here too late, uh. Normally the market starts at 3 a.m. That's when it's fully going a little bit on the early side, but at least it's really cool to walk around to see the ingredients.

How lush the mountains are here, with all the ingredients with herbs with wild chilies and herbs and vegetables and banana blossoms and jackfruits. Now, my okay, so next up to try mainly she specializes in tua now which are fermented soybeans or rotten soybeans, especially a common taiya or a shan food oftentimes. You see the discs, which are the dried version, but this is well that's still fermented but fresher version where the whole soybeans are whole. You can eat it as a dip for rice.

You can eat it with vegetables or you can just eat it straight as a snack getting your ponyo. It smells a little like shrimp paste, oh wow, that is just a burst of layers of salty umami. Some people do compare it to natto, which are the japanese fermented soy beans that you kind of whip into a sticky, oozy paste. This is not quite as oozy or sticky or gummy, but you do start to taste that to feel that texture coming through, but just the layers of flavor, the fermentation, the salt.

You taste the galangal, the chili's in there it's like so packed full of fermented layers of flavor you're, almost getting to a strong kind of spreadable cheese with that is here in the section of the market, just with a basin full of the fermented soy beans mixing With herbs mixing with spices, mixing with salt and then wrapping them into leaf leaf packets to go it's just a burst of flavor, though oh man, you could just tell how good it would be with any type of rice walking around the morning market in mesarian. It has been a fantastic experience and definitely worthwhile, but i did discover that it's mostly fresh ingredients and wholesale ingredients. So there's not a lot to eat on spot, so we're gon na head out and we are gon na go directly to a restaurant, an auntie who is famous for her kausai really quickly before we go to eat. Khao soi we're gon na stop by one of the iconic burmese temples.

It's right in this area very close, walking distance welcome to wat dong soon, which is a burmese, shan or taiyai temple uh buddhist temple, which was built in 1896, and it's known for its series of cds, which are again in burmese, shen style. The highlight of this temple are the ancient stupas the chedis and then, if you continue walking to the back, you'll get to watsi, which is another burmese. Shan temple really decorative, really ornate, roofing structures and all the different layers and triangular geometric patterns really beautiful. To see.

Okay, we're on our way next to go. Eat kasaei, but something that is just already standing out to me about mesarian is just the natural beauty of this amazing city. It's okay! It's not really a city! Again, it's more like a town. It is a town or like an oversized village that grew into a small town.

We are just surrounded by nature here and it's so spectacularly beautiful. Welcome to khao soi badang. This is an amazing little family restaurant in the backyard tucked away in the neighborhood uh off the main street in mesarian, and it's so laid back. It's you can just tell you're eating in auntie dang's home in her backyard.

They rotate different dishes depending on the day of the week uh, but i definitely came here to try their kasoy and i want to try their namnyo as well for the khalsa. They have it all at the front uh, which is noodles, which are usually wheat, noodles, and then she puts that into the bowl and then the curry, the chicken curry, the khasi chicken curry, is at the front, and that goes on top. And then the fried noodles go on top of that it is a beautiful bowl of khalsa that looks that just smells as soon as you open that pot. You can smell the aroma of those spices in that curry and i love the the tables which are just set out uh.

Within the i mean this is the backyard of auntie ding's house. The condiments are all communal, all self-service, the bowl of khao soi, oh man that looks incredible um. I love the the crunchy fried noodles on top the yellow egg noodles on the bottom. She gave like three big pieces of chicken there's a lot of chicken in there.

You can see immediately that the curry is not extremely thick. It's not extremely rich, it's not extremely heavy on the coconut cream, but just a little to make it a little thicker and richer, but not not overly so, and then you just see a little bit of a swirl of oily flavor floating on top as well. Okay, let's just first taste that cream sauce before adding anything: oh wow yeah - that is amazing. It has this immediate tart sweetness to it, and then you do taste spice to it immediately.

Chili and also the almost masala blend of spices, coriander seed, cumin and almost a sweet, cinnamon taste to it too. Oh man, that is, that is wonderful. Okay, we'll be better with all the seasonings i mean kawasa is made for seasoning, but it's already a great sign. When the khao soi is delicious without adding anything to it, yet a little bit of chili goes in squeeze of lime.

Other condiments uh you've always got to have some pickles pickled mustard greens, maybe a little bit more shallots. I love the shallots and some chopped. I believe this is coriander and also green onions. In here there we go, and now we are ready, really really ready to start this khalsa party in in in the bowl mix it up with the chili with the the noodles and immediately you start to see that color change stir that around get all those chilies Flowing get the herbs mixed in all right: let's try it now the noodles and i can already tell i immediately love their noodles here too, fresh, yellow wheat noodles with those noodles, the soft silky texture of the noodles, and then you've got the crunch of the fried Noodles as well so two textures that squeeze of lime to balance out to increase that acidity, the extra chili smoky heat, just even the fragrance of the coriander, makes it spectacular - and i like this version, especially because it's rich, but not overly rich, not overly heavy.

On the coconut milk, and yet you really do taste that dry spice flavor the coriander seed, mainly in there a little bit of cumin turmeric the spices coming nicely and then balanced with this beautiful tart and sweet taste. That's a superb bowl of curry noodles and on that bite i just happen to notice the fried chilies, a great addition: the wing, drumstick and i'll rehydrate it fully wow chicken just slides off the bone, it's so ultra tender, but not mushy, and it's just absorbed all That curry, that's really a spectacular bowl of cauliflower, all the components coming together in a perfect harmony and then every now and then you chomp and then every now and then you get a you get lucky with a cube of shallot, which again just gives you crunch. Just that overwhelms your mouth with that shallot oniony taste to it, oh man, it's so good and those little fried chilies that is a burst of heat and then towards the bottom of the bowl. It starts to get so thick everything coming together, all the spices, all the ingredients, you added all the seasonings.

That is outstanding, that oh man, that is just there's so much flavor in this bite, there's a spectacular bowl of khao soi wow. Oh they make everything. This is the kitchen, this is the restaurant, so it literally is chef's table kind of slow, releasing the curries for the day. The chicken khalsa curry is ready and that's what we came to eat, but that was the first dish.

That's ready, but now cooking up almost finishing the pork khao, soi curry and then there's also the okay. I think we got to try the num neo next new door. She dishes out the kanum jean the rice, noodle senchi dishes out the the which is very tomato based lots of tomatoes in there, especially the sour tart tomatoes is what makes it then there's pork bones in there there's pork blood jelly there's the duck new, which are Those the bomb backs, flowers, which is also another essential ingredient in this dish. Finally, she tops it with two spoons full of fried garlic everything she makes herself to the condiments.

And additionally, you can see that the it's very water based it's very thin, but it's gon na be just loaded with a tarp flavor and additionally, when it comes to kanamji namnio, although it is very northern thai and you'll find it across northern thailand. It's one of the dishes that represents northern thailand. It has its origins in shan or taiyai cuisine. We could just smell the tartness of those tomatoes: oh wow, yes, simple, warm and comforting, and just like it.

Actually, although it is pork based well tomato based, pork based, it tastes so pure and so refreshing and so clean tasting, i think because it's a water-based broth, so it's not heavy, then you've got all the different levels of the tomatoes from the tartness to the sweetness And it's just a deliciously soothing flavor and it doesn't taste complicated at first, but then, when you start realizing all of the different flavors and layers going back in your mouth, you can see the different just how how complicated and how many ingredients do go into this Dish add a few of these fried chilies, and these chilis are amazing, coriander and green onions. Bean sprouts auntie says, if you, like sour, add a squeeze of lime and for this bite i got a whole bombax flower love it with that extra acidity from the lime. Those chilies i'm loving how simple her num now it tastes more simple, more just like home-cooked than other versions that i've had and again i have to emphasize the fact that it's very light very refreshing. It's the total opposite of thick and rich.

Oh, oh man, they're! So nice so incredibly friendly, they even gave us some snacks to try on the way out like a a wafer with some sesame seeds in it uh but yeah. That is just straight up going to auntie's house for lunch for a bowl of khalsa from here. We are going on our way to eat lunch at what is probably the most famous, the most well-known of all restaurants in mesarian, where they pound your meat with a hammer. Literally as soon as you arrive to this meat palace, you will smell the aroma.

You will see the smoke rising and it's just that all familiar aroma of smoky grilling meat that no matter how much you smell in your lifetime, it will never get old uh. This is one of the more magical displays of meat on the grill that you will see in thailand. It's as long as a car and spread out between four barrels. The different packets wrapped with meat, smoking, grilling and they've got going, which is the northern thai herb sausage and then in the center of the grill, is probably the highlight of this restaurant.

What it's named for and what it's most famous for, which is the or the which is literally meat, both pork and beef, which is grilled until it's almost crispy until it's almost burnt and then it is hand smashed literally with a sledge hammer or a hammer on A chopping board uh to tenderize it and to give it some just unbelievably smoky meaty texture and that's what they're most known for. But this is a an impressive display of a grill. It is a beautiful thing. Man, talk about a barbecue party in mesarian, pounded the meat, it's not a really violent hammer pound with a sledgehammer.

It's just a low and steady hammer pound with a stanley hammer, and you can just see that meat just smashing underneath it giving way the fibers of the meat pulling apart. Tenderizing that meat, the flavor coming out. That is a beautiful, beautiful thing in the bounciness of the meat, as it comes back, the resistance, the meat resistance and then it goes back out onto the grill sliced up into bite-sized pieces and onto your plate and onto your table ready to eat and as soon As you order, the food comes out extremely fast, because everything is ready. It's just smoking lingering on the girl, just waiting for you to order, and even this house that it's within this building that the restaurant is within.

It's beautiful. It's an old wooden house, the wooden floor, just a classic feel it's almost like the the parallel to the the classic steakhouse and that meat look at the texture of that meat. This is like the advanced level of a really good looking cut of meat. That's bouncy! That's full of texture that looks like it's full of flavor and then we also had to get uh saikwa, which is the northern thai herbal sausage, which they have on coils uh on the grill and then also we got some ab, which is the little leaf packets Banana leaf packets, which are smoking on the grill as well.

They had a variety of them. We got the one with baduk, which is catfish, and then we also got a thumb: sour meat soup. There's dipping sauces. There's sticky, rice, there's vegetables.

What a meat meal i'm gon na start with the beef yeah and just look at that texture. It's so lean! It's literally like steak jerky and it's the type of meat that keeps on giving the more you chew the more flavor you get. So you don't want to chew it fast. You don't want to swallow too quickly.

You want to keep on chewing and the layers of smokiness and that texture, the crunchy edges the softer inside, yet still very strandy, very stringy, almost fibrous when you first put it in your mouth. You're like it, doesn't have a lot of flavor. It's a nice texture, but then, as you keep on chewing as you keep on massaging it in your mouth, the flavor starts to build the juices come out and you really start to get it. Why? It's so good? Why it's so satisfying uh? How an entire restaurant is based around this tough hammer-pounded meat and why it's so extraordinarily popular, oh man, and then, when you swallow you're like okay, i fully understand it is extraordinary.

Okay, i'm gon na dip in the sauce. This time you can see garlic, chilies coriander in there wow you have to dip yum. Jim is amazing. It tastes different from almost anything any other beef dipping sauce.

I've ever had in time. It does have a smoky roasted taste to it, but it tastes like smoked or charred shallots. That's a total guess, though you taste, the the heat of the chili. You've got the coriander in there just salty and spicy, not sweet at all.

Has this thick chunkiness to it, which almost tastes like yeah like caramelized, roasted shallots, that's sauce and then paired with that chewy beef? That's a straight up! Meat, heavenly combination in your mouth! After that bite of pounded beef and the the dipping sauce, there's literally still enough. Flavor in my mouth, i don't need to add anything to that: sticky, rice, okay, let's try the pork i'll, try this piece here, this nice crunchy caramelized piece at the front and once you taste that sauce there's no going back you are. You have to dip every single bite, it's so good that texture. I think the pork is a little more tender than the beef, but it's just as flavorful it's just as smoky the crunchy edges and that's sauce.

There's no way you can choose a flavor between beef and pork. You have to get them both. Okay, maybe try the soup next. That seems like the right thing to do to wash it down.

I think it's beef, the thumbs up. You can just see the thickness of that soup from the melted fat in there yeah, that is rich, that is meaty, so meaty broken down balanced with an acidity from lime juice, again, the coriander in there, the ultra beefiness, and it's so tender too. Next, up for the saiwa, the herbal sausage, the lemongrass, the galangal in there any version of sight. Well, that's more heavy on the herbs and less heavy on the meat is what i love the most and theirs is definitely a good ratio very heavy on the herbs.

Very heavy on the lemongrass, the turmeric galangal there is meat, but it almost is one of those versions of taiwan that almost has a bready texture to it. Crumbly, because there's so many herbs, the paste is so heavy. The minced meat is actually there just to hold together the herb, flavor, so good, oh yeah, and that site was nice and salty too. So you need to chase with herbs fish mint.

I love it. Okay last dish that i ordered is the ab which is catfish made into a packet wrapped in banana, leaves and smoked over the fire and just look how herb heavy it is just a coarse pound of lemongrass of galangal of turmeric. In there the fish, the catfish is probably pounded in there too, oh yeah, i can feel the bones, so you got to be careful of the bones, but just look again how heavy that is on the herbs on the paste on the chunkiness of that wow. Okay, you have to be careful of the bones.

The skin, the fat of the catfish, has just melted into those herbs. It has this acidity too. I don't know if it's only coming from the capri limelight or if there's another herb in there, that's making it acidic green onions, coriander and all wrapped up and sits on the grill. So it gets really smoky as well and it kind of bakes and smokes and grills all at the same time as well as steams, because all of the juices are kept within that package.

Oh yeah so they're actually whole fillets of catfish which are in there just covered by so many herbs that you have to dig around the herb stephen to see the fillets. That is the best kind of way and then you'll want to chase with some more herbs. I'll go for it that completes the bite, the refreshing hit of the coriander, but without a doubt every other dish that you order. That's not the pounded meat, the sausage, the ab, the soup they're all supplementary dishes to the pounded meat.

That is what you come here to eat, and that is what is the star the highlight, the trophy of the meal, and again it's like the first bite you're. Not that impressed. Do you think it's just kind of dried out the more you eat, even a single bite and throughout your meal just the better and better it becomes until you're, just fully addicted you're fully into it. You can't stop and it's just like you're craving for more forever.

I think overall i like the beef best and by the way, i'm not sure if i mentioned the name of the restaurant, but it's called mel luang pen and this restaurant. It goes on the list of the all-star ultimate meat. Restaurants in thailand. We're going to take a little rest this afternoon and then later we're going to go to a temple, that's on the top of the hill and we'll be able to see a view of the city.

So that's what's coming next we're on our way. It was about a 10 minute drive from uh we're we're just on the outs outskirts of mesarian, and this is a temple called especially wanted to come here, because you have to hike up a series of steps to the top of this hill. Where we're going to have a view overview over mesarian, and this begins the ascent that steps up bright, colors because brand new paint they're painting right now, all the way up the side just up the first flight of stairs, but with that fresh layer of paint. What a vibrant contrast to the forest, which is turning brown right now because of the winter season that we're in uh, but let's continue up and it's actually just a very short hike.

But just a little bit of exercise is welcome at this stage after eating. So much meat for lunch ah feels good. The fresh air up here welcome to the top where there is a pagoda where there's a number of shrines and also one of the highlights here is the view over the rice, paddy fields, the river and the town of nesarian and, along with the view, one of The unique parts of this pagoda and of this temple, as i was reading, is that you can see elements architectural styles as well as symbols from the chinese from the thai, as well as from the lana northern thai from here. There's one more restaurant that i want to take you to on this food tour of mesarian but they're.

I they might even be open now, but they are really popular in the morning and i know that they sell out of some of their best dishes by lunchtime. So we're gon na have to wait till tomorrow morning to go there. The food looks amazing and we're gon na go there next, but tomorrow morning it's the next morning and today we woke up bright and early to come to a restaurant. It's called kausai halima, which is a halal restaurant uh.

They specialize in khao soi, but she also has a number of different curries and dishes uh. You can get kamok, which is biryani, oh, which is arriving right now, so we ordered the biryani. We ordered a bowl of khao soi with beef, this time which smells incredibly delicious and then we're also going to get some beef, curry and but just like, with almost every single restaurant every place that you go to in mesarian the pace. The relaxation just the peacefulness of this restaurant is immediately what stands out.

I love they have big spacious, seating, oh yeah, okay and then beef curry has arrived uh. We got ta begin with the khao soi and what she does when she keeps the meat and the khao soi curry sauce separate. So when you order she puts the egg noodles into your bowl, then she scoops on some of the tender beef and you can just see how tender it almost falls. Apart in the spoon she scoops that on then she ladles on the curry sauce which is so aromatic, and then she tops it with some actually in mesarian.

These are like some of the thickest fried noodles that i've seen the richness of that curry, sauce and the tenderness of that beef. Let's just try. Try the curry first before doing anything before seasoning, oh wow, oh yeah, that is spectacular. All the dry spice mixture in there coriander seed the balance of cumin, the sweet, coconut milk, the beefiness - oh, that is a one extraordinary bowl of calcium again and the beef flavor of this one really stands out.

This kasoy is actually extraordinary on its own without even seasoning, but i i won't miss the opportunity to season. Add the pickled mustard greens. Add the shallots got, ta have a squeeze of lime and the chili oil, which also looks extraordinary. Look at the chunkiness of it.

Oh - and you know it's always a good chili oil when there's still stems included. Okay, oh that looks rich and oily and fragrant mix it all around, get that chili flowing get those chunky fried noodles in the mix and those egg noodles and the beef. Oh wow, with that chili oil, with the acidity from the lime juice, another extraordinary bowl. Okay and the curry is so rich and creamy, and i love that dry spice mixture, that's added as well.

The beef just melts in your mouth, yeah, they're, very soft, very silky, noodles, um and then you've got the crunchy, the crunchy texture as well. That is literally approaching the creamy richness of stroganoff, and even with that, squeeze of lime that sourness, like a sour cream that acidity with a coconut milk. It's so rich, it's so thick! It's so ultra flavorful, the next step to try the beef curry, which is a coconut milk based. It's amazing the beef and the eggplant just melts in your mouth and again you really taste the dry spices in there, they're cumin bounce with a sweet, coconut cream and then finally, the the rice, the kamoka biryani i'll, get a little piece of the chicken onto the Rice with some of the some of the sauce really good, too really fragrant, just comforting and warming, and that chicken is so tender.

But i think for sure the highlight my favorite dish is the khao soi, the beef house out here you got ta just like look deep into that curry sauce. It is just extraordinary a little more chili for good measure, but that chili is bumping with heat too kind of like this one of the best i've had wow, that is, that is next level, and so, with that bowl of khalsa that's going to wrap up. That's going to complete our food tour of mesarian, which is i've, come to just thoroughly love and enjoy this small town. People are so incredibly friendly for being such a small town, i mean mesarian is like an oversized village.

It has a density of intensely insanely, good food, a handful of restaurants that will just blow you away with the flavor with the hospitality. So that's going to be it for this food tour mess our young food tour. Again, i want to say a big thank you for watching. Please remember to give this video a thumbs up if you enjoyed it, leave a comment below i'd love to hear from you and if you're not already subscribed, click subscribe and also click the little bell icon and that way you'll immediately get notified of the next video That i published thanks again goodbye from mesarian, and i will see you on the next video.