The Gigantea

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Address: 300 Changmoi Rd, T. Chiangmoi A.Muang Chiang Mai 50300, Thailand
Phone: 053-233-464
Coordinates: 18.790402, 98.994203

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Cozy and high-end Japanese restaurant near Taphae

FOOD REVIEW BY MICHAEL

GIGANTEA

Delicate Japanese that offers more than just fresh fish

Cuisine: Japanese
Rating: ★★★☆☆
Price indication: a bit expensive; average meal about THB 500 up
Location: Changmoi street, just at the beginning from the moat, on the left
Open: every day

Gigantea is a long-established real Japanese in the heart of town. Run by a mixed Thai-Japanese couple, clearly this is a well-managed restaurant that pays A LOT of attention to sourcing, quality, and small details, like the Japanese do. The raw fish here is trustworthy, from good suppliers, fresh and with good taste and smell, and all dishes are prepared with great care. The ambiance is nice too, feels Japanese, and I like the couple that runs the place.
Small details matter and what I always liked here is that the change you get after paying your bill is always in new bills. For example, if the bill was 840 baht and you pay with a 1,000 baht note, you'll get 3 freshly printed 20 baht notes and perhaps a fresh 100 baht note back.
It's almost as if not only the fish here is fresh, but also the bank notes that you get back in your change.
It simply means they went to the bank and got a lot of new banknotes to give back to customers as a change, which feels really nice, as some banknotes in Thailand are rather filthy (in contrast to Vietnamese bank notes in Vietnam, to say something).
The last time I went here the bill wasn't the cheap and we had a few racks of lamb, which were nice but not fantastic, so usually I stick to my other favourite Japanese because the price is a bit lower there while the food is excellent too.
If you don't mind to spend a bit of money on a dinner, this is a nice place.