Kantoke restaurants are a fairly new but popular feature of Chiang Mai, combining great food with cultural entertainment. Kantoke restaurants get their name from the low tables on which the food is served, called Kantoke in Thai. Diners sit on the floor, propped up by sumptuous cushions, and sample a variety of unique northern dishes. Accompanying the traditional food is a performance of traditional Lanna (northern Thai) music and dance.
Dancers weave intricate patterns in the air with their hands and describe complex circles of movement with their feet. The music is haunting and soothing at the same time and visitors often feel as if they've been transported back through the centuries to the height of the Lanna Kingdom of old.
