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Chiang Mai is truly one of the best cities for food in Asia. Its small size means you are never too far away from truly great food. I have visited Chiang Mai many times, I love the atmosphere of the city. It is my favourite place in Thailand. Here is my list of where to eat in Chiang Mai.
Currency Converter – 40THB = €1.08/£0.97/$1.22
Khao Soi Khun Yai
Khao Soi is my favourite Thai dish. The slightly spicy coconut broth, the tender meat, crispy noodles, fresh mustard greens, and lime juice, all come together to make a perfect bowl of noodles. Khao Soi is the regional dish of Chiang Mai, it is sold everywhere and after trying many different places, none have been better than Khun Yai. This small open-air restaurant has mastered this dish. I have eaten here many times over the years and it has remained incredibly consistent. Khun Yai is top of my list of where to eat in Chiang Mai.
Price – Pork/Chicken Khao Soi = 40THB, Beef Khao Soi = 50THB
Opening Hours – 10:00 – 14:00, Monday to Saturday
Address – Located near the North Gate, next to Wat Kuan Kama Temple, Sri Poom Road
Chang Phuak Suki
Chang Phuak Gate, the city’s northern gate has an excellent food market every evening. The most popular of the stalls that are there is Chang Phuak Suki. I first ate here years ago when it was just a cart with a few tables. Over the years it has developed into a much bigger operation. Even with more seats than any of the other stalls, you will have to queue. Their suki has pork, glass noodles, Chinese cabbage and egg, with their slightly spicy suki sauce on the side. You will inevitably be in this area and Chang Phuak Suki is the place to eat when you are there.
Price – 40THB
Opening Hours – 17:00 – 00:00
Address – Chang Phueak Night Market, Thanon Manee Nop Parat, Amphoe Mueang
Khao Soi Islam
As the name suggests, this is primarily a Khao Soi restaurant. The Khao Soi here is decent, but what is a must-eat here is the Khao Mok Neua, Thai Style Biryani with Beef. The beef was amazing. I’m not talking about a couple of small pieces of beef that would be common in other places. This was a huge chunk of tender beef that was literally falling apart. The rice is perfectly spiced and adds a lot of flavour to the meal. Some crispy onions were placed on top to complete the dish.
Price – The Beef Version was 70THB, other meats vary in price
Opening Hours – 07:30 – 17:00
Address – Thanon Charoenprathet Soi 1
Khao Kha Moo Chang Phueak
This street stall at Chang Phuak is very famous. Known as the Khao Kha Moo by the women in the cowboy hat. This is because the owner would always wear a big cowboy hat to keep the above light out of her eyes. Khao Kha Moo is stewed pork leg over rice. I have eaten here many, many times over the years. It seems so simple but this stall seems to do it to a much higher level than any other place in Thailand. It was the most popular place in the market, however, the above-mentioned Suki place has surpassed it. The last two times I was in Chiang Mai, the cowboy hat lady was nowhere to be seen and I felt the quality had dropped a little. It is still really good Khao Kha Moo but maybe just not as good as it once was.
Price – 50THB for large, 30THB for small
Opening Hours – 17:00 – 00:00
Address – Chang Phueak Night Market, Thanon Manee Nop Parat, Amphoe Mueang
Khao Soi Mae Sai
A close second to Khao Soi Khun Yai. The Khao Soi at Mae Sai is a little spicier but the broth is still incredibly good. During the lunch hours, this restaurant gets really busy and you will have to wait for a table, because of this I recommend timing your visit to just before this time. Mae Sai has been recognised by the Michelin guide with a Bib Gourmand award, a testament to how good it is.
Price – 50THB
Opening Hours – 08:00 – 16:00, Closed on Sunday
Address – 29, 1 Ratchaphuek Alley, Tambon Chang Phueak
Kuay Chap Sam Ka Sat
Crispy Pork remains one of my favourite things to eat in Thailand. Sam Ka Sat has some of the city’s best. Primarily a Kuay Chap restaurant, I often found myself eating pork and rice because of the delicious thick sauce that covered it. This old-school restaurant is in the centre of Chiang Mai’s old city, making it such a convenient place to enjoy a cheap meal.
Price – 100THB
Opening Hours – 07:00 – 15:00
Address – 17/2 Jhaban Rd, Si Phum Sub-district
Huen Muan Jai
Thai food is very regional and northern Thai food goes much further than the famed Khao Soi. This beautiful, traditionally designed restaurant has a large menu of soups, curries and fried dishes all from the north of Thailand. Their Gaeng Hang Lay, a traditional northern curry and their appetising place pictured below are two of the must-tries. Tong Tem Toh is another famed restaurant of a similar style in Chiang Mai.
Price – The average price per dish is 100THB
Opening Hours – 11:00-15:00, 15:00-21:00, Closed on Wednesday
Address – 24 Ratchaphuek Alley, Tambon Chang Phueak
Koyi Chicken Rice
Chicken Rice is a simple dish that you will find all over Thailand. Often it is the freshness of the meat that makes the difference between a good and bad restaurant. Koyi in the Nimman area is possibly the busiest in the city, meaning guarantees fresh chicken. Chicken Rice is not the most exciting meal you will have but it is an absolute staple of Thai cuisine and a must-try when you are there.
Price – 55THB
Opening Hours – 08:00 -14:30
Address – Siri Mangkalajarn Rd Lane 13, Tambon Su Thep
Neng Earthen Jar Roast Pork
This open-air restaurant on the edge of the city is famous for there unique cooking style. Outside the restaurant is a line of huge clay jars where they roast their pork and chicken. The result is a delicious smokey flavour and the pork especially becomes super crispy. They have many other common Thai dishes on offer but their meat is what makes this place worth a visit.
Price – 70THB for Crispy Pork and Rice
Opening Hours – 10:30 – 20:00
Address – Chang Wat, Chiang Mai
Yong Congee
Congee is a rice porridge typically served with side dishes that include soups, fried meats, vegetables and seafood. Yong Congee on Suthep Road gets packed every evening as locals come here to enjoy their delicious food. This place is a little off the beaten track and you can expect to be the only tourist there. They do have menus in English though, and the food is worth the walk.
Price – Each dish costs approx 50THB
Opening Hours – 16:00 – 00:00
Address – Suthep Rd, Tambon Su Thep
Rod Yiam Beef Noodle
Beef Noodles are one of the most comforting Thai dishes. The tender meat and the smell of the rich broth are the main draws to this always-busy traditional restaurant. There are other branches around the city, run by the founder’s son but I always prefer to visit the original location run by the founder who has served some of the city’s best noodles for decades.
Price – 100THB
Opening Hours – 09:30 – 20:00
Address – 26 Nimmana Haeminda Rd Lane 11, Tambon Su Thep
Malee Noodle
Just inside the city’s west gate is the open-aired noodle restaurant, Malee Noodle. Their menu consisted of a huge amount of different noodle dishes but what you want here is their Khao Kluk Kapi. This unique plate of food is one of Thailand’s most flavourful. A mix of rice, pork, mango, cucumber, chilli, fried shrimp and egg, the huge combination of very different flavours works together to make one of the best meals you will have in Thailand. The best I have had is at Malee Noodles, it is always fresh and the pork is cooked in a thick sauce that really adds to the dish. I would love to try their noodle dishes next time I am there, if they are as high a standard then Malee Noodles would be one of my favourite restaurants in Thailand.
Price – 60THB
Opening Hours – 08:00 – 20:40
Address – QXRH+295 Unnamed Road Mueang Chiang Mai District
Brownie YeeSib
A special mention has to go to the small takeaway brownie shop in the Nimman area, Brownie Yeesib. Selling just 8 types of brownies at a time, they are always fresh and always delicious. If you are looking to indulge just a little bit, this place is the best value sweet treat in Chiang Mai.
Price – 20THB
Opening Hours – 09:00 – 21:00
Address – 35/1 Nimmana Haeminda Road Lane 9, Tambon Su Thep
Cafes in Chaing Mai
Chiang Mai has a really great cafe culture. They all tend to offer similar things so I won’t go into detail individually but below is a list of my favourite cafes in the city and a link to their google page
Want to read more about Chiang Mai, click here.
To read my full travel guide for Thailand, click here.
If you are visiting Chiang Mai, then you are sure to be visiting Bangkok, here is my list of the best things to do there!
Here is also my full Bangkok Travel Guide
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