Chiang Mai has so much to offer, from the serene and hilly landscape, the Elephant Sanctuary, to the beautiful temples (Read my blog about our favorite Chiang Mai Temples here). However, my favorite attraction in Chiang Mai is probably to enjoy the amazing Northern Thai food.

My daughter-in-law has lived for a few years in Chiang Mai and, as a foodie, she knows the best places to eat and best dishes to order. So let me share with you my favorite local food…

As I write this blog, I’m craving for all the delicious dishes and snacks that I have tasted in Chiang Mai!

Best Meal in Chiang Mai

There are so many incredibly appetizing food in Chiang Mai, but my most memorable meal is at a small casual shack. Each dish is prepared in traditional “Lanna” style and is bursting with flavors. Since there’s no English menu, here are the pictures of the most flavorful dishes and their Thai names with English translation by my daughter-in-law.  The portion is quite small so don’t feel guilty and go ahead and order a variety of dishes.

Since there’s no English name or address, here’s a photo of this eatery that you can show to the tuk tuk or taxi.

These are the best Northern Thai Appetizers!!!

Chiangmai food is really to die for!

We would highly recommend these dishes… Since the menu is only in Thai, if possible show these photos to the waiter to order the same dishes…

Northern Thai appetizer platter:

You could also order the famous Chiangmai appetizer platter which has assorted appetizers with dips.

• Chilli Dips;

Nam Prik Noom น้ำพริกหนุ่ม ( hot pepper paste)

Nam Prik Ong (a dip made with pork and tomatoes that’s frequently referred as “Thai Bolognese”)

• steamed veggies, boiled eggs
• crunchy pork rinds
• Northern Thai style pork curry (Kaeng Hang Lei, แกงฮังเล)
• Northern Thai herbs and pork Sausage (Sai Oua, ไส้อั่ว)

I can’t believe we have consumed all the above food in one seating, but everything is incredibly yummy.

Chiang Mai Restaurants

There are so many restaurants all over Chiang Mai. We have enjoyed amazing meals near the Old Town, in shopping malls as well as in the suburbs.

Hello Solao

Address: 122 19 หมู่ 6 ถนน คลองชลประทาน Mueang Chiang Mai District, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand

This is a pleasant restaurant with an extensive menu with quite affordable prices.

We have enjoyed great meals at this place, but I have a weakness for street food…

Chiang Mai Street Food

Night Bazaar Place Chiang Mai

ADDRESS 41 Changklan Rd, Tambon Chang Moi, Amphoe Mueang Chiang Mai, Chang Wat Chiang Mai 50100, Thailand PHONE +66 53 283 250 WEB Visit website

  The Night Bazaar is a must-visit for its lively atmosphere and the wide variety of merchandise: handicrafts, jewelry, clothing, art, embroidered pillow covers, Thai silk and carved wood items, knock-off sunglasses and T-shirts, souvenirs and more… It’s a fun mile-long street to visit if you enjoy bargaining and shopping or just browsing around. It’s open every day, from dusk till around midnight.

  It’s also a great place to sample Chiang Mai’s famous street food sold in a stretch of stalls along side streets. At the bottom end of the Night Bazaar on Chang Klan Road, is the Anusarn Market. There are lots of stalls selling grilled meats, fruit smoothies, mango sticky rice, ice cream and deep fried bananas.

Warorot Market

• Opening Hours: 06:00 – 19:00
• Location: Chang Moi Road, close to the River Ping, north of Chiang Mai Night Bazaar

Let the wonderful aromas of spices and grilled meat lead you to this market. It’s very popular among visitors from all over Thailand due to its wide selection of food. Specially tantalizing are the grilled northern-style sausages and crispy pork skin, with red and green chili dip.

Also on offer are Grilled meats, ready-to-eat curries and various types of fried or soup noodles.

Jing Jai Market

• Opening Hours: Jing Jai shopping complex – daily 10:00 -18:00, Wednesday and Saturday markets 6:00 – 9:00, Sunday market 6:00 – 12:00
• Location: 45 Assadathon Road, Chiang Mai

Jing Jai or JJ Market is open daily but only in the morning during the weekend.  It’s located outside the Old Town, in a shaded street. It’s a popular venue for millennials and health-conscious consumers.

There’s a fresh market with organic and natural ingredients food, a retail area selling high quality, naturally dyed clothes in pure cotton or linen, most of them hand made.

Near the cooked food stalls, there are various indoor and outdoor seating areas for casual dining, while listening to live music from the local talents.  Eating at Jing Jai has a more relaxing atmosphere compared to other markets.

There’s also a play area and sandbox for young children.

Old Town Cafes

While strolling around the Old Town, you can have delicious meals in the many cafes and restaurants that have sprouted all over the area. In this little cafe, we have tasted deep fried worms for the first time. It’s a popular local delicacy and tastes like French fries…

Chang Phueak North Gate night market

Very famous in Chiangmai is the “Cowboy Lady” a local celebrity chef wearing her signature cowboy hat, whose specialty is pork leg stew. Her food stall is located in the Chang Phueak north gate and has been featured in Parts Unknown series by Anthony Bourdain.

The stall is named Khao Kha Moo Chang Phueak (ข้าวขาหมูช้างเผือก) – after the name of the dish served, khao kha moo, which means Stewed Pork Leg.

The place is crowded from the afternoon.  Be ready to line up to get a table…

The Stewed Pork Leg is served with boiled eggs, pickled cabbage and a tangy sauce made with vinegar, garlic and chili. It’s really melt-in-your-mouth delicious.

Back home, I’m craving for Khao Kha Moo and have prepared it with this recipe. I encourage you to make it, your family would be eternally grateful!

Chiang Mai’s Iconic Khao Soi

The most famous dish in Chiang Mai has got to be Khao Soi.  It’s a piping hot dish of egg noodles in a rich curry and coconut milk flavored broth, served with meat or seafood, and topped with deep fried crunchy noodles.

There are so many places serving Khao Soi, from street markets to high end restaurants.

One of the places serving the most authentic Khao Soi is Khao Soi Mae Manee located at 18 Chotana Rd, Chang Phueak, Mueang Chiang Mai District, Chiang Mai. It’s an unassuming casual place but you will be seduced by its extensive Khao Soi menu.  On top of the typical egg noodles, you can choose vermicelli or even instant noodles.

For the protein, you can pick the popular chicken, beef, pork ribs, meat balls, Vietnamese sausage or fish and seafood.

The broth is rich with coconut cream and very tasty.

Khan Soi is served with raw shallots and fresh lime wedges and pickled mustard green.

My daughter-in-law makes the best Chicken Khao Soi.  I have also prepared Khao Soi at home, and here’s my delicious recipe for Crab and Prawn Khao Soi.

I can’t recommend enough a culinary trip to Chiang Mai… and while you’re there, enjoy a relaxing massage… That’s pretty close to heaven on earth, in my opinion…

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