Only in recent years have we been introduced to cuisine from North and Northeast Thailand, in large part due to a couple of restaurants at home in Brooklyn (namely Pok Pok and, sadly now closed, Chiang Mai). Northern food, or Lanna food, where Chiang Mai falls, is influenced by neighboring Laos and Burma. Nearby northeastern Thailand’s cuisine is Isan, which you will also find in Chiang Mai, and is also influenced by Laos. What most of these dishes have in common is they won’t be on the menu at your local pad Thai take-out spot back home and you'll likely need a high tolerance to handle their heat.
Food, clothes, groceries, all under one roof at Warorot Market, Chiang Mai
A handful of street food vendors dot the streets of Chiang Mai during the day, but once the sun goes down and the night markets are set up, the street food really comes alive. There seems to be a market in Chiang Mai every night, so you’ll have plenty of choices.
As soon as we arrived to Thailand it became clear that finding and ordering food was going to be a challenge, since all signs are in the Thai alphabet. We could only stare at other guest’s dishes and struggle through conversations with the vendors for so long. Thankfully, Taste of Thailand, who runs food tours in Bangkok, invited us to join them on their inaugural Chiang Mai food tour. We jumped at the opportunity and met our guide, Nicky, one morning at Tha Phae Gate, the eastern entrance to Old Town. For the next few hours we rode through the city in a tuk tuk, stopping along the way to try 15 different foods, with Nicky giving us history lessons in between. What we learned and tasted on the tour made the next few days of eating our way through Chiang Mai that much easier.
Fresh frogs anyone? Muang Mai Market
Scroll down to see these food spots on a map.
SAVORY DISHES
- Beef Noodle Soup
- Cab Moo / Pork Rinds / แคปหมู
- Crickets
- Grilled Pork Shoulder
- Jeen Som Mok Kai / Fermented Pork and Egg Sausage / จิ๊นส้มหมกไข่
- Kaeng Hang Lay / Pork Belly Curry / แกงฮังเล
- Kai Yang Nung Krob Low / Roasted Chicken with Tamarind Sauce
- Khai Jeow Moo Sab / Thai Pork Omelet / ไข่เจียวหมูสับ
- Khao Kha Moo / Pork Leg with Rice / ข้าวขาหมู
- Khao Soi / Northern Thai Curry / ข้าวซอย
- Kow Neuw / Sticky Rice / ข้าวเหนียว
- Kuay Teow Look Chin Moo / Pork Ball Noodle Soup / ก๋วยเตี๋ยวลูกชิ้นหมู
- Lab Moo Khua / Spicy Minced Pork / ลาบหมูคั่วู
- Moo Ping / Pork Skewers / หมูปิ้ง
- Moo Tod / Fried Pork / หมูทอด
- Nam Prik Noom / Chili Sauce / น้ำพริกหนุ่ม
- Sai Krok Isan / Sour Pork Sausage / ไส้กรอกอีสาน
- Sai Ua / Northern Thai Sausage / ไส้อั่ว
- Satay
- Som Tam / Papaya Salad / ส้มตำ
- Tam Kanun / Spicy Pounded Jackfruit / ตำขนุน
FRUITS
SWEETS
- Khao Dome / Coconut Sticky Rice in Banana Leaves
- Khao Lam / Custard Sticky Rice in Bamboo Tubes / ข้าวหลาม
- Khao Neow Mamuang / Mango Sticky Rice / ข้าวเหนียวมะม่วง
DRINKS
Some Tips
- As when eating street food anywhere, look for a busy place with high turnover and try to avoid ordering pre-made food that has been sitting out but instead opt for woks, grills and hot broths where your food is made to order.
- Most street food signs are in Thai, so take a look at the cooking station, other customers’ tables or food pictures, if they’re part of the menu, to get an idea of what’s being served.
- Thai people like their food sweet, so don’t be surprised to see locals add a spoonful of sugar to their savory soup! Sugar is almost always on the table as a condiment next to the fish sauce and chili.
Savory
Beef Noodle Soup
Beef noodle soup for lunch
We ate these comforting Teochew inspired bowls of noodle soup a couple of times during our visit. Kosin, the owner, is a third generation immigrant from Shantou in southeast China. Neau Toon RodYiam was originally started by Kosin’s grandfather 54 years ago, but has been in its current location for around ten years.
While still distinctly Teochew, the dark, sweet-salty broth has been adapted to this part of the world. It’s a straightforward operation where you write down your noodle preference (thick, thin, vermicelli, egg, glass), the kind of meat (stewed beef, thin sliced beef, beef balls, organs, or a mix) and the size you want (60 baht, about $1.70, for a small, which is a good size portion) on a slip of paper.
Neau Toon RodYiam is on 26 Nimmanhaeminda Road, Soi 11, Chiang Mai, Thailand
Cab Moo / Pork Rinds / แคปหมู
Nicky, our tour guide from Taste of Thailand
Cab moo is seasoned and fried pork skin, resulting in an airy and crispy snack. In Chiang Mai it’s often eaten along with nam prik noom, which is exactly how we enjoyed it from Dam Rong at the busy Warorot Market, also known as Kad Luang, on our Taste of Thailand tour.
Dam Rong is in Warorot Market, east of the city center between Whichayanon Road and Kuang Men Road with Chang Moi Road at the north end. Any songthaew will know it by name.
Crickets
Crunchy crickets
Walking along Warorot Market, Prem couldn’t resist trying a crispy cricket from a woman selling them for 5 baht each. It tasted… crunchy.
Insects outside Warorot Market
Warorot Market is east of the city center between Whichayanon Road and Kuang Men Road with Chang Moi Road at the north end. Any songthaew will know it by name.
Grilled Pork Shoulder
Delicious grilled pork shoulder at Tong Tem Toh
Tong Tem Toh is a trendy Thai restaurant serving authentic northern Thai food to locals and tourists alike. We loved the food and atmosphere here so much we ended up going twice. It’s a little hidden from the street, but once you go through the entrance in the fence you realize there’s a large indoor/outdoor space tucked away. There’s usually a wait for a table, but while waiting you can write your order down and hand it to the hostess so that once you’re seated the food hits the table pretty quickly.
At night the grill stationed out front is firing away so we couldn’t resist ordering grilled pork shoulder, which was flavorful and tender, with a spicy sauce on the side. One order is 67 baht, just under $2.
The grill and the wait at Tong Tem Toh
Jeen Som Mok Kai / Fermented Pork and Egg Sausage / จิ๊นส้มหมกไข่
Jeen som mok kai at Tong Tem Toh
At Tong Tem Toh pork is mixed with garlic, salt and egg, wrapped in a banana leaf, fermented over several days, and then grilled. Jeen som mok kai is one of Prem’s favorite dishes. One plate is 57 baht.
Tong Tem Toh is at Nimmana Haeminda 13, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
Kaeng Hang Lay / Pork Belly Curry / แกงฮังเล
Epic lunch at Tong Tem Toh in Chiang Mai. Kaeng Hang Lay, center.
Another dish at Tong Tem Toh, this is one of Meghan’s favorites. A traditional northern Thai dish, pieces of pork belly are swimming in a curry made with tamarind, whole garlic cloves that we mashed right in, peanuts and spices. Flavorful, but not spicy, this curry is kind of addicting. One bowl of kaeng hang lay is 73 baht (just over $2). Don't forget the sticky rice.
Tong Tem Toh is at Nimmana Haeminda 13, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
Kai Yang Nung Krob Low / Roasted Chicken with Tamarind Sauce
Crispy chicken with tamarind dipping sauce at Cherng Doi Roast Chicken
Cherng Doi Roast Chicken is known for their… roast chicken. Grab one of the picnic tables outside and order from their picture menu. The chicken breast is slow roasted on the grill and comes out with an extra crispy skin and a tamarind dipping sauce on the side. For a breast, the chicken was extremely tender. We ate ours with a spicy som tam (papaya salad) and rice noodles. One plate of chicken is 75 baht (just over $2) and the rice noodles are 10.
Cherng Doi Roast Chicken is on Soi Sukasem between Nimman Soi 2 and 4, Chiang Mai
Khai Jeow Moo Sab / Thai Pork Omelet / ไข่เจียวหมูสับ
Fluffy Thai pork omelet
At first glance a Thai pork omelet looks like a fried pork cutlet. Rather than a cutlet, minced pork is combined with egg and soy sauce and then fried, resulting in a fluffy interior. It’s a quick and easy street food snack, but we tried it at Huen Muan Jai, a sit down Thai restaurant, where we shared one for 50 baht, or $1.40.
Huen Muan Jai is on Ratchaphuek Alley, Chiang Mai, Thailand
Khao Kha Moo / Pork Leg with Rice / ข้าวขาหมู
Tender pork leg at the Saturday Night Market
Thai style pork leg or knuckle is braised in a sweet sauce made of soy sauces and spices including star anise, coriander and cinnamon, and served over rice. We found this traditional dish at the Saturday Night Market for 35 baht ($1). The pork was very tender and delicious, which made up for the just ok rice. It came with a side of green veggies.
Stewed pork
The scene at the Saturday Night Market
Popular khao kha moo stand at the Saturday Night Market
Saturday Night Market begins at Chiang Mai Gate and continues southwest
Khao Soi / Northern Thai Curry / ข้าวซอย
Beef khao soi at Khao Soi Lam Duan
Khao soi, where do we begin? Already one of our favorite Thai dishes, we couldn’t wait to get to northern Thailand to eat bowls of this Burmese influenced spicy coconut milk Thai curry with egg noodles. Sometimes spelled kao soy, the curry is garnished with pickled mustard greens, shallots, chilies, lime juice and a big pile of crispy egg noodles. It’s most often made with a tender leg of chicken, but can be served with beef, which is how we had it at Khao Soi Lam Duan.
Preparations at Khao Soi Lam Duan
Khao Soi Lam Duan is a favorite among locals and tourists, having been established for over 70 years. With a spacious inside full of tables, they’re poised to serve lots of khao soi.
We could go for another bowl of this khao soi at Khao Soi Khun Yai right now!
Unfortunately not until the end of our Chiang Mai stay did we make it to Khao Soi Khun Yai, or “Grandma’s Khao Soi”, our new favorite spot for the curry. It’s hard to see from the street, but if you go through the gate you’ll see the covered, outdoor space resembling someone’s front porch. The only option on the menu is khao soi, so you know they’re doing something right. We were tempted to order a second bowl each of the rich and thick curry with tender chicken, but stuck to one. Khao Soi Khun Yai is only open for lunch and there are rumors that they run out, so, get there early to place your order with the friendly staff.
Khao Soi Lam Duan is at 352/22 Charoen Rat Road, Chiang Mai, Thailand
Khao Soi Khun Yai is at Sri Poom 8 Alley, Amphoe Mueang Chiang Mai, Chang Wat Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
Kow Neuw / Sticky Rice / ข้าวเหนียว
Sticky rice by itself is worth a mention, as it’s a main staple in the northern Thai diet and serves as a compliment to many dishes, such as nam prik noom, curries, lab and sai ua. It makes for a a great vessel for all the spice and heat you are bound to consume in Chiang Mai. This special type of rice is steamed and often served on the street tightly packed in a plastic bag, and if you’re in a restaurant, that bag will be inside a bamboo basket.
Kuay Teow Look Chin Moo / Pork Ball Noodle Soup / ก๋วยเตี๋ยวลูกชิ้นหมู
A Chinese influenced staple, kuay teow look chin moo is easy to find and was often Prem's preferred breakfast.
Lab Moo Khua / Spicy Minced Pork / ลาบหมูคั่ว
Tasty dish of lab at Huen Muan Jai for dinner
Lab, or Larb, is a well-known Thai dish in the states. Minced meat is cooked (sometimes served raw) with powdered toasted rice, garlic, shallots, fish sauce and spices to make a meat salad, best accompanied by sticky rice. We enjoyed it a delicious plate of it one night for 80 baht (over $2) at Huen Muan Jai alongside a cold Chang beer.
Moo Ping / Pork Skewers / หมูปิ้ง
Meat on a stick is ubiquitous on the streets of Thailand. On almost every street you’ll see pork (moo) or chicken (gai) skewers grilling away, with raw skewers at the ready. Order 1 or 2 along with a bag of sticky rice and you’ve got yourself a nice snack to hold you over until the next meal. We usually found skewers for 10 - 20 baht ($0.28 - $0.57) each, not including rice. These often tended to be sticky sweet (and sometimes artificially so) so we limited consumption for emergency hunger pangs.
Moo Tod / Fried Pork / หมูทอด
Moo tod is a common Thai snack, which we tried at Warorot Market from the famous Dam Rong. Their stall is swarmed with locals and tourists alike buying moo tod and sai ua (northern Thai sausage), their other specialty, from the piles and piles of meat. A battered and fried filet of pork, it’s not crispy like you’d think, but still really flavorful, we guess in large part due to the seasoning in the batter.
Dam Rong is in Warorot Market, east of the city center between Whichayanon Road and Kuang Men Road with Chang Moi Road at the north end. Any songthaew will know it by name.
Nam Prik Noom / Chili Sauce / น้ำพริกหนุ่ม
Can you handle the heat? Nam prik noom
Chili sauces are very common in Thai cuisine as dips and condiments. There are so many varieties but we ate nam prik noom most often, which is made with roasted banana peppers. At Tong Tem Toh, where it is 63 baht, we ate it with boiled vegetables and found it way too spicy for our liking. We ate it at Warorot Market with cab moo (pork rinds) and learned to just take a little bit and that mixing it with sticky rice helps cuts the spiciness. It’s a great snack if you can handle the heat.
Dam Rong is in Warorot Market, east of the city center between Whichayanon Road and Kuang Men Road with Chang Moi Road at the north end. Any songthaew will know it by name.
Tong Tem Toh is at Nimmana Haeminda 13, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
Sai Krok Isan / Sour Pork Sausage / ไส้กรอกอีสาน
Sour pork sausage at the Sunday Night Market
A fermented pork and rice sausage from Northern Thailand, this has a sour flavor with the rice adding some texture. Makes for a filling snack. Not a common dish, but something fun to try, rice noodles are stuffed inside a big sausage on a skewer. It’s pretty sour, but Prem liked the taste.
Rice noodles sticking out of the sour pork sausage
Sai Ua / Northern Thai Sausage / ไส้อั่ว
Meat on meat on meat at Warorot Market
One of our favorite items in Chiang Mai, northern Thai sausage is zesty, fatty, fragrant and full of flavor, thanks to a healthy dose of herbs as well as galangal, lemongrass, and chilies. We ordered it whenever we could, but we liked it best at Dam Rong vendor in Warorot Market, where we tried sai ua, and at Tong Tem Toh.
At Tong Tem Toh it was one of many dishes we ate, for 67 baht, but at Warorot Market it makes a great snack for only 30 baht (under $1), along with some sticky rice and, if you’re hungry enough, nam prik noom (green chili dipping sauce) and cab moo (pork rinds). It’s one of Dam Rong’s specialties so you’ll have to beat the crowd for it.
Mmm sai ua
Dam Rong is in Warorot Market, east of the city center between Whichayanon Road and Kuang Men Road with Chang Moi Road at the north end. Any songthaew will know it by name.
Tong Tem Toh is at Nimmana Haeminda 13, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
Satay
Skewers all around
Taste of Thailand took us to Kiat Ocha, a popular place with locals and tourists alike for both Thai satay and khao man gai (chicken with rice, which is one of our favorite dishes in Singapore), since 1957. Nicky, our tour guide, told us that a couple runs the place; one of them used to own the khao man gai spot and the other the satay spot, but when they got married they also married their businesses! A plate full of skewers were put in front of us alongside a dipping bowl of red satay, made with coconut milk and curry.
Even today, you will find the couple presiding over their shop together, with grace and humility.
Kiat Ocha is at 43 Intrawarorot Road, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
Lunch hour at Kiat Ocha
Som Tam / Papaya Salad / ส้มตำ
A spicy plate of som tam
Papaya salad is a staple in Thai eating and can easily be found at street vendors and restaurants alike. It’s appealing to us, and many, because it’s fresh and light and provides a good balance of sweet, sour, spicy and salty. It can be deceivingly spicy since it looks like a refreshing salad; if you prefer less heat, tell the kitchen when ordering.
A classic som tam includes shredded papaya, green beans, cabbage, tomatoes, garlic, chilies, sugar, lime, fish sauce, toasted peanuts and dried shrimp although there are many variations. The most memorable one we had in Chiang Mai was at Cherng Doi Roast Chicken. It was extra spicy but we couldn’t stop going back for more!
Cherng Doi Roast Chicken is on Soi Sukasem between Nimman Soi 2 and 4, Chiang Mai
Tam Khanun / Spicy Pounded Jackfruit / ตำขนุน
Tam khanun at Huen Muan Jai
Jackfruit is one of Prem’s favorite fruits so we had to try the spicy dish at Huen Muan Jai. Boiled jackfruit is mashed and serve with cab moo (pork rinds) for 65 baht.
Huen Muan Jai is on Ratchaphuek Alley, Chiang Mai, Thailan
Fruits
Mangosteen / มังคุด
Nicky, our Taste of Thailand tour guide introduced us to this fruit while we were at Muang Mai Market, a wholesale market. He showed us how to pinch the inedible shell, which will crack open to reveal the red underside of the skin and the edible white flesh, resembling the structure of a small head of garlic. These are small enough that it’s easy to crack open several in a row and enjoy the tangy and sweet flavor. If like Prem, you like durians, mangosteens are a “cooling” fruit and make for a good accompaniment to the “heat” from durians, which are “warming” fruits.
Muang Mai Market is located a few blocks northeast of the city center
Durian / ทุเรียน
Durians are banned as weapons, due to their sharp thorns
The golden yellow flesh on a Monthong durian
Durian; you either love it or you hate it. Enough people find the smell so offensive that it’s banned from many hotels and public spaces. But other people think it smells perfectly good and sweet. Some people find the texture too custardy to stomach, while others can’t get enough.
The yellow flesh, which encompasses a seed, is plucked out of a thorny shell, wrapped and sold all along the streets of Chiang Mai by its weight. It’s also used in desserts such as durian sticky rice or durian ice cream. At the Muang Mai Market, which is a wholesale market for many restaurants and food vendors, most of the durian was being sold whole, sharp thorns and all. Most durian on the streets of Chiang Mai (like most of Thailand) tend to be of the relative mild Monthong variety, which produces a delicious and rich flesh.
Prem is in the “can’t get enough” camp. You do have to be careful and not eat too much because, like mangoes, durian is a “warming” fruit and will increase your body temperature; not a good thing in the Thai heat.
Muang Mai Market is located a few blocks northeast of the city center
No durian allowed
Sweets
Khao Dome / Coconut Sticky Rice in Banana Leaves
A sweet treat inside a banana leaf
While wandering through Muang Mai Market on our Taste of Thailand tour, Nicky, our guide, introduced us to this sweet snack. Plantains are layered with a sticky rice, coconut milk and sugar mixture and then all steamed together in a banana leaf. At the market we unwrapped our banana leaves to find a neatly packed little treat.
Muang Mai Market is located a few blocks northeast of the city center
Khao Lam / Custard Sticky Rice in Bamboo Tubes / ข้าวหลาม
A tube of delicious sesame khao lam
The bamboo is pulled back to reveal sweet black sticky rice
It was Nicky, our Taste of Thailand tour guide, who introduced us to delicious khao lam (or kralan in Cambodia), at Warorot Market. White or black sticky rice, sugar and coconut cream are stuffed into bamboo tubes and then slowly cooked over coal, resulting in a sweet and sticky, sometimes custardy, treat. Before handing it over the vendor sliced open the bamboo and pulled it back to reveal the rice. We tried a white sticky rice with sesame seeds and loved it so much we went back another day to try the black sticky rice, for 60 baht a tube, about $1.70.
Khao lam vendor at Warorot Market
Warorot Market is east of the city center between Whichayanon Road and Kuang Men Road with Chang Moi Road at the north end. Any songthaew will know it by name.
Khao Neow Mamuang / Mango Sticky Rice / ข้าวเหนียวมะม่วง
One of our favorites, mango sticky rice
This sweet snack combines two of our favorite foods and Meghan especially can’t get enough (might be her rice addiction speaking). Sticky rice, which is a staple in northern Thai, is mixed with coconut cream, sugar and salt and then topped with freshly sliced mango. Some people add more of the coconut cream mixture as well as toasted mung beans on top.
If you order this dessert from a street vendor, as opposed to in a restaurant, it will most likely already be prepared and packed up in a plastic container with a little bag each of extra coconut cream and toasted mung beans, for you to add yourself. The best tasting mango sticky rice is when the mango is freshly peeled and sliced just for you!
Mana Sticky Rice is a nice outdoor stand serving the dessert on pretty blue and white plates.
Mana Sticky Rice is on Ratvithi Road in the city center, Chiang Mai, Thailand
Drinks
Chang Beer
One of the most basic of beers, this became our favorite while in Chiang Mai. Nothing like a cold, easy drinking beer on a hot day. Some places only sell large bottles, perfect for sharing, but others sell the 12 ounce bottles we’re used to. Large bottles of Chang ranged from 85 - 103 baht (between $2 - 3).
Chrysanthemum Drink
A cold refreshing drink
A refreshing floral, sugar bomb, this made for a nice thirst quencher on a warm Chiang Mai morning.
Coconut Water / น้ำมะพร้าว
Vendors at one of many Chiang Mai night markets
Enjoying the tender flesh of a young coconut
We love drinking fresh coconut water on a hot day; it’s full of nutrients and so refreshing. If we’re hungry we ask the vendor to chop the coconut in half after we finish the water and give us a spoon so we can scoop out the flesh.
Something we saw on this Thailand trip that we hadn’t seen before was shelled coconut. A special tool is used to scoop out the intact flesh, which looked pretty cool when out of its shell.
Thai Iced Tea / ชาเย็น
Refreshing Thai iced tea
While Prem was busy drinking coffee (look out for a post on coffee in Chiang Mai!), Meghan often drank a Thai iced tea from any number of stalls slinging tea on the street. When language wasn’t too much of an issue, she ordered it without sugar because, holy moly, the Thais put a lot of sugar in their tea (and everything else they consume). With condensed milk and evaporated milk, the drink is sweet enough as it is.
A cup of Thai iced tea ranged from 20 or 25 baht (less than $1) on the street to 60, or even 90 baht ($2.50!) inside a cafe.
Taste of Thailand Food Tours is offering 10% off tours with the code POLKADOT10 when you reserve your tour online. Valid while supplies last. Thank you, Taste of Thailand!
See these places, and coffee and ice cream, on our Chiang Mai map:
