Chiang Mai: The Food
Since this is a food podcast (shoutout Matty and 2tone), mentioning the meals, food stalls, and restaurants we go to when traveling is important! Most of the food was great and we would fully recommend it!
Our first meal in Chiang Mai was after we visited the Sticky Waterfalls. Near the parking lot for the falls were a few stands that sold Thai food. Websites recommended getting food from these places and having picnics near the waterfalls. We ended up 1going to one of the stalls after our visit. The stall was called “Original Pad Thai.” Unfortunately I did not take any pictures but the food was standard, cheap Thai food.
We later ate at Tha Pae Sunday Walking Street Market. I heard that the food here was cheap and delicious. Having tasted many items within the 100s of food stalls, I can attest to both findings. Much of the food was less than a dollar and everything we ate was very delicious. Yes, even the crickets. This market would be where I would spend most of my Sundays if I lived in Chiang Mai.
After the Street Market, we met up with some other RIS people at The House by Ginger. This restaurant was recently awarded a Michelin Plate. The atmosphere was great and they served good wine from Thailand. The food was expensive and didn’t blow me away, although it was still a good meal amongst friends.
The following day we began our day with khao soi. Khao soi (pronounced like “cow soy”) is possibly the most famous dish of all of Northern Thailand and is certainly the most popular dish amongst foreigners who visit the north. I like Andy Ricker’s description of khao soi in his cookbook, Pok Pok. “Tender wheat noodles and bone-in chicken swim in an orange-tinged coconut milk curry that’s incredibly rich and aromatic. On top, there’s a crown of those same wheat noodles, but they’re crunchy from a dunk in hot oil. On the side comes an assortment of embellishments that you use to season your one-bowl meal: a dark, tobacco-y paste of fried chiles, pickled mustard greens, and hunks of raw shallot, and wedges of lime.” This dish is without a doubt, one of my all-time favorites. Khao soi didn’t used to have coconut milk, according to Austin Bush, author of The Food of Northern Thailand. Although, the more modern version does use coconut milk and may have came from Chinese-Muslim communities or the Burmese, depending on who you ask.
Emily and I made it a point to try and consume as much khao soi as possible during this trip. It’s not that we can’t get it in Bangkok, but since we know Chiang Mai is famous for it and would have many great vendors selling it, we didn’t want to miss out. Unfortunately we did not make it to the famous stalls like Khao Soi Prince or Khao Soi Lam Duan on Fa Ham Road but setting that aside, we still had some amazing khao soi on this trip. We will come back and try those places next time.
Our first bowl of khao soi came from Khao Soi Khun Yai. This street food eatery was just a short walk from our Airbnb. Because beef is more common in the north than in Bangkok, I always opted for beef with my khao soi while Emily preferred pork. This place only served khao soi and noodle soup so we made sure to try both. To our delight, both dishes were spectacular. So rich and flavorful! The crunchy noodles on top coupled with the soft tender ones underneath created the perfect balance of texture. Adding the extra plate of toppings isn’t a must but I personally always do. I could tell from this bowl of khao soi that I was in good hands in Chiang Mai.
Our next meal came from a small stall on the side of the road on our way to Pai from Chiang Mai. We needed food, a break from all the switchbacks and approaching nighttime darkness. On google maps, this stall did not have a proper name and it only showed up as “Thai Food.” The three ladies working the stand were very friendly and served us some better than average Pad Si Ew and Fried Rice with Chicken.
Because we were essentially in the middle of the jungle, our meal ended with a rather large insect landing on our table. One of the chefs calmly stroked its back, picked it up, and tried scaring us with it by shoving it in the camera. (She’s a badass) This meal was great and we wish these ladies the best.
It wasn’t until after a night of drinks and bar hopping that we woke up needing to fill our bellies and sober up. We found a western-style restaurant near our hotel called Ohm Garden Cafe and we decided to pay it a visit. Since the prices were fairly cheap, we figured the portions were going to be small but we were very much mistaken. I ordered three plates and couldn’t finish any one entirely. This was partly due to the fact the food wasn’t amazing and the portions were very large. They did not have khao soi but they did have a khao soi salad which I got to get my fix for the day. The chicken sandwich was decent. The salad was meh, and the fruit salad was fine. I wasn’t impressed by anything in particular but it was satisfying to put food in my belly nonetheless.
Our dinner was at a famous street food stall called Laap Kao Cham Chaa. I am sure, like most places, pre-pandemic, this stall would be the life of the party. Not the case when we stopped in. The food wasn’t necessarily visually appealing, but the flavors were intense and satisfying. Spiciness and sourness dominated the dishes.
I could tell the dishes were too spicy for Emily because after we parted ways with Nick and Steph that evening, we immediately were looking up the nearest ice cream shop to cool our palates. We found a place called Seasons Ice Cream near our Airbnb and each got two scoops!
Next day. Wake up. Khao Soi. You already know. We headed to a place also very close to where we were staying called Khao Soy Maesai. This place was packed. We had to take a number because of how many people there were (this was a first in Thailand). We knew we chose a good place. The menu consisted of 9 dishes. Four of which were khao soi, three were of goy teaw (thin noodle soup with a strong broth) and one of kanom jean (thin rice noodle soup) with your choice of protein. Emily and I got #2, #3, and #7.
All three were stellar. You literally can’t go wrong with khao soi here. People take it so seriously! Another great meal that we would highly recommend.
Later that evening, Emily and I decided to eat at a vegan restaurant for dinner called Goodsouls Kitchen. While their menu looked great with a lot of options, the food we got was underwhelming. The fries were tasty but I did not receive the meal I asked for and it was filled with too many tomatoes. Emily experienced the same problem with the tomatoes, but the homemade falafel was very tasty. To end the meal we ordered a slice of carrot cake which tasted amazing and wasn’t sweet at all. I am sure this place has great meals that we did not pick and I would give it another try but this particular meal was just okay.
By this point, we really wanted to try and fit in a few more restaurants before our departure which was fast approaching. Because of this Emily and I decided to fit in two places for lunch. We heard great things about a shop called SP Chicken.
It apparently inspired the chicken served at Andy Ricker’s Pok Pok Restaurant in Portland and has received a Michlin plate. When we arrived we were the only customers. (This pandemic has taken quite a toll on the world but especially in Thailand.) Despite a lack of visitors the staff were attentive and worked in unison. Their matching uniforms were a nice professional touch.
We got a mix of some of their main meats like their chicken, beef, ribs, and a steak salad. They are small portions so we didn’t quite fill up. The food was amazing. So much flavor packed into small bites! I would love to come back during a dinner service and re-order everything we got and more! We would definitely recommend this spot.
We walked a few blocks down the road where we were meeting Nick, Christine, and John. As you can guess, it was another khao soi place called Khao Soi Arak. This place was quite different in its aesthetics. This was because the stall was literally in the chef’s garage. I ate my food in his carport, feet away from his parked car. Now, some of us may knock this man’s khao soi because it wasn’t as refined as the ones previously. To that, I would disagree and say that I very much appreciated this place. I was literally in this man’s home! He decided to just set up shop right in front of where he lived and share his home-cooking. Sure, the khao soi wasn’t at its optimal taste, and the noodles were slightly thicker but I loved every aspect. I found it endearing and I would 100% go back. Not only for his welcoming nature, but also because there were others eating other food that wasn’t on the farang (foreigner) menu (pictured below) and I would like to try what else this man cooks in such a tiny space.
Emily and I were stuffed at this point but I still want to find at least one bakery to go to while we were in Chiang Mai. We ended up checking out Baan Bakery. We all indulged in their various pastries and desserts. So delicious! Let’s just say I was going through a bit of a croissant withdrawal and inhaled the croissant before Emily even got a small bite.
Our last meal of the day was at Rustic and Blue. This was an eatery on the fancier side and boasts their use of fresh, local, and seasonal ingredients. The menu had a brunch vibe that we totally endorsed. I got pancakes with scallions and duck confit with a smokey maple syrup. Emily indulged in a three course dinner. The first plate was pumpkin gnocchi with Thai sausage in a light cream sauce. Her main course was seabass with roasted veggies (which are hard to find sometimes!), and ended with honey caramel ice cream.
I noticed they had some pastries on the shelves and saw an almond croissant! I couldn’t be happier! Almond croissants, for those who don’t know, are one of my all time favorite desserts. Back in Seattle, I tried virtually every almond croissant possible over the course of five years. I keep track of all the places I try an almond croissant in Thailand and at this point, this croissant was the best so far. (I have since tasted better but nevertheless, it was a delight.) It was a great way to finish the meal. Emily and I really fancied this restaurant and would like to come back again.
Our last activity for the night was to grab some craft beer with the four others at a bar called the Beer Lab. There were pages and pages of beer from all over the world! They even had cider which has been difficult to find here so Emily and I both tried one. The portions that came were a bit larger than expected :) With good company, this place is a must try!
Finally, our last meal was back at Khao Soi Khun Yai. We went back because we wanted khao soi but we couldn’t find a taxi to take us to one farther away from our Airbnb. The time crunch in getting to the airport was too much of a risk to take. So we decided to go back and get the bigger portions of khao soi. No regrets. This place was amazing the first time and was just as amazing the second time!
Our time in Chiang Mai was filled with good eats and sweet treats! I am already working on another list of places to hit up next time we are in town. Chiang Mai treated us well and filled our bellies. We look forward to visiting again.
