Chiang Mai is the capital of northern Thai (Lanna) cooking, a cuisine of herbs, smoke, bitterness and dried chilli rather than coconut and sugar, eaten with sticky rice rolled into balls by hand. Start with a bowl of khao soi curry noodles (50 to 90 baht, about $1.50 to $2.70), a coil of grilled sai oua sausage and a bag of nam prik noom with pork crackling, then eat your way through the morning markets, the Sunday and Saturday walking streets and the shophouse kitchens of the Old City. A full day of eating well costs 400 to 800 baht.
What northern Thai food is like#
Curries and noodles
Khao soi, gaeng hang lay and khanom jeen nam ngiao: richer, spiced with dried chilli, turmeric and Burmese and Yunnanese influence.
Dips and sticky rice
Nam prik noom and nam prik ong eaten with steamed vegetables, pork crackling and khao niao (sticky rice).
Grills and sausages
Sai oua herb sausage, grilled pork neck, chicken and river fish over charcoal at every market.
Larb and herbs
Larb muang, a minced-meat salad seasoned with dried spices such as makhwaen, a northern prickly ash with a numbing edge.
The north is landlocked and cool, so the cooking relies on pork, freshwater fish, mountain herbs, fermented soybean and preserved foods. Expect less sweetness and coconut than in Bangkok, more bitterness and smoke, and heat from dried rather than fresh chilli. Meals are shared: a dip, a soup or curry, a grilled meat, raw and steamed vegetables and a basket of sticky rice for the table. For how northern food fits into the rest of the country, see our Thailand food guide.
Northern Thai dishes to try#
| Dish | What it is | Typical price |
|---|---|---|
| Khao soi | Egg noodles in a coconut curry broth with chicken or beef, topped with crispy noodles, served with pickled mustard greens, shallots and lime | 50-90 baht |
| Sai oua | Coarse pork sausage packed with lemongrass, kaffir lime, galangal and chilli, grilled over charcoal | 40-80 baht a portion, 300-450 baht/kg |
| Nam prik noom | Smoky dip of roasted green chillies, shallots and garlic | 30-60 baht a bag |
| Nam prik ong | Mild pork and tomato dip, like a northern bolognese, with raw vegetables | 30-60 baht |
| Kaep moo | Puffed pork crackling, the scoop for every nam prik | 20-50 baht a bag |
| Gaeng hang lay | Burmese-style pork belly curry with ginger, garlic, tamarind and no coconut | 60-150 baht |
| Khanom jeen nam ngiao | Fresh rice noodles in a pork and tomato broth with dried cotton-tree flowers and pork blood | 40-60 baht |
| Larb muang | Minced pork or beef with dried northern spices, herbs and crispy shallots, served raw or cooked | 60-150 baht |
| Khao kha moo | Five-spice stewed pork leg on rice with pickled greens and a boiled egg | 50-80 baht |
| Gaeng khanun | Young jackfruit curry with pork ribs and cha-om leaves | 50-100 baht |
| Gaeng hoh | Yesterday’s curry stir-fried with glass noodles and bamboo shoots | 60-120 baht |
| Naem / jin som | Sour fermented pork sausage, eaten with raw ginger and chilli | 20-50 baht |
| Kai yang and som tam | Grilled chicken and papaya salad from Isan, sold everywhere in the north | 60-200 baht |
| Miang kham / miang | Fermented tea leaves, the north’s traditional snack | 20-40 baht |
| Khao niao | Sticky rice, steamed in a bamboo basket and eaten by hand | 10-20 baht |
| Khanom krok and sweet sticky rice | Coconut pancakes and banana-leaf sweets from the market carts | 20-40 baht |
Order khao soi with pickled mustard greens and lime squeezed in, then add the chilli paste carefully; the curry is spiced but rarely hot until you do. Sai oua and nam prik noom are best bought fresh in the morning at Warorot Market and eaten the same day. Larb muang is often made with raw pork and blood (larb dib); ask for “suk” (cooked) if you are unsure, as raw pork carries a real risk of infection.
Where to eat khao soi#
Every Chiang Mai local has a favourite bowl, and the best are lunchtime shophouses that close when the pot runs out. Khao Soi Khun Yai, under a tree by the northern moat near Sri Poom corner, is the one most locals point to: open late morning, finished by early afternoon. Khao Soi Mae Sai, west of the Old City towards Nimman, does a thinner, spicier version. Across the river on Charoen Rat Road in Fa Ham, Khao Soi Lam Duan Fah Ham and Khao Soi Samerjai are the long-running family shops, both open from morning to mid-afternoon. Khao Soi Islam, on Charoen Prathet Soi 1 by the Ban Ho Mosque, serves a halal beef version from the community that brought the dish here, Chinese Muslim (Chin Haw) traders from Yunnan. Expect 50 to 90 baht for a bowl and an extra 20 to 30 for a large one or beef; most shops also sell khao soi with pork or fish balls and plain noodles for children.
Markets and night food#
- Warorot Market (Kad Luang): the main market, near the Ping River, open roughly 5am to 6pm. The ground floor sells sai oua, nam prik, kaep moo and northern sweets by weight; the upper floors sell textiles. Next door, Ton Lam Yai is the flower and produce market, busiest before dawn.
- Chang Phueak Gate night market: from about 5pm at the north gate of the Old City, on the edge of Santitham. Famous for the khao kha moo stall run by the woman in the cowboy hat (60 to 80 baht), plus noodles, smoothies and roti until late.
- Chiang Mai Gate market: at the south gate, a morning market for breakfast curries and an evening food market with grills and desserts.
- Sunday Walking Street: Ratchadamnoen Road from Tha Phae Gate to Wat Phra Singh, from about 4pm to 11pm. The temple courtyards along the route (Wat Phan Tao and its neighbours) host food courts with 20 to 60-baht dishes; eat early, as the street is shoulder-to-shoulder by 7pm.
- Saturday Walking Street: Wualai Road in the silversmiths’ quarter of Wualai, south of Chiang Mai Gate, from about 5pm. Smaller, more local, and good for grilled squid, khanom krok and sai oua.
- Night Bazaar: the Anusarn and Kalare food courts off Chang Klan Road serve seafood, pad thai and northern dishes at slightly higher prices (80 to 200 baht).
- Jing Jai market: a weekend farmers’ and craft market north of the Old City, from early morning to about noon, with organic produce and good coffee.
The walking streets are covered in more detail on their own page.
Northern Thai restaurants and where locals eat#
For a sit-down northern meal, Huen Phen on Ratchamanka Road in the Old City is the classic: a shophouse canteen at lunchtime and an antique-filled wooden house behind it for dinner, with nam prik ong, gaeng hang lay, larb and sai oua at 80 to 200 baht a dish. Tong Tem Toh on Nimman Soi 13 does the same menu in an open-air garden and is busy with Thai families. SP Chicken, a short walk from Wat Phra Singh, sells charcoal-roast chicken with sweet and sour dipping sauces from late afternoon until it sells out. Cherng Doi in Nimman is the other roast-chicken name. For a set northern feast with dancing, the khantoke dinner at the Old Chiang Mai Cultural Center costs roughly 600 to 900 baht.
Nimman has the city’s greatest variety: Japanese, Korean, Italian, burgers and Thai fusion, plus the food halls in One Nimman and Maya. Along the Riverside, The Good View and The Riverside serve Thai and Western mains with live music in the evening, and Dash! Teak House in the Old City serves Thai classics in an old teak house. Expect 200 to 500 baht a head at these places with a drink.
Cafés and coffee#
The hills around Chiang Mai, from Doi Suthep north to Chiang Dao, grow arabica, and the city has one of Asia’s densest café scenes. Ristr8to on Nimmanhaemin Road made its name with championship latte art; Akha Ama roasts beans from its founder’s Akha hill-tribe village and has branches in the Old City and near Nimman; Graph, in a tiny Old City shophouse, serves inventive coffee drinks; and Fern Forest Café is a garden café inside the moat. A flat white or pour-over costs 60 to 120 baht, a Thai iced tea from a cart 25 to 40. Many cafés open at 7 or 8am and close by 5pm, and the best-known ones queue on weekends. Ask for less sugar (“wan noi”) with any Thai iced drink.
Cooking classes#
Chiang Mai is the cooking-class capital of Thailand. Half-day and full-day classes cost 1,000 to 1,800 baht with hotel pick-up, a market tour and four to six dishes, including a curry paste pounded by hand. Thai Farm Cooking School and Asia Scenic run classes on organic farms outside town; Mama Noi, Basil Cookery and Zabb E Lee teach from kitchens in or near the city. Morning classes run from about 9am to 2pm, evening classes from 4pm. Tell the school about dietary needs when booking; vegetarian and vegan menus are routine. Book a day or two ahead from November to February. Most classes teach central Thai favourites (green curry, pad thai, tom yum) and include khao soi as the northern dish; if you want a fully northern menu, ask before booking.
Vegetarian, vegan and halal food#
Chiang Mai is the easiest city in Thailand for vegetarians. Pun Pun at Wat Suan Dok serves organic vegetarian Thai food from its own farm; Free Bird Café raises money for refugee programmes and is mostly vegan; Reform Kafe at Green Tiger House, Taste From Heaven and the Blue Diamond breakfast café are all inside the moat. Elsewhere, ask for “jay” (Buddhist vegan, at stalls with yellow flags), or “mangsawirat” and “mai sai nam pla” (vegetarian, no fish sauce), since fish sauce and shrimp paste go into most dips and curries, including nam prik noom. Vegetarian khao soi with tofu is easy to find.
Halal food is centred on Charoen Prathet Soi 1 around the Ban Ho Mosque, behind the Night Bazaar district, where Khao Soi Islam and several curry and biryani shops serve the Chinese Muslim community. Look for the green Halal sign.
Prices, etiquette and food safety#
| Meal | Street stall or market | Local restaurant | Mid-range or Nimman |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | 30-60 baht | 80-150 baht | 150-300 baht |
| Lunch | 50-90 baht | 100-200 baht | 250-450 baht |
| Dinner | 60-150 baht | 150-350 baht | 400-900 baht |
| Large Chang or Leo beer | 60-80 baht (7-Eleven) | 80-120 baht | 120-200 baht |
| Coffee | 25-50 baht (cart) | 50-80 baht | 70-140 baht |
Eat sticky rice with your right hand, pinching a small ball and using it to scoop dips and curry; use a spoon and fork for everything else, with the fork pushing food onto the spoon. Tipping is not expected at stalls; leave small change or 20 to 50 baht at sit-down restaurants unless a service charge is on the bill. Food safety is good: choose busy stalls where the food is cooked in front of you, avoid raw pork larb, drink bottled or filtered water (a refill is 1 baht a litre at street machines) and enjoy the ice, which is factory-made. Alcohol is sold in shops only at set hours, explained in our Chiang Mai nightlife guide.
Khao soi is a lunch dish. The famous shops open from around 9 or 10am and many are sold out by 2 or 3pm, so plan your best bowl for the middle of the day and save the night markets for dinner.
More Food, Nightlife & Shopping#
Chiang Mai food FAQs#
What food is Chiang Mai famous for?
Khao soi, the coconut curry noodle soup with crispy noodles, is the dish Chiang Mai is known for. Look out also for sai oua herb sausage, nam prik noom chilli dip with pork crackling, gaeng hang lay pork curry and khanom jeen nam ngiao noodles.
Where is the best khao soi in Chiang Mai?
Locals usually name Khao Soi Khun Yai by the north moat, Khao Soi Mae Sai near Nimman, and the family shops on Charoen Rat Road in Fa Ham such as Khao Soi Lam Duan Fah Ham. Khao Soi Islam by the Ban Ho Mosque serves the halal original. Go at lunchtime.
How much does food cost in Chiang Mai?
A street or market meal costs 50 to 90 baht, a sit-down northern meal 100 to 200 baht a dish, and a meal in Nimman or by the river 300 to 600 baht a head. A comfortable food budget is 400 to 800 baht a day.
Is Chiang Mai good for vegetarians?
Yes, it is the easiest city in Thailand for vegetarians and vegans. Pun Pun, Free Bird Café, Reform Kafe and Taste From Heaven are reliable, and asking for “jay” or “mai sai nam pla” (no fish sauce) works at most stalls.
What is the best night market for food in Chiang Mai?
The Chang Phueak Gate night market at the north gate is the most local and runs every evening. The Sunday Walking Street has the most choice, and the Saturday Walking Street on Wualai Road is a smaller, quieter alternative.
How much is a cooking class in Chiang Mai?
Half-day and full-day classes cost 1,000 to 1,800 baht with pick-up, a market tour and four to six dishes. Farm-based schools outside the city are at the top of that range.
Is street food safe in Chiang Mai?
Generally yes. Eat at busy stalls where food is cooked to order, drink bottled or filtered water and avoid raw pork dishes such as larb dib.