Chiang Mai Food Guide: Khao Soi, Night Markets, and Northern Classics

Chiang Mai eats differently from the rest of Thailand. This was the capital of the Lanna kingdom, and its food looks towards Myanmar and Yunnan — coconut-poor, herb-heavy, built around sticky rice, pork, and fermented things. It is also absurdly cheap: the best meals in this guide cost under ฿100. Here is what to eat and exactly where to eat it.

Khao soi: the main event

Egg noodles in a turmeric-tinged coconut curry broth, topped with a nest of crispy fried noodles, with pickled mustard greens, raw shallots, and lime on the side. Chicken (khao soi gai) is the classic; beef is the upgrade.

• Khao Soi Khun Yai — the garden shack near Wat Kuan Kama, north of the moat, that most locals name first. Approximately ฿50–60 a bowl as of 2026. Open roughly 10am–2pm, closed Sundays — it sells out, go early.
• Khao Soi Mae Sai (Ratchaphuek Road, Santitham) — the other perennial “best in town” claimant, similar prices, slightly bigger menu.
• Khao Soi Lam Duan Fah Ham — on the khao soi strip along Charoenrat Road east of the river, serving since the 1940s; approximately ฿60–80.
• Khao Soi Nimman — the comfortable sit-down version in Nimman with air-con and a long menu, approximately ฿90–150. Not the purist’s pick, but a good first bowl.

The northern repertoire

Find these at markets and curry shops rather than tourist restaurants:

• Sai ua — coarse pork sausage packed with lemongrass, kaffir lime, and chilli. The benchmark is Sai Ua Praya at Mueang Mai market, or any grill stall at Ton Phayom market; approximately ฿100–150 per 100g.
• Nam prik nuum + kap moo — roasted green-chilli relish with pork crackling and steamed vegetables. Sold in every market; a set costs approximately ฿50–80.
• Gaeng hang lay — Burmese-influenced pork belly curry, sweet-sour with ginger and tamarind, no coconut. Huen Phen in the Old City does the definitive restaurant version (approximately ฿120) — go for lunch at the cheap front canteen or dinner in the antique-filled back room.
• Khao kha moo — braised pork leg on rice. The famous vendor is the Cowboy Hat Lady (Khao Kha Moo Chang Phueak) at Chang Phueak Gate’s night market, approximately ฿50 a plate with a boiled egg. Evenings only.
• Larb kua — northern larb, fried with a dark dried-spice mix. Try it at Larb Ton Koen or any larb shop in Santitham.

Night markets and where locals actually graze

• Chang Phueak Gate night market — the best pure food market in the Old City orbit, evenings from about 5pm: khao kha moo, grilled chicken, pad thai stalls, most dishes ฿40–80.
• The Sunday Walking Street (Ratchadamnoen Road) — touristy but genuinely good grazing; the food courtyards inside Wat Phan On and Wat Sum Pow are the smart stops. Skewers and noodles ฿20–60.
• Ton Phayom Market (near the university) — the locals’ daytime market for sai ua, fried chicken, and northern sweets to take away.
• Warorot Market (Kad Luang) — the city’s old central market near the river, best in the morning: khao soi and noodle shops tucked among fabric stalls, plus sai ua and kap moo to carry home.

Beyond Thai

Chiang Mai’s café scene is the best in the country — speciality roasters like Akha Ama Coffee (La Fattoria branch near Wat Phra Singh) showcase beans grown by northern hill communities, flat whites approximately ฿70–90. Vegetarians do unusually well here too; see our vegetarian and vegan Thailand guide for the city’s meat-free khao soi options.

Make a class out of it

The dishes above are exactly what the city’s farm cooking schools teach — pounding your own curry paste once changes how you taste everything afterwards. We compare the schools and prices in our Chiang Mai cooking classes guide. And if you are heading south afterwards, recalibrate with our Thai street food guide — the food changes more than the temperature.