Chiang Mai: Where the Culture's Old and the Curry's Gold

Chiang Mai has always been mine and Samar's favourite place in Thailand, which sounds controversial coming from someone who normally doesn't settle anywhere without a beach. There's just something in the air here and most importantly, northern Thai food is the GOAT. That's not just my opinion by the way, I believe the majority of travellers will agree with me and for the next 5 minutes I want to take you through my top 3 places to eat in Chiang Mai.

The Soul Of Lana

Ok, before we start drooling over some of Northern Thailand's dishes I feel like it's important we talk about Lanna culture because Chiang Mai didn't just wake up one day and decide to be cool. The city once was the capital of Lanna Kingdom, which basically ruled the north before Thailand was even a thing. "Lanna" literally means "Land of a million rice fields." It sounds like a place where they take carbs seriously...

Although not many people know about old-school Lanna culture, you can still feel the everywhere. Wooden temples, lazy locals (yes Lanna people are known to be super lazy), the smell of incense mixing with fresh coffee in the morning. It's got that calm, grounded vibe. Chiang Mai feels like the part of Thailand that hit pause on city chaos and just said "Nah, we're good."

And honestly, that slow, soulful energy shows up in the food too. Lanna food is simple but bold. It's the kind of food which doesn't need to flex and right in the middle of it all is Khao Soi, the creamy curry noodle soup that's so good it should have it's own national holiday. One spoon full and you'll understand why everyone who visits end up "accidentally" extends their stay.

Top 3 Places to Eat in Chiang Mai

Firstly let me make it clear that these aren't in order, it's impossible because they're all so good. Over my combined 10+ weeks spent in Chiang Mai, these are places I regularly returned to. Spoiler alert, most of them you won't find on any other blog!

The Milestone 34 Cafe & Bar

Ok, getting here isn't the easiest, it's outside of the city BUT it's the perfect excuse to see some countryside. The cafe's location is at the bottom of the mountain, this could be your starting or end point to a great day out. Bee, the cafe owner loves to chat, her English is good and she makes you feel welcome. The cafe has it's one vibe going on, I love the randomness about it and what puts the cherry on the top is Bee's food... UNREAL.

Pad Kra Pow is a Thailand staple, which is usually done with white rice but Bee take it one step further with a very well presented dish and a unconventional but delightful difference with the mix of 2 rices, jasmine rice and berry rice. It's a fire combo! Bee's PKP is in my top 5 favourite dishes in Thailand, she really knows how to work that wok, this is a must-do in your Chiang Mai itinerary.

Mae Hia Fresh Market

This isn't the name nor the place isn't a restaurant, it's giving canteen vibes but trust me, don't let this put you off. During our time volunteering at a local English school we were blessed to find quirky places like the Mae Hi Fresh Market and not only is the food cheaper than the already cheap food in the city, it's even tastier.

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, this lady who's name I have no idea, needs to be crowned the "Queen of Khao Soi" it's unbelievable, it tops any other Khao Soi in the city and of course, she regularly sells out. Make sure you go before 13:00! Unfortunately the place is a little tricky to find but the area has more to offer than great Khao Soi. Make sure you leave a couple of hours just to chill out in an area which isn't crammed with tourist, this is a very local area.

Kat's Kitchen

I know for a fact, without reading other peoples blogs that this will be on there and I'm trying to be different but this spot is a must visit. We first visited here in 2023, back then the kitchen was outside, it seemed like just a small family run restaurant, however 2 years on things have changed, they've expanded their capacity and staff. Their kitchen is now behind closed doors too. This is truly deserved. You have a variety of food which is all top tier, their service is top tier and their prices are nearly unbelievable.

Now, it doesn't look much in the photo but this isn't London, we're not fine dining. We're emerging ourselves in local culture and Kat's Kitchen provides all of this.

Summary

2/3 of my selections are outside the city, this reinforces the fact that there's much more to Chiang Mai other than being inside the square. I strongly recommend you explore the outer edges of Chiang Mai, you will discover many hidden gems which are experiences within themselves. For me, spending time at Bee's Milestone 34 Cafe & Bar tops the list. Whatever you need, Bee's there for you, she's got a big heart.

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