Chiang Mai Guide - Restaurants

Restaurants  are plentiful in Chiang Mai. The Night Bazaar area contains many stalls and bars that will suit those who have to watch their budget. If you are looking for more elegance and refinement, restaurants  by the Ping river may suit you.

Thai Food

Thai Cuisine has been influenced from China India and the Middle East. The heart of any dish for Thais  is "khao" - rice.

Thai Table Etiquette

It is regarded as being very polite by the Thai to eat  by serving yourself from a central dish. A sign of good manners is  to serve to a fellow diner.

Northern Thai Food

Sticky rice ("Khao niei") is commonly eaten with dishes from the north.  Insects and innards that are popular with locals are served with some dishes. Herbs and spices are often used for flavourings. Northern cooking heavily influenced from Burmese and Shan cooking uses fresh chilli as opposed to dried chilli. If you find yourself with a burning mouth try eating anything containing oil or sugar and mixed with plain rice. These will sooth your mouth far better than water alone.

Northern Dishes

Cho Pakkad: fresh cabbage boiled with shrimp paste, fermented fish and tamarind.

Kaeng Hang Lae: a Burmese style pork curry in a rich brown sauce made with curry paste, tamarind and soy.

Kaeng Khoe: beans, eggplant, mushrooms, and other vegetables with meat in a watery curry flavoured with shrimp paste, fermented fish, garlic, shallots and lemon grass.

Kaeng Ho: vegetables and glass noodles flavoured with kaeng hane and kaeng no mai

Kaeng No Mai: curry made with bamboo shoots, fresh green chili, shrimp paste, fermented fish, garlic and shallots.

Khaep Mu: deep fried crispy pork skin.

Lab: finely chopped meat with shallot, chilli, lime, coriander and mint.

Naem: chopped pork fermented within banana leaf.

Nam Phrik Ong: finely chopped pork with tomato and baked red chilli pounded into spicy dip.

Sai Ua: northern style sausage.

Yam Chin Kai: spicy chicken curry flavoured with shallot, chilli, lime, coriander and mint.

Tam Makhua: a mild dip made with baked egg-plant.

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