฿ · Noodles

If you ask around about the best khao soi in the city, you’re most likely to be directed to this restaurant located in the Mueang district, close to Wat Lok Moli (วัดโลกโมฬี), a Buddhist temple around a thousand years old, and Wat Suan Dok, another Buddhist temple with a distinctive golden dome and tranquil surroundings. You can reach the restaurant from both of these destinations by foot in less than half an hour, so this restaurant is also a great place to fill your tummy after long hours of sightseeing and visiting some of the historical landmarks. They serve khao soi here with fresh herbs on top.

Serving up Chiang Mai’s signature dish, Khao Soi, not only is this restaurant cheap to dine at, but it’s also become legendary amongst locals/tourists for its delicious Khao Soy. For those not familiar, Khao Soi is a traditional Northern Thai noodle dish that consists of egg noodles in a rich and fragrant curry broth, topped with tender chunks of meat (usually chicken or beef) and garnished with pickled mustard greens, shallots, and crispy noodles!. The menu is limited, but they offer a few dishes, though it’s mostly all about the Khao Soi here, and you can get the dish with either chicken or beef.

Khao soi, or khao soy, is an iconic Northern Thai dish that’s garnered somewhat of a cult following, which I’m unashamedly a part of. It’s a simple yet satisfying noodle dish with strong Burmese influences; you get a rich coconut gravy spiced up with herbs and aromatics, poured over egg noodles, and topped with crispy noodle shreds, pickled mustard greens and more. There are countless khao soi stalls in Chiang Mai, with a few noteworthy mentions that have won awards.

This is a place that almost makes it on to lists of the best khao soi in Chiang Mai and it’s featured in popular Youtube food shows, so I had high hopes. There’s a nice bit of spice to the sauce, the fresh noodles are great and the flavour and balance reminded me a lot of Khao Soi Nimman. A bowl costs 45B and you might want to order some of their satay to go with it.

Thai khao soi is best described as a thin curry with coconut milk, herbs and meat, and not too dissimilar to the staple massaman curry favoured by tourists. The main difference is that khao soi is served with crispy and soft noodles mixed into the curry, rather than rice. Khao soi in Chiang Mai is like pizza in Naples… You simply can’t go there without trying it.

I hadn’t planned on including the local noodles, at all, as there really are too many to choose from. And I find much of my fun in Chiang Mai comes from the search for the perfect Kanom Jeen Nam Ngiaw and Khao Soi noodles. As there’s really no harm in going wrong, given they rarely cost more than 35 Baht at local and street food level.

Located diagonally opposite Huan Muan Jai (#4 on our list), Khao Soi Mae Sai is one of the most famous venues in Chiang Mai serving up khao soi. In addition to the usual khao soi with chicken, Khao Soi Mae Sai sells a tasty beef version. Fans of khanom jeen nam ngiao will also be happy here if you fancy something other than khao soi.

Khao Soi Mae Sai is a popular place for locals, but it’s also popular with tourists because of its location (it’s very close to Maya mall, Huay Kaew Mall and Nimmanhaemin). The place gets packed at lunch time, but they do have plenty of tables and the wait is not long. Like a lot of khao soi places, they are only open for lunch.

Referring to Chiang Mai cuisine, it is impossible not to mention Khao Soi, one of the traditional dishes of Chiang Mai. Khao Soi is fried egg noodles stir-fried with curry, beef, or chicken with chili sauce, salted cabbage, pepper, and lemon. Khao Soi appears everywhere, from 5-star hotels to sidewalk eateries in Chiang Mai.

Another popular spot is Khao Soi Mae Sai, described by ex-pats as one of the best Khao Soi restaurants in Chiang Mai. With such recommendations and a prestigious title, we were eager to taste this version of the Khao Soi, the famous Chiang Mai noodle dish. Locals and tourists quickly fill up the tables.

Between the old town and the Maya Mall is this small local joint that has become famous for its Khao Soi. Locals and tourists alike flood to this restaurant for its delicious food and affordability. The menu is fairly simple, and it makes no sense to order anything other than Khao Soi when you are here.

Khao Soi Mae Sai is one of the popular places to eat Khao Soi in Chiang Mai. The place has been very well reviewed on social media networks, websites, and even on local Thai TV programs. It even rewarded with Michelin Bib Gourmand for continuous 3 years (still counting!) for its good quality food.

Khao Soi Mae Sai Restaurant has some of the best beef in any khao soi that I have ever had (ข้าวซอยเนื้อ khao soi nuea). The large portions pieces they give in each bowl are ultra-tender, well marbled with fat, and great value for the low price they are charging here (40-50B depending on size).

A trip to Chiang Mai is not complete without having khao soi. So we shortlisted both Khao Soi Khun Yai and Khao Soi Maesai and were devasted when the former was not opened. (´-ω-`) Luckily Khao Soi Maesai was opened and served us one of the best khao soi that we had in Chiang Mai!

You’ll see them everywhere but my personal favorite is at Khao Soi Mae Sai. Despite its creamy like texture, no dairy products are added to the soup (they use coconut milk) nor nuts. I eat like a baby monster so I always order two bowls because one is simply never enough.

Khao Soi Mae Sai The taste of khao soi here is rich and mellow because it is a delicious menu from the northern region that the restaurant prepares using a Chiang Rai style recipe. In addition, the Khanom Jeen Nam Ngiao menu at the restaurant is equally delicious.

Khao Soy Maesai is another of the traditional places that’s easy to walk to from old town. And hence gets a bad reputation as being a tourist joint. But the traditional style of their soup is my favorite and it really wasn’t that crowded when we were there.

Khao Soy Maesai ร้านข้าวซอยแม่สาย serves the most famous dish of Chiang Mai, Khao Soi. This is a Thai Curry Noodle with influence around the region. It comes with chicken or beer and is topped with crispy noodles.

If you’re on the hunt solely for Khao Soi, you’ll find a great one at Khao Soi Mae Sai, just across the road from Huen Muan Jai. South of the Old City, Khao Soi Lung Prakit Kaat Gorm is another notable spot.

The fiery green chipotle-like chilli paste is served as a dip to accompany snacks like sai ua and kap moo. Nam Prik Noom is also delicious when paired with crudité-type fresh or steamed vegetables.

The top three are all super delicious, and are all so close that they’re almost interchangeable; Khao Soi Islam restaurant was the only dud in the bunch (and even it was still pretty tasty).

Khao Soi Mae Sai offered an all-around delicious bowl of this curry noodle soup. The broth was bold, with a hearty spicy kick. It was rich in coconut milk without being too creamy.

It has this very rich soup with just the right level of spiciness. And generous amount of topping, too. I like Khao Soi Moo, which is Khao Soi with pork.

Place to eat : They’re so many but I like to go “Khao soi khun yai” “Khao soi Maesai” “Khao soi Lung Prakit Kad Kom” “Khao soi Suthasinee 3