Eating in Chiang Mai – Part Sep’09

(September 2009)

Like many popular tourist destinations in Thailand, you can find all sorts of food in Chiang Mai. Yes, including bugs!

Besides the standard Thai restaurants and American fast-food outlets, there are Chinese, European, Japanese, Korean, and Middle-Eastern restaurants.

As usual, I went for the local street food.

Northern Thai cuisine is less spicy-hot than Central & Southern Thai cuisine.

This dish of fish noodle (fish paste in noodle shape), fish balls, fish cakes, and fish dumplings (with minced pork filling) is similar to those found in MY & SG.

30 to 50 Bath (RM3.10 to RM5.10) a bowl depending on the ingredients.

Grilled eggplants, garlic cloves, chili peppers, sweet corns, yam, sweet potatoes, and the ever popular grilled bananas. About 10 Baht (RM1) a piece or skewer.

Steamed pork meatballs. Those closer to the camera are really big! I mean those meatballs are 3 times the size of those in skewers.

This is a popular dish in the Chinatown area in Chiang Mai. The broth is similar to Penang curry with cubes of pork blood, just like Penang curry mee. You can add as much bean sprouts, chopped green beans, shredded carrots, and pickled vegetables as you like. Less than 20 Baht (RM2.10) a bowl.

This is the good stuff: deep-fried insects! Take your pick and get a small bag as snacks to munch on for 10 Baht (RM1).

This doesn’t taste like chicken :-) This tastes more like crunchy chips or nuts.

This is also similar to those found in MY & SG: creamy rice porridge with minced and lean pork with an egg. I found this in the morning in front of the Night Bazaar Hotel. 35 Baht (RM3.60) a bowl.

 

Grilled eggplant salad which is common in restaurants serving Northern Thai cuisine.

Beef noodle with dark but clear broth which is very Teowchew style. Starting at 35 Baht (RM3.60) a bowl.

Mixed rice is common in Thailand, just like in MY & SG. Take your pick. The chili crabs are so gooooood!

 

You’ll also find the popular grilled pork meatballs and sausages here, just like in Bangkok, Phuket, etc. Starting at 10 Bath (RM1) a piece.

Something new is the extra large sausages which is mixed with glutinous rice. It’s a meal in itself.

For 20 Baht (RM2.10), you get this delicious and filling seafood omelette. I counted at least 20 mussels.

The signature dish of Chiang Mai: khao soi which is curry-based dish with egg noodle, normally served with shallots and pickled vegetables on the side.

This is khao soi with brown rice noodle. The noodle has a slightly sticky and chewing consistency, which is similar to the Bai Guo 白粿, the white, flat, and elongated rice noodle.

Nasi biryani/briyani is also common in Chiang Mai, especially in the many halal restaurants.

This is the common pork noodle in Thailand. If you ask for the dish without soup, don’t expect the noodle to be in light and dark soy sauce. The version without soup means with less soup.

 

Yen Ta Four is something new to me. The tomato sauce is similar to yong tau foo tomato sauce or the Kuching tomato kuey teow sauce. This dish seems to be very popular in Northern Thailand.

In fact, could the name be a variation of yong tau foo?

Til my next Chiang Mai trip…