WHERE TO EAT AND DRINK IN CHIANG MAI, THAILAND

After a brief hiatus travelling around Thailand, returning to the UK after 368 days abroad and driving up and down the country moving into my new student house, I'm back with another blog post. This time I'm compiling some of our favourite places to eat in Chiang Mai!

Chiang Mai is a foodie paradise, with a multitude of cheap, traditional and super tasty dishes available in all corners of the city. I was most excited for this stop on our trip after watching some Youtube videos (namely Kara and Nate) and it lived up to those expectations! The number of expats there shows what a chill and homely place it is outside of the hustle and bustle of Bangkok.

So without further ado, here's my list of recommended food places in Chiang Mai!

KHAO SOY MAESAI

I found this place from one of Kara and Nate's Youtube videos literally about food places in Chiang Mai. We were about 4 days into our Thailand trip and had only really consumed a variety of 7-Eleven toasties, so I made an active effort to make sure we ate something authentic! We made the 20 minute walk from our hotel in the Old City to the trendy Nimman district and down a few side streets to this absolute treat! I had the khao soy with pork, while my friends had the beef and chicken options. 

This is a classic Northern Thai dish which consists of soft and crunchy noodles covered in a spicy coconut broth. I wasn't brave enough to throw in the whole chunks of garlic into mine but we spied a few locals doing just that! Another thing I wanted to try in Thailand was Thai milk tea and this was the perfect place to do so. Its a sweet cold tea sweetened with a splash of condensed milk - which is perfect to counteract the spice of the khao soy! For about 45 baht (~£1.15) this was actually one of my favourite meals of my whole trip, while super easy on the budget!

ร้านข้าวซอยแม่สาย Khao Soy Maesai

29/1 Ratchaphuek Alley, Tambon Chang Phueak, Amphoe Mueang Chiang Mai, Chang Wat Chiang Mai 50300, Thailand

CHA-CHÁ BUBBLE TEA, MAYA MALL

Bubble tea in Asia is such a staple drink/snack to tide you over between meals. We came across this place in the Food Bazaar on the 4th floor of Maya Mall that did the trick to satisfy our refreshing drink needs (also helped with air conditioning and free wifi). For 30 baht (~77p), you could get one of these massive bubble teas in a variety of flavours with a hearty helping of tapioca pearls. I opted for strawberry green tea and thai milk tea both times I went and neither disappointed! For under a £1 for something that would probably cost closer to a fiver back at home there is absolutely nothing to complain about here!

MAYA Lifestyle Shopping Center

55 Huaykaew Rd, ตำบล ช้างเผือก อำเภอ เมืองเชียงใหม่ Chang Wat Chiang Mai 50300, Thailand

P. P. BUFFET

When you think of a buffet in Asia, the first thing that comes to mind is some sort of food poisoning, so when we opted for this place to eat on one of the nights it came as a surprise to all of us. The main deciding factor was that every time we walked past it was jam packed full of locals, so they can't all be wrong can they! For 200 baht (~£5) you got unlimited drinks and a full buffet of raw meat, fish and shellfish, alongside some cooked bao buns, chips and desserts! It was clear we definitely weren't experts and didn't even use the boiling pot next to our griddle. However, with unlimited food to choose from, no time limits, and surprisingly free wifi, this was a great spot to spend an evening!

B. B. Buffet

Arak Rd, Tambon Si Phum, Amphoe Mueang Chiang Mai, Chang Wat Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand

SUNDAY NIGHT FOOD MARKET

On our last night after spending the day with elephants (another blog post incoming), we had dinner at a variety of food stalls at the infamous Sunday Night Market. This market is massive spanning kilometres of the Old City streets, and definitely an ample place to buy your elephant trousers, buddha statues, and other assorted souvenirs (and much cheaper than the other places we'd been to in Thailand). 

I opted for some pork and sausage on sticks, a dragonfruit shake and some fresh mango sticky rice cut up in front of my very eyes! You can easily have a feast here while stumbling along the hundreds of stalls for 100-150 baht (~£2.50-£4). Charlotte and Rob also had some amazing waffles which were in the middle of the stalls on the road opposite Wat Phra Singh for about £1, absolute bargain compared to prices at home!

Sunday Night Market

Rachadamnoen Rd, Tambon Si Phum, Amphoe Mueang Chiang Mai, Chang Wat Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand

I hope this post helps anyone heading to Chiang Mai soon as it can be so hard finding good places to eat when you don't know the area! Have you been to any of these or have any other to recommend? Let me know in the comments or on social media!