Chom Cafe & Restaurant is a beautiful garden cafe. If you come to Chiang Mai it’s a must visit. If you are a kind of personality who likes to take the heart to rest among green garden atmospheres – than this is your place. Clouded by the sound of water flowing, many small and large trees, the smell of moss and ferns will make you feel like on drugs. The important thing: this place is not far from Chiang Mai city. Do not miss the Chom Café & Restaurant, which has a beautiful tropical Thai (Moss Garden) garden with food and relaxing music. Let your heart flow with the stream in this beautiful garden place. “Chom” is for the locals the abbreviation for Chiang Mai.

In addition to the beauty of the garden, Chom Cafe & Restaurant offers great food and beverages. Start with the “Chom Ginger Lemon” drink to refresh yourself with lemongrass extract. Or try the “Chom Purple Latte”, a purple potato drink with sweetness of fine honey and a shot of coffee soft  Latte foam, all a a special recipe of the shop.

Continue on the menu with a classic: Spaghetti Carbonara, served with carbonara sauce, freshly simmered, plate-by-plate. Crispy Bacon mixed with Parmesan cheese and raw egg yolks will let you melt away. Also do not miss the BBQ: grilled pork neck comes with a spicy sauce. Pork tenderloin, marinated with specific spices and herbs.

Credit: Chom Cafe and Restaurant Facebook

Location: 2 13 Moo 2 Somphot Chiang Mai 700 Pi Rd, Mae Hia, Mueang Chiang Mai 50100

This place is very popular so try making a booking in the morning or else prepare for a queue of 20-30min

Ohkajhu has opened its restaurant doors just for a few years in Chiang Mai but it’s already a legend. At first, you might not feel like going there as there was always a queue in front of the place and it’s decorated with these fancy icon cartoons, which all makes you feel this is a total Thai hype. There are many popular Thai places in Chiang Mai which attract large crowds but serve poor food and nobody seems to notice because it’s what you call Facebook Friendly Food.

It could take a while before you could get a reservation and book a table but since then, all your hesitations will disappear. This is really a top Chiang Mai restaurant in all its aspects: the quality of ingredients is very good, straight from farm to table, the chefs in the kitchen are good, even for the Italian dishes, the service is just great and very attentive, the atmosphere and the furniture are good and the price is very, very reasonable.

In a short time, this place will be one of your clear favorites, the only thing you’ve got to work through is the queue or the booking system, other than that all is perfect. Make sure you order your last dish before 9pm, often the staff will remind you but sometimes you’re overlooked.

The 50 baht salad is just unbeatable; there is no salad this size and this quality in Chiang Mai for this incredible price, a must-try.

The rice is real brown rice and not the lousy mixture of 95% white and 5% red rice that are being sold as brown rice in some vegetarian restaurants.

All other portions are rather big so it can even satisfy your appetite.

Okhajhu is one of several restaurants in Chiang Mai that work via the ‘farm-to-table’ concept: the gigantic farm in Maerim supplies plenty of vegetables that go straight to your table without the interference of a middleman. Other places which do that are Salad Terrace, but Salad Concept doesn’t.

Credit: สวนผัก โอ้กะจู๋ Facebook

Location: 410 moo 2 Chiang Mai Outer Ring Rd, Nong Chom, San Sai District, Chiang Mai 50210

Tong Tem Toh is located on Nimmanahaeminda Soi 13, an area outside the old city of Chiang Mai where you can find amazing restaurants. However, if you are looking for authentic Northern Thai food, Tong Tem Toh is the place to go in this area. The restaurant itself is spacious and has the authentic local Thai restaurant looks with wooden tables. Due to popularity, Tong Tem Toh has waiting queues around dinner time. Luckily the food gets served pretty quickly and usually, the maximum waiting time is around thirty minutes. You can obviously avoid this by visiting early, but keep in mind that the grilled meats are not available during day time. The restaurant closes at nine o’clock in the evening.

Another must-order at Tong Tem Toh is their Burmese Style Pork Curry (73 THB), which is actually the famous Northern Thai dish called Hang Lay. Compared to the signature dish Northern Style Horse D’Oeuvre, this Burmese Style Pork Curry is much more suitable for the Western taste palate. The delicious curry is creamy and has a bit of a peanut taste, but the best part is the incredibly tender chunks of pork.

The Fried Sweet Leaves with Egg (83 THB) is a real local favourite and is a simple yet tasty dish. The fried egg and leaves are covered in a sweet dressing and are perfectly suitable as a side dish. For example, it goes perfectly together with the popular Deep-Fried Streaky Pork in Fish Sauce (72 THB). These crunchy deep-fried bits of pork are popular among locals and goes really well with rice. Flavour wise not as exotic as the Northern Style Hors D’Oeuvre, but definitely tasty!

Credit: ต๋องเต็มโต๊ะ – TongTemToh Facebook

Location: 11 13 Nimmanahaeminda Road, Suthep, Mueang, Chiang Mai 50200

Hidden in an almost desolate alley, sits a hidden cuisine gem. Serving a fusion between western dishes with Thai flavors Redbox is one of the newest restaurants arriving in Chiang Mai’s ever-growing culinary scene. A fine dining establishment that’s settings and decor match the haute dishes. Their attention to detail and ingredients cannot be overlooked as even the most straightforward items on the menu receive a meticulous treatment. Try to watch attentively as the matcha tea is made by hand. Not an uncommon thing, but when you have a sip, you will be surprised at the sweetness of the drink. According to our server this tea had no sugar added. The sweetness came from the matcha itself. Robust in flavor with sweet notes dancing on the tongue after every sip.

The first dish highly recommended at your table is the Scallop Carpaccio. A beautifully plated meal is almost too pretty to eat. Of course, you would miss out on a delicious meal. Served with extra virgin olive oil, lemon grass, and some chili peppers, this has Thai flavors embedded into every crevice. It’s a perfect dish to be eaten in the famed hot Thai days. It is refreshing, tangy, and has a slight kick from the red peppers.

Hokkaido Octopus, sous vide and finished in the high-pressure cooker. Shallot and crispy onion puree. I’m sure we all have encountered the rubbery, chewy textures that mollusk can have, that was not the case here. The octopus was very tender, and the texture was excellent. The puree complemented the consistency and taste of the octopus and balanced the dish.

Credit: The Redbox Restaurant Facebook

Location: 6 Jannsaap Alley, Tambon Chang Phueak, Mueang Chiang Mai District, Chiang Mai 50300

Huen Muan Jai is located close to Hua Lin Corner, just outside the older parts of Chiang Mai. The restaurant can be recognized by its teak wooden structure. As Huen Muan Jai is completely made of teak wood, the atmosphere is unique. You instantly have the feeling you are entering something unusual, yet beautiful and traditional. This feeling will be increased when you notice the traditional decorations places all over the restaurant, such as traditional lamps, handwoven cloths and even a bicycle taxi. Huen Muan Jai is a two-story building with plenty of seats. But during high season, without a reservation, it’s almost a guarantee that you have to wait in line. Why? Because their traditional Northern Thai food is even better than the traditional atmosphere.

The menu of Huen Muan Jai is not that large, with six pages of Northern Thai food, however, the variety and uniqueness of these dishes are what makes it so good. The dishes are not that large, making it perfect to order several dishes per group in order to really experience the authentic Northern cuisine. The following dishes are highly recommended.

The first highly recommended dish is the Or Dep Muang (220 THB), which is a sample of several Northern appetizers. This includes two types of nam phrik, a Northern Thai dipping sauce. You dip it with steamed vegetables. One dip is made of green chillies, making it a bit spicy. The other dip is made of tomato and it more sweet and herby. The sample is also served with grilled pork belly, Northern Thai sausage, crispy baked pork and a Northern Thai pork curry. This appetizer is easily shareable with two and gives you the largest Northern Thai taste explosion available at Huen Muan Jai.

Credit: Huen Muan Jai เฮือนม่วนใจ๋ Facebook

Location: 24 Ratchaphuek Alley, Tambon Chang Phueak, Mueang Chiang Mai District, Chiang Mai 50300

Khao Soi Khun Yai is located in the northern parts of the old city of Chiang Mai at Sri Poom Road. It’s a little bit difficult to find as the outside of the building does not look like a typical restaurant. Another thing that you have to keep in mind is that Khao Soi Khun Yai is only open from ten o’clock in the morning until two o’clock in the afternoon. Khao Soi Khun Yai is a small place capable of serving six tables per time. Because of the small dining area, the short opening times and popularity, you can imagine that it will get busy during lunchtime. Also, on extremely busy days, they can run out of stock.

Khao soi is a Chiang Mai food favorite of crispy and soft egg noodles in a creamy, curry-like sauce made with coconut milk. It’s typically made with chicken or beef but some places offer versions with pork, shrimp, or fish as well.

Khao soi is usually served with a side of chopped red onions, pickled cabbage, and a wedge of lime. If you like, you can mix a packet of pork rinds into your khao soi for extra crunch.

Mark’s the man when it comes to Thai food so when he said Khao Soi Khun Yai offers the best khao soi in Chiang Mai, we knew we had to try it. And he was right. It was delicious, rich and creamy without being too sweet.

As Chiang Mai is known for its Khao Soi, visiting one of Chiang Mai’s best Khao Soi restaurants is an absolute must for every foodie. It is guaranteed that you will absolutely love the heroines and creaminess of this non-spicy curry.

Credit: authenticfoodquest.com, 2foodtrippers.com

Location: Sri Poom 8 Alley, Tambon Si Phum, Mueang Chiang Mai District, Chiang Mai 50200

At Ginger Farm Kitchen, all the main ingredients are sourced from local, sustainable and organic suppliers from different parts of Thailand, including meat raised without artificial growth hormones or unnecessary antibiotics.

Menu favorites include herb-marinated crispy pork belly (B225), which comes with three dips and homemade pickled cucumber cucumber; and northern-style crab paste (B135) served with organic veggies. For lighter fare, try the grilled organic long aubergine salad with prawns, minced pork, and quail eggs (B225). As far as flavors go, some of the dishes at the Bangkok establishment have been reconstructed to make it easier for those with modem tastebuds that are used to subtle flavor.

You can’t really say that you’ve dined here if you haven’t tried their drinks, such as Miss C-Loaded (B85), a refreshing soda drink that combines rosella, ginger, lime and honey, or Refreshing Summer (B120), a smoothie that blends mango, passion fruit and honey.

Credit: Ginger Farm Kitchen Facebook

Location: One Nimman Nimmanahaeminda Road, Suthep, Mueang Chiang Mai District, Chiang Mai 50200

This place will give you the nostalgia of being in a school cafeteria. You get in line, decide what to order from the menu, tell the vendor what you want (or point at it, no biggie), take the food, pay, grab utensils, and find yourself a table.

Oh, there’re also all-you-can-eat fresh vegetables for you to put on the noodles or on the side. And don’t forget to put away your stuff when you are done, remember, it’s like a cafeteria.

This is Fiat’s aunt’s favorite place to get noodles that would later become his favorite. His story is that the first experience with this place was 5 years ago when his aunt took him there.

Back then he thought his aunt made pretty good Nam Ngeow, so he went with no expectation. Plus, 20 Baht (75 cents) for a bowl of noodles sounded questionable.

Khao soi and northern Thai sausage may get all the press, but the dish most beloved by natives of northern Thailand just might be humble khanom jeen, thin, round rice threads. Open since 1977 and located in a market during its off-hours, this place serves the noodles with five different curry-like toppings. Northerners beeline for nam ngiaw, a bolognese-like mixture of minced pork and tomatoes, but the central Thai-style coconut milk curries are also delicious.

Credit: ขนมจีนสันป่าข่อย ไฮโซล้านนา Facebook

Location: 11/1 Thongkam market  Tasatoi Alley, Mueang Chiang Mai District, Chiang Mai 50000

Dine amongst gum (eucalyptus) trees (which was a bit of a surprise since we are in Chiang Mai) and gorgeous flower garden overlooking a reservoir. After dinner (or lunch) you can even take a walk on the other side of the reservoir for some great views of Chiang Mai City.

Galae restaurant mainly serves Thai and Northern Thai food. Their large menu is presented in Thai only, but like many other eating venues, the available dishes are accompanied by pictures, so it is not that difficult to order.  Prices are surprisingly – because of the more exotic surroundings – quite affordable. This also counts for the drinks. Because of its popularity among Thai locals, the place can be crowded, so service can be a bit slow sometimes. But the food tastes delicious. This is a great place to enjoy a relaxed lunch followed by a stroll through the beautiful garden.

Indulge in delicious Thai dishes like spicy fishcakes, soups and curries while you admire the view from the side of the lake nearby Doi Suthep Mountain. If you’re wondering what’s a must-try dish here – feel free to order Gai Galae, Galae’s signature Baked Whole Chicken served in foil. The chicken is tender and well marinated with the gravy, a secret tomato and cashew nut sauce that balances sweet and savoury very well indeed.

Credit: ร้านอาหารกาแล เชียงใหม่, Galae restaurant Chiang Mai -Real Fanpage- Facebook

Location: 65 Moo 1 Suthep Rd, Tambon Su Thep, Mueang Chiang Mai District, Chiang Mai 50200

The terrific staff works hard, stays positive and makes this place great. Good service is something guests appreciate here. The Salad Concept provides you with a great choice of dishes for attractive prices. When inside, the atmosphere is peaceful.

If you feel like pampering yourself with an abundance of healthy veggies and vitamin-booming fruits this is the place to go. They serve an array of salads with homemade dressings and different delicious smoothies based on multiple wholesome ingredients. It is the perfect stop if you are on a diet and on the hunt for voluminous dishes with low calories, which still tingle your taste buds. All their ingredients are hydroponic and hence pesticide free. The story behind The Salad Concept is fascinating; the father of the sisters who own it, a retired CMU chemistry dean, fell ill with cancer. He wanted to heal himself by boosting his system with antioxidants and created an ‘anti-cancer juice’ based on apples, guava, ginger, celery, and wheatgrass – and it did the job! Daddy’s health was restored and his daughters were inspired into combining his knowledge with their culinary skills. Healthy, tasty snacks at very affordable prices which you can enjoy in a cool setting, with another branch at Central Festival Mall.

The Salad Concept in Chiang Mai serves a large variety of salads, homemade dressings and healthy juices. They use clean, fresh and pesticide free vegetables, and their dressings are free from preservatives, coloring agents and MSG.

Credit: The Salad Concept Facebook

Location: 49/9-10 nimman rd. Suthep, Mueang Chiang Mai District, Chiang Mai 50200