Best Food City In The World – Chiang Mai, Thailand?

I’m not too much of a hardcore foodie to the point where I Instagram every meal I eat, or check-in to every restaurant I’m at on Facebook, but I definitely love a good meal. I’ll drive far and wide in order to try an awesome meal. Being a Chicagoan, I have a huge love affair with food. While living in Milwaukee, I took a 2 hour drive to Chicago, just to eat at Hot Doug’s for the very first time. So when I came out to Chiang Mai, I thought my options were very limited in food (not that Thai food is bad. In fact, I love Thai food). I was shocked when I found that Chiang Mai has not only great food, but has to be one of the greatest food cities in the world.

It all starts with the Chiang Mai Sunday Night Walking Street. This place is packed with tourists and locals alike. Most come here for the beautiful wares and souvenirs that are very reasonably priced. However, what this place is equally known food is its awesome array of food. In fact, the Sunday Night Walking Street was featured in Newsweek’s ” World’s 101 Best Places to Eat” , a list that was compiled by some of the most renowned chefs in the world. Along with traditional northern Thai food, such as Thai sausages, papaya salad, noodles in various forms, and coconut juice, there is also a hint of international cuisine, such as Indian (which I always frequent), Japanese, and Chinese stalls scattered all over the walking street and inside the temples. And just as the norm in Thailand, everything is very reasonably priced. A plate of the non-vegetarian Thali set at the Indian food stall is 100 baht (about US$3) and you can find Thai sausages on the street for 10 baht (about 30 cents). If you’re paranoid about getting sick off of street food, I have lived here for a year and I have never gotten sick from street food. The street food culture is something I wish we would adopt back home.

If you are like me, an American expat who has not been home in a year, you start to miss American food. And if that is the case, luckily, there is a place in Chiang Mai that can fulfill all of your cravings from home. Located on the northern side of the moat, it is a Cajun/soul food restaurant run by an expat from New Orleans. You are welcomed to the restaurant with a plate of jalapeno cornbread and butter, a rarity here in Chiang Mai. One bite of it and you feel like you’re in the Deep South at a family barbecue. The main speciality is the Carolina pulled pork BBQ. It is even cooked in the Carolina-style, with a grill made out of an oil drum. And don’t get me started on the barbecue sauce. However, there are other meats, such as pulled chicken and duck, which is cooked in the same manner. Along with Carolina barbecue, there is that other famous soul food dish, chicken and waffles. The waffles are huge and covered with honey, while the fried chicken breasts are covered with sausage gravy. Again, the prices are very reasonable ($4 for a plate of food on the average). While you think with most foreign food restaurants, “OK, this is good for Chiang Mai and Thailand,” Three Little Pigs is a place that can easily compete with any restaurant back in America.

Chiang Mai is a place that attracts a lot of tourists and expats alike for its low prices and laid-back living. However, what most people here take for granted is the food culture; it truly is a unique experience, away from New York, Paris, Tokyo, or dare I say it? Chicago. But one trip to Chiang Mai, you’ll truly appreciate the fare that this northern Thai city has to offer.

Tags: best food, chiang mai, expat in thailand, food city, thai food, thailand