Chiang Mai is one of the most popular cities to visit in Thailand, and a real favourite with foreigners.
This city is a lot more relaxed than Bangkok, and there are so many cultural highlights including temples, shops, markets, cookery courses, elephant sanctuaries, day trips and so much more.
When in Chiang Mai you have a lot of choice when it comes to eating out, there are lots great street food options, whilst there are also hundreds of cafes and restaurants dotted around the city.
One of my absolute favourite places I ate when in Chaing Mai was Huen Phen restaurant. This is why it is one of the best places to go.
Huen Phen Review
Huen Phen for lunch:
During the day time Huen Phen is open as a canteen style Thai kitchen, think tip top street food but indoors and with proper tables and chairs.
You can get a whole tonne of dishes here and its known as haivng one of the best Khao Soi in Chiang Mai, if you havent tried Khao Soi, its Burmese influence dish made with a thick sweet curry sauce, boiled and crispy egg noodles and meat. If that doesnt take your fancy (well, lets not be silly who doesnt fancy that?!) but just incase there are a lots and lots of other dishes such as traditional northern Thai spicy sausage, several curries, etc.
All the dishes are cheap street food prices, around 30-60฿ (£0.60-1.20/$1.00-2.00).
Huen Phen for dinner:
In the evening and nighttime service moves inside into a packed out restaurant full of antiques, Buddha statues and plants! Its a crazy but awesome looking place, there is a more extensive menu that the lunch canteen menu and the food is mostly served in the tradition Thai style as large dishes to share amongst the table.
I cant honestly say i can pick a favourite dish as they were all so tasty but i would definitely recommend Khantoke. Khantoke is a tradition northern Thai meal, it is meant to share between a few people and is lots of small dishes served together, it works perfectly for someone like me who is indecisive and wants to try everything because you get lots of small servings of different dishes.
This meal was by far my best meal in Chiang Mai and even one of the best meals i’ve eaten in Thailand, in fact after writing this i might have a look at fights to Chiang Mai just purely so i can eat this meal all over again!
Whether you go for lunch or dinner, you can be sure to find real honest and traditional northern Thai food here. I honestly cant recommend it enough! If you go in the evening i’d recommend booking beforehand as they get very busy, and when you arrive you might walk straight past the entrance its a tiny very green path in from the street to the right of the canteen entrance.
Where is Huen Phen, Chiang Mai?
• Huen Phen in located in the heart of the old city area in Chiang Mai.
• Address: เชืยงใหม่, 112 Phra Sing, Mueang Chiang Mai District, 50200, Thailand
Huen Phen phone number for reservation: 053 277 103
I really loved the food at Huen Phen, they definitely served some of the tastiest food in south east Asia. Do you have any more recommendations for places to eat in Chiang Mai? Let me know in the comments section below.
