Looking for the Best Khao Soi in Chiang Mai? Look no further! My Thai husband and I ate our way through the most popular Khao Soi restaurants in this Northern Thai city so that you don't have to.
Chiang Mai is famous for many things - historic temples, scenic mountain views, elephant sanctuaries, and fascinating festivals to name a few. But one of the biggest draws for us to this Northern Thai city is none other than Khao Soi. Yes, this delicious Thai curry noodle soup is said to have originated in Chiang Mai, and you can find some of the best versions in the world there.
When we visited Chiang Mai last, my husband and I hired a tuk tuk to take us to the most popular Khao Soi restaurants in the city. We spent the day eating one delicious bowl of Khao Soi after another, taking notes, comparing, and deciding upon our favorites. Hubby was lucky enough to visit Chiang Mai again more recently, and was able to resample some of our old favorites and try out some newer restaurants as well. Here are our notes in an attempt to find the best Khao Soi in Chiang Mai.
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Evaluation Criteria
In order to be as objective and consistent as possible, we developed evaluation criteria for the Khao Soi we tasted. The curry noodle soups were rated on the taste of the noodles, curry broth, fried noodle topping, and condiments. We also made notes about the atmosphere, clientele, and other offerings of the restaurants.
In an effort to reduce variables, we only ordered Khao Soi with chicken. We also sampled the vast majority of the dishes on one day, venturing from one restaurant to the other, in order to more accurately compare between samples. We conducted two samplings, with ten years in between them, to see if our ratings changed over time.
In total we tasted khao soi from ten different restaurants. Below are our top six picks for the best Khao Soi in Chiang Mai. These are the restaurants that we would happily visit again and again. They are listed in rough order of preference, starting with our top choices.
1. Khao Soi Lung Prakit Kad Kom
Popularized by the Netflix show Somebody Feed Phil, Khao Soi Lung Prakit Kad Kom (AKA "Khao Soi Netflix") lives up to the hype. The curry broth has a wonderfully round, well-balanced flavor. It is bold, rich, and creamy without being overpowering. The braised chicken leg was extremely tender, basically falling off the bone. The noodles were the perfect texture, not too soft and not too hard. The crispy noodles on top were freshly fried and added a delicious crunchy texture. The lime, shallots, and pickled mustard greens served on the side were fresh, and necessary to cut the richness of the curry broth.
After finishing our bowls, my husband and I agreed that this is a khao soi we could eat everyday. In addition to the curry noodle soup they're famous for, Khao Soi Lung Prakit offers Khao Man Gai and Guay Tiew noodle soups. Just be sure to go early or prepare for a wait, as the restaurant can get quite busy. If there is a line, hand your written order to a server, and they will call you as soon as a table is ready.
Address: 53 Suriyawong 5 Rd, Tambon Hai Ya, Mueang Chiang Mai District, Chiang Mai 50100, Thailand
2. Khao Soi Mae Sai
Khao Soi Mae Sai offered an all-around delicious bowl of this curry noodle soup. The broth was bold, with a hearty spicy kick. It was rich in coconut milk without being too creamy. The noodles were exceptional - springy and chewy but also tender. We also loved the crispy flat noodles on top. The chicken drumstick was tender, although not as "fall off the bone" as the chicken at Lung Prakit. The soup was topped with chopped cilantro, and all of the requisite condiments on the side were fresh and high quality.
When we arrived, the restaurant was quite crowded with locals. You will need to serve yourself water and soda, and can buy other freshly prepared snacks at the cash register. In addition to khao soi, Mae Sai offers several other noodle soups including Guay Tiew and Khanom Jeen Nam Ngiao.
Address: 29, 1 Ratchaphuek Alley, Tambon Chang Phueak, Mueang Chiang Mai District, Chiang Mai 50300, Thailand
3. Khao Soi Samerjai
The khao soi at Samerjai is best described as bold. The curry broth was deeply flavorful, intense with spice and heavy on the oil. A ladle of coconut milk was added right before serving to supply a little creaminess. Two pieces of succulent bone-in chicken were served in each bowl. The boiled noodles were thick and chewy, in the best possible way. The crispy noodles were quite crunchy, making them a perfect textural contrast to the brothy soup.
When we visited, Khao Soi Samerjai was packed with locals for lunch. It's got plenty of seating. There are also plenty of other menu options, from green curry and fried tofu to more traditional Northern Thai specialties like Khanom Jeen Nam Ngiao and Sai Oua. Samerjai is within walking distance from Lam Duan, so it's easy to visit both of these famous restaurants and make your own comparison!
4. Khao Soi Khun Yai
Khao Soi Khun Yai translates to Grandma's Khao Soi, and the curry noodle soup here was as delicious as you'd expect from a secret family recipe. The curry broth had a unique combination of herbs that made it stand out from the other soups we sampled. It was not particularly creamy, except for the coconut milk that was drizzled on top. This khao soi came with pieces of chicken rather than a bone-in drumstick, but fortunately these pieces were incredibly tender and flavorful. The fried noodles were piled high on top of the broth. They were thin and round rather than our preferred flat, medium thickness noodles. We were most impressed with the freshness and quality of the lime wedges, pickled mustard greens, shallots, and roasted chili paste served as condiments.
Khao Soi Khun Yai is tucked away in a small plot next to Wat Kuan Kama Temple. When we visited, the restaurant was packed with locals for lunch. Therefore, the service was slow, but we felt it was definitely worth the wait!
Address: QXWM+47J, Sri Poom 8 Alley, Tambon Si Phum, Mueang Chiang Mai District, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
5. Khao Soi Lam Duan Fa Ham
Khao Soi Lam Duan Fa Ham has been in business for decades and consistently tops the charts for the Best Khao Soi in Chiang Mai. After sampling their khao soi with chicken, we heartily agree. Although more soupy than creamy, the curry broth was packed with intense flavor and spice. The chicken drumstick was small, but very tender. The soft noodles really stood out, with a delightful chewy yet pliable texture. The crispy noodles that topped our bowls of Khao Soi were freshly fried and crunchy, although we found ourselves wishing there were more of them.
Khao Soi Lam Duan is housed inside a tall building reminiscent of a school cafeteria. When we arrived, it was already packed with locals. We were instructed to find a seat at an already crowded table. Our order showed up mere minutes after we ordered. In addition to Khao Soi, we enjoyed a delicious serving of satay with peanut sauce.
Fun fact: My father-in-law grew up in this neighborhood of Chiang Mai. He used to go to the Lam Duan's house to play as a child 🙂
Address: 352 22 ถนน เจริญราษฎร์ Tambon Wat Ket, Mueang Chiang Mai District, Chiang Mai 50000, Thailand
6. Khao Soi Nimman
Khao Soi Nimman offers a delicious bowl of khao soi in a more upscale environment. The restaurant itself is quite large, with indoor and outdoor seating options and tasteful decor featuring hanging lanterns and beautiful woodwork.
The curry broth of the khao soi at Nimman was rich and thick. We felt it had the same depth of flavor as Lam Duan, but with more creamy coconut milk flavor. It was served with a whole leg of chicken, and the meat was soft and juicy. The noodles were cooked slightly al dente, but still absorbed the flavor of the broth nicely. The fried noodle topping was very crispy, and the condiments were fresh. In addition to the standard options of chicken, pork, and beef, Khao Soi Nimman offers less traditional meats including calamari, shrimp, crab, and even sai oua in their Khao Soi. They also have a full menu from exotic appetizers such as fried bamboo worms to the more traditional mango sticky rice for dessert.
More Options
The restaurants presented above fulfilled our criteria for what makes a delicious bowl of Khao Soi: supremely rich and flavorful broth, succulent chicken, soft chewy noodles in the soup and plenty of crisp, freshly fried noodles on top.
We also visited two highly-rated restaurants that serve halal versions of this noodle soup, Khao Soi Prince* and Khao Soi Islam. It was interesting to taste these versions, as they are somewhat different from the other bowls of Khao Soi we sampled. The main difference was in the broth, which was thinner and lacked the depth of flavor we've come to associate with modern Thai Khao Soi. However, if you're interested in sampling Khao Soi in what's said to be its more "original" form, be sure to check these restaurants out.
*We sampled Khao Soi Prince when it was located near the elementary school my husband attended, Prince Royal's College. It has since moved to the Mae Jo area on the outskirts of town. We have not sampled it since it moved.
In Conclusion
Chiang Mai is not lacking in restaurants that specialize in Khao Soi. After sampling our way through some of the most highly-recommended establishments, we've concluded that it's really hard to go wrong with any of them. Each restaurant's version of this Thai curry noodle soup was unique, but they were all absolutely delicious. We look forward to sampling them time and again the next time we're in Chiang Mai!
Adam Miceli
We enjoyed Khao Soi Khun Yai while in Chiang Mai in 2018, was very spicy, but excellent. Definitely the best we've had.