Internationally, Chiang Mai may be more known for its cultural riches, but the northern Thai city has long been recognised as a culinary destination amongst the country’s foodies, even before the arrival of Bibendum in 2020.
The city’s centre of cool – Nimmanhemin Road – is lined with cafés, boutiques, galleries, and restaurants, with yet more places to eat tucked away within its leafy sois. The kilometre-long strip is manageable on foot, perfect for between-meal strolls to work up an appetite for the next stop.
Next time you’re around Nimmanhemin, check out these five MICHELIN-listed eateries.
Ginger Farm Kitchen, Bib Gourmand, MICHELIN Guide Thailand 2022
Occupying the corner spot at the One Nimman shopping complex, Ginger Farm Kitchen is every bit as photogenic and homy as you could imagine a houseware brand to be (which is Ginger Farm’s other hat). Hipster rustic barn vibes aside, the restaurant serves up a fresh farm-to-city concept with local flavours – including Mae Hong Son-style hang lay curry, and crispy free-range pork belly served with homemade pickled cucumbers. The menu is heavy on Northern dishes, but with some modern interpretations, such as spaghetti with Northern style sausage or tom yam with crispy chicken skin. Ingredients are sourced locally and organic whenever possible, including from their own farm in Saraphi.
Gai Yang Cherng Doi, MICHELIN-Recommended, MICHELIN Guide Thailand 2022
For close to a decade, this casual eatery – hidden down an alley between Nimmanhemin Soi 2 and Soi 4 – has been the go-to place for Isan delights, including its namesake chicken grilled to crispy-skin perfection, plus a selection of lab (minced meat salad), yam (spicy salad), and som tam (green papaya salad). Diners jot down what they want on the order form, but they also have an English language menu with pictures if you need.
Yangzi Jiang, MICHELIN-Recommended, MICHELIN Guide Thailand 2022
If all the Chinese signage on Nimmanhemin leaves you craving Chinese food, you’re in luck. Just turn down Soi 5 for a taste of what’s arguably the best Cantonese food in town, including a decent selection of dim sum – think steamed bean curd with beef meatballs, rice noodle rolls, and scallop dumplings with black truffles – as well as the ever-popular Peking duck. Barbecued suckling pig is also on offer, but you need to order in advance for the privilege.
Blackitch Artisan Kitchen, MICHELIN-Recommended, MICHELIN Guide Thailand 2022
You have to walk through the ground floor of an unassuming townhouse in Nimmanhemin Soi 7 – past shelves full of jars filled with foods in various stages of fermentation – to get to this 16-seater chef’s table on the second floor. Chef Phanuphon “Black” Bulsuwan spent years in Japan, so you can see Japanese cooking techniques and influences. But this champion of local produce sources 100% of his ingredients from all over Thailand, including pretty obscure ones such as pla krapong kiew (green snapper). The nine-course menu changes every couple of weeks, with servers (sometimes Chef Black or his pastry-chef wife Chef Beer) on hand to share their knowledge of Thai ingredients.
Jok Si Phing, MICHELIN-Recommended, MICHELIN Guide Thailand 2022
Though technically not on Nimmanhemin, this shophouse eatery on Suthep Road is close enough to the intersection to be an honorary addition to the list. Tables spill out onto the pavement, and you might have to share a table with strangers, but that’s fine, because you’re here for one thing only – the food. The menu includes noodle and rice dishes, but go for the shop’s namesake dish – jok, the ultimate comfort food. While waiting for your congee, try some homemade fried tofu and steamed dumplings to whet your appetite.
Hero image: © Ginger Farm Kitchen
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