A stall or market that is very popular with tourists - especially 'farang' without much knowledge of the taste of genuine Thai food - can't be 'trusted' as a place to amaze your tastebuds. A stall that has plenty of local Thai customers is more likely to be authentic - though generally they might not seek tourists (their menu in all-thai emphasizes this) and speak no word of English - they can be worth the visit. These shops, which seem to have been along the canal at some point before the tourist boom, have moved to back roads or further away because of the increasing costs in rent. A basic understanding in Thai will be very useful in opening up a whole new range of gourmet possibilities.

Chiang Mai's restaurants offer a wide range of food, second only to Bangkok. Naturally it's a good place to sample northern Thai food: in particular, hunt down some khao soi, yellow wheat noodles in curry broth, traditionally served with chicken (gai) or beef (neua), but available some places as vegetarian or with seafood - see listings below. Another local specialty is hang ley, Lanna-style pork curry. There is also a wide range of excellent international food restaurants, from cheap hamburger stands to elaborate Italian eateries.

When you come to Chiang Mai you should try a khantoke dinner and show. Although these are just for tourists it is still a nice way to spend an evening. The first khantoke dinner was held in 1953 by Professor Kraisi Nimanhemin who wanted to host a special event for 2 friends leaving Chiang Mai. Two more such dinners were held, both in 1953, thus "khantoke" dinners are not "historic", but rather a relatively recent invention. Khantoke literally means small bowl, low table (khan = small bowl. tok = low table) There are also many garden restaurants where you can enjoy an excellent Thai meal in a beautiful setting.

The range and value of Western food in Chiang Mai is unsurpassed in Northern Thailand and there is a full range of restaurants from Australian/British/Irish, through French and German to Italian, Spanish, American and Mexican. In fact considering how remote Chiang Mai is from the major centres of population in Asia, it is remarkable how many Western restaurants there are! This is one city where eating Thai is not the only option.