🔄 Updated 3 Jun 2026
Khao soi is egg noodles in a coconut-milk curry built on northern Thai curry paste, topped with crispy fried noodles and eaten with pickled mustard greens, sliced shallots and lime. You'll usually have a choice of chicken (most often a drumstick) or braised beef. What sets the shops apart is the broth — some go deep and spice-forward, others lean sweet and creamy from the coconut milk, and the heat level varies a lot from one place to the next. We ranked these by local popularity plus how consistent the flavor is, not by social-media fame alone.
How to read this ranking
A lower spot on this list doesn't mean a shop isn't good. Khao soi comes down a lot to personal taste — someone who loves a deep, intense broth and someone who loves a mild, creamy one will pick different shops. So we spell out what each place does best, to help you land on the one that suits your own palate.
Ranking: 10 Khao Soi Shops in Chiang Mai
Khao Soi Mae Sai (Nimman)
The old-guard shop that locals and foreign reviewers name most often. The broth is well balanced — fragrant with coconut milk but never cloying, spiced just enough — and the braised beef is fall-apart tender with nice marbling, the noodles chewy and soft. The strength here is that everything is good with no weak spot, and it sits in walkable Nimman, which makes it a great first stop if you've just arrived in Chiang Mai.
Khao Soi Khun Yai (Old City, Soi Si Phum 3)
A shop down a small lane near the Old City that many Chiang Mai locals call one of their absolute favorites. The chicken khao soi really stands out, with the broth and noodles working together perfectly, and the vibe is laid-back like eating at someone's home. Prices are easy on the wallet. The catch is that it's only open for a short window and usually sells out fast — get there before noon.
Khao Soi Lamduan Fa Ham (original branch)
A Chiang Mai khao soi institution, open for more than 70 years on Charoenrat Road out in Fa Ham. The broth is rich and rounded with spice, the original recipe that the parents' generation grew up eating since childhood. Prices are friendly. It gets packed at lunch, so leave extra time for both the wait and parking.
Khao Soi Samoejai Fa Ham
Another old-guard shop beside Wat Fa Ham, in the same area as Lamduan and open for over 30 years. The broth is rich, the chicken and beef are nicely tender, and you can add pork satay and other northern Thai dishes. Plenty of Chiang Mai locals will argue over which is better between Lamduan and Samoejai — since they're close together, try both and decide for yourself.
Khao Soi Islam (Charoen Prathet)
A Muslim / Chin Haw (Yunnanese) khao soi shop that's been part of the Charoen Prathet area for over 70 years. It's halal khao soi with a spice-fragrant broth and a really good house-made chili paste. It's known for beef and braised-beef khao soi, and you can order biryani (khao mok) alongside. The flavor is clearly different from the usual coconut-heavy khao soi.
Khao Soi Mae Manee (on the way to Mae Rim)
An out-of-town shop on the road up to Mae Rim that several foreign reviewers rank near the top. The broth is deep and bold, fragrant with spices, with care taken over the details and good service. It's a fit if you have a car and are heading out of town anyway, or want to stop on the way to Mon Cham.
Khao Soi Lung Prakit, Kad Kom (the "Netflix" khao soi)
A shop inside Kad Kom market south of the Old City that blew up after appearing on foreign media, to the point people now just call it the Netflix khao soi. The draw is a big bowl of braised-beef khao soi — fall-apart tender beef in a rounded broth — and it's very cheap for the portion. Both locals and tourists mix here.
Khao Soi Rot Yiam (Suthep Road)
A shop on Suthep Road near Chiang Mai University that students and people working nearby eat at regularly. It's known for fall-apart braised beef and a rich broth, at prices that are kind to a student budget. This is an everyday, eat-for-real spot rather than a photo place.
Tong Tem Toh (Nimman)
A well-known northern Thai restaurant in a Nimman soi, set in an old wooden house, with a long queue almost every day. The khao soi here is done well for a northern Thai restaurant — but it's not a dedicated khao soi shop. It's a fit if you want khao soi along with nam prik ong, sai ua (northern sausage) and other northern dishes in one meal, though prices run higher than a regular khao soi shop.
Huen Muan Jai
A Lanna-style northern Thai restaurant around the Chang Phueak area, where you can order a full northern spread along with khao soi. It works well for groups or a big sit-down meal. The khao soi is done well, but the standout is the nam prik spread and the mixed northern dishes. Prices are mid-range — not a roadside khao soi stall, but a comfortable place to sit with parking.
Want to taste deeper? Try a Chiang Mai food tour or cooking class
Half a day with a local who knows the lanes — or cooking a dish yourself — teaches you more than just eating. Book ahead on Klook or GetYourGuide.
How to Pick the Shop That Fits Your Taste
The simplest way is to sort the shops by broth style and location first, then choose based on which zone you're staying in that day. There's no need to drive across the city for a single shop, because Chiang Mai has good khao soi spread across every zone.
- You like a deep, spice-fragrant broth — head to the Fa Ham side (Lamduan, Samoejai) or Mae Manee out of town
- You like a balanced, easy-to-eat broth — Mae Sai in Nimman, or Khun Yai in the Old City
- You want a halal / Chin Haw flavor, not heavy coconut — Khao Soi Islam in the Charoen Prathet area
- You're after a good-value, beef-heavy bowl — Lung Prakit at Kad Kom
- You want khao soi with a full northern spread in one meal — Tong Tem Toh or Huen Muan Jai
Chicken or beef?
If you've never had it, start with chicken khao soi — the flavor is more middle-of-the-road and familiar. Braised-beef khao soi is heavier and more spice-forward. The shops best known for beef are Lamduan, Islam and Lung Prakit.
Prices, Hours and a Few Small Bits of Etiquette
- Price per bowl — roadside khao soi shops run around 40–60 THB, while sit-down northern restaurants like Tong Tem Toh and Huen Muan Jai are 60–70 THB and up
- Hours — many old-guard shops open morning to afternoon (roughly 08:00–17:00) and often sell out before closing, so if you've got your eye on a famous one, go before noon
- Cash — a lot of small shops take cash or PromptPay, so carrying small bills is handy
- The condiments — the pickled greens, shallots and lime on the table aren't just garnish; a squeeze of lime and some pickled greens cut the richness of the coconut broth nicely
- Parking — the Fa Ham side gets jammed at lunch, so leave time to find a spot, or take a Grab to make it easier
Had your khao soi? Round out the rest of your Chiang Mai trip
See the Chiang Mai travel guide →