Chiang Mai is a food paradise

[JaseTheBass]

I've yet to find someone who can cook really good Thai food in Chiang Mai. I've found OK stuff, but not really good.

There are a number of really good non-thai places here though.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

I think the Chiang Mai food scene is slightly overrated. As a huge foodie I have literally tried hundreds of restaurants in Chiang Mai over the last 2 years, I don't have a proper kitchen. I eat out almost daily, lunch and dinner and leave mildly disappointed most of the time. Only a handful of restaurants are actually worth the money, I find.

There's a couple of issues. The quality of ingredients is often lacking. When's the last time you had a tasty shrimp or prawn in this town? I had a few Spanish gambas during my last trip to Europe and it brought tears to my eyes. I had forgotten what they taste like.

Then there's leadership. Most restaurants lack it. In most restaurants the staff don't give a damn. When's the last time you've been to a restaurant where there's a clearly visible manager/owner leading things? A 18-year old with her face glued to her phone more likely.

I also think, and this was raised by LivingLOS in a previous post, that most of the food outlets are cost-driven. Food needs to be produced on the cheap and the dishes suffer from it. Why make a stock with actual bones when you can use a powder? Nobody notices, or so they think (and they're probably right).

Then there's the speed that food needs to be produced. Restaurants in Thailand have your food ready QUICKLY right? This is actually quite handy and convenient, but never conducive to a quality dish. Some food/dishes require TIME, of which there is none.

My two cents...

I mostly agree with you when it comes to proper restaurants and Western (or other Non-Thai) food. I think the best part of the food spectrum is for local food, as well as Western food where the focus is on value for money over 'top quality'. And I don't have a problem with 'solid home cooking' quality level when the price is right. That's about the highest attainable level in Chiang Mai.

You don't find world class restaurants in Chiang Mai, that's pretty much a given, and the places aspiring to that in terms of pricing and ambiance tend to fall short, leaving people disappointed.

And then seafood especially is virtually guaranteed to be a disappointment, being 800 km from the sea. (Not because it's impossible to fly in fresh seafood, but also there just isn't a 'culinary culture' of seafood, like you might find in Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, etc.

The article seemed to have a focus on street food and small restaurants, and for that Chiang Mai is a terrific place to try out lots of local dishes at minimal cost.

Edited March 1, 2016 by WinnieTheKhwai

[cmsally]

Way too much sugar, way too much salt and too much deep fried stuff.

Most things can be really good if cooked at home where you can leave out a lot of sugar and salt as well as use good quality ingredients.

A lot of the really local vegetables and herbs not on offer in restaurants or street food.

[Trujillo]

Newspaper reviews for destinations are always positive.

I've written this stuff before myself.

This is a great para:

"Even without the food, it’s a kind of paradise (It's not a paradise, it's a "kind of paradise." Equivocating.): close to the Myanmar border (Why on earth would being close to the border with Myanmar be paradisiacal? Sounds like an excuse to name drop an "exotic destination" for no reason.), modern yet resolutely traditional (They have spoons and forks, but also use chopsticks), spotlessly clean while never sterile (Unbelievably clean, clean clean! but not too clean. It's as if the cleaner you get, the less delicious your food will taste); easily navigable but filled with a thousand hidden treasures (Using large numbers for effect is a gimmick -- "10,000 miles from home," "The hills have a thousand eyes." If the "treasures" are hidden, wouldn't that mean you'd pass them by without even knowing it?), urban and chic (in part thanks to the large student population from the university) ("The" university? Chiang Mai's one university; what a large population you have....) but surrounded by hills and jungle."

"...Lanna (northern Thai) food...One of the most famous dishes in this tradition is laab, a punchy, smokey (in some cases raw) mincemeat, offal and blood salad." (Funny that the "national dish of Laos" and a favorite in Issan has become one of the most famous Lanna dishes. Either that or the writer hasn't got a clue.)

"I began to take things seriously then, researched all I could, even corralled Michelin-starred chef Andy Ricker, the US champion of Lanna (northern Thai) food into having coffee with me. I learned from him..."

(So you start your "research" after you arrive to do your story...hmmm...and although you "corralled" a Michelin-starred chef -- How many stars? Do you know? Do we care? -- there is not a single quote from him in the story. As an editor, this makes me suspicious. Did you corral him in the virtual pages of a Google search? Why would you speak to a chef (and the "US champion of Lanna" food, whatever that means) and not get a single word from him? Hmmm again.)

I could go on, but you get the gist. If you think you can churn out this sort of thing, there's a market for it. Start with inflight magazines.

By the way, I hate these overcooked HDR photos. I'd rather see what it really looks like instead of a Photoshopped-for-effect version.

[whiterussian]

Half the fun over a decade here has been finding the hidden gems.

Tharnthong Lodge has to be near the top of the list.

http://www.tharnthonglodges.com/tharnthong/home.php

Then there's the roast pork stall down the road from San K hot springs

The turmeric rice n chicken shop near the elephant gate

but the winner for me has to be the Thai-Chinese kow tom place along from Gecko bar.

Chilli roasted squid every time for me, Shellfish for her...£2.50 a plate, a coffee in a Styrofoam cup in the UK probably costs that these days

Home cooked is good too, fave local dish is Tam Kanoon (mashed spicy jackfruit curry thing) - I swear that stuff is addictive

Edited March 1, 2016 by whiterussian

[elektrified]

The article lost me before I read a single word with the pic of the cowgirl who sells that terrible pork leg dish up along the northern moat, one of the worst examples, in my less than humble opinion, of khao khaa muu around.

Have to agree. Hers is terrible...but great for tourists.

[elektrified]

The article lost me before I read a single word with the pic of the cowgirl who sells that terrible pork leg dish up along the northern moat, one of the worst examples, in my less than humble opinion, of khao khaa muu around.

Really..! I kind of liked that place.

Admittedly I haven't been there in years, but also among Thais it's well known.

(Although I now wonder if it's the same place as the original Chang Phuak Kha Moo..)

Capture.JPG

The best is kha moo Chiang Dao. They supply a number of places in town. Or, you can buy the recipe form the owner for 200K Baht. Or you can just go to their Chang Phueak location.

[TheSiemReaper]

I think the Chiang Mai food scene is slightly overrated. As a huge foodie I have literally tried hundreds of restaurants in Chiang Mai over the last 2 years, I don't have a proper kitchen. I eat out almost daily, lunch and dinner and leave mildly disappointed most of the time. Only a handful of restaurants are actually worth the money, I find.

There's a couple of issues. The quality of ingredients is often lacking. When's the last time you had a tasty shrimp or prawn in this town? I had a few Spanish gambas during my last trip to Europe and it brought tears to my eyes. I had forgotten what they taste like.

Then there's leadership. Most restaurants lack it. In most restaurants the staff don't give a damn. When's the last time you've been to a restaurant where there's a clearly visible manager/owner leading things? A 18-year old with her face glued to her phone more likely.

I also think, and this was raised by LivingLOS in a previous post, that most of the food outlets are cost-driven. Food needs to be produced on the cheap and the dishes suffer from it. Why make a stock with actual bones when you can use a powder? Nobody notices, or so they think (and they're probably right).

Then there's the speed that food needs to be produced. Restaurants in Thailand have your food ready QUICKLY right? This is actually quite handy and convenient, but never conducive to a quality dish. Some food/dishes require TIME, of which there is none.

My two cents...

I think there are some fabulous "fine dining" experiences here but there aren't a lot of them. By and large you get what you pay for - so anyone expecting an amazing meal for 150 Baht is going to be disappointed; having said that there are a lot of expats here who would never pay more than that for a meal and after doing so for long enough - they begin to swear that it is buying an amazing meal, habit and contrast play a key part in what people find amazing.

Quality ingredients are here too but at a significant price premium and not usually at the markets.

As for management - I'm going to have to disagree on this, the places where I eat most often management is generally omni-present and service is excellent. I'd also disagree on food production time... unless the staff are just ****ing about, I'm going to assume that the long waits for food are because they're cooking it.

[daoyai]

Newspaper reviews for destinations are always positive.

I've written this stuff before myself.

This is a great para:

"Even without the food, its a kind of paradise (It's not a paradise, it's a "kind of paradise." Equivocating.): close to the Myanmar border (Why on earth would being close to the border with Myanmar be paradisiacal? Sounds like an excuse to name drop an "exotic destination" for no reason.), modern yet resolutely traditional (They have spoons and forks, but also use chopsticks), spotlessly clean while never sterile (Unbelievably clean, clean clean! but not too clean. It's as if the cleaner you get, the less delicious your food will taste); easily navigable but filled with a thousand hidden treasures (Using large numbers for effect is a gimmick -- "10,000 miles from home," "The hills have a thousand eyes." If the "treasures" are hidden, wouldn't that mean you'd pass them by without even knowing it?), urban and chic (in part thanks to the large student population from the university) ("The" university? Chiang Mai's one university; what a large population you have....) but surrounded by hills and jungle."

"...Lanna (northern Thai) food...One of the most famous dishes in this tradition is laab, a punchy, smokey (in some cases raw) mincemeat, offal and blood salad." (Funny that the "national dish of Laos" and a favorite in Issan has become one of the most famous Lanna dishes. Either that or the writer hasn't got a clue.)

"I began to take things seriously then, researched all I could, even corralled Michelin-starred chef Andy Ricker[/size], the US champion of Lanna (northern Thai) food into having coffee with me. I learned from him..."[/size]

(So you start your "research" after you arrive to do your story...hmmm...and although you "corralled" a Michelin-starred chef -- How many stars? Do you know? Do we care? -- there is not a single quote from him in the story. As an editor, this makes me suspicious. Did you corral him in the virtual pages of a Google search? Why would you speak to a chef (and the "US champion of Lanna" food, whatever that means) and not get a single word from him? Hmmm again.)

I could go on, but you get the gist. If you think you can churn out this sort of thing, there's a market for it. Start with inflight magazines.

By the way, I hate these overcooked HDR photos. I'd rather see what it really looks like instead of a Photoshopped-for-effect version.

What a petty lil nit picker you be, I will explain a bit what the writer was saying as you are having a bit of trouble...

the mention of Myanmar proximity suggests the influence of Burma on Lanna food, "nearly paradise" is an aknowlegment that paradise never exists, but sometimes is close, .... and um, Larb IS very Lanna, Larb quai, cooked or raw, in every village as well as Larb gai. the rest of you critique is just silly as well.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Newspaper reviews for destinations are always positive.

I've written this stuff before myself.

This is a great para:

"Even without the food, its a kind of paradise (It's not a paradise, it's a "kind of paradise." Equivocating.): close to the Myanmar border (Why on earth would being close to the border with Myanmar be paradisiacal? Sounds like an excuse to name drop an "exotic destination" for no reason.), modern yet resolutely traditional (They have spoons and forks, but also use chopsticks), spotlessly clean while never sterile (Unbelievably clean, clean clean! but not too clean. It's as if the cleaner you get, the less delicious your food will taste); easily navigable but filled with a thousand hidden treasures (Using large numbers for effect is a gimmick -- "10,000 miles from home," "The hills have a thousand eyes." If the "treasures" are hidden, wouldn't that mean you'd pass them by without even knowing it?), urban and chic (in part thanks to the large student population from the university) ("The" university? Chiang Mai's one university; what a large population you have....) but surrounded by hills and jungle."

"...Lanna (northern Thai) food...One of the most famous dishes in this tradition is laab, a punchy, smokey (in some cases raw) mincemeat, offal and blood salad." (Funny that the "national dish of Laos" and a favorite in Issan has become one of the most famous Lanna dishes. Either that or the writer hasn't got a clue.)

"I began to take things seriously then, researched all I could, even corralled Michelin-starred chef Andy Ricker[/size], the US champion of Lanna (northern Thai) food into having coffee with me. I learned from him..."[/size]

(So you start your "research" after you arrive to do your story...hmmm...and although you "corralled" a Michelin-starred chef -- How many stars? Do you know? Do we care? -- there is not a single quote from him in the story. As an editor, this makes me suspicious. Did you corral him in the virtual pages of a Google search? Why would you speak to a chef (and the "US champion of Lanna" food, whatever that means) and not get a single word from him? Hmmm again.)

I could go on, but you get the gist. If you think you can churn out this sort of thing, there's a market for it. Start with inflight magazines.

By the way, I hate these overcooked HDR photos. I'd rather see what it really looks like instead of a Photoshopped-for-effect version.

LOL, love it.

(Just that Laab is as much Northern as it is North Eastern / Lao. North Eastern Laab is more well known and likely also more palatable tourist/international food compared to the raw version that's popular in non urban areas in the North. Restaurants can and do just cook the Northern version until done of course.)

Edited March 2, 2016 by WinnieTheKhwai

[LivinLOS]

Well you can all keep arguing on why they are wrong..

Chiang Mai to me is a very glass half full on food options.. MUCH moreso than other places I have lived or stayed in Thailand (with the exception of seafood). Paradise may be a bit strong, but its a blog headline <deleted>..

Theres plenty of things I will piss and moan about.. Plenty of things that I think are fair to say are annoyances or negatives.. But the food here, Thai, budget western, street snacks, etc is one of its great points.

I visited the UK a month back.. And rural small town UK.. Theres almost nothing to eat, a pretty awful indian, a couple of chippies, subway and junk food.. Or a few gastro pub type options.. And this was in an area with a nexus of 3 towns. I mean forget street food, but beyond that, its cook your own 99%. The freedom to leave my front door, vaguely hungry, but without any idea of what I will eat, cruise around and within a km pass multiple options, at multiple price points, from multiple cuisines or ethnicities.. Ranging from 50b to 500.. Thats pretty <deleted> amazing !!

Paradise ?? Maybe not.. But a huge appealing factor.. Ohh hell yeah..

[jonwilly]

Clock up.

Computer type.

john

Edited March 2, 2016 by jonwilly

[ardokano]

We all have different opinions and there is no right and wrong but Chiang Mai( and a lot of Thailand) has lots of good food on every street and soi all over the city in any direction. So many choices. Nowhere in Germany , Ukraine or Hong Kong has as many restaurants and food carts, markets etc like you find in CM or Thailand. Also the prices are much lower and can be enjoyed even by poor people.

Local beef is not very good but if you really must have quality beef it can be found for a price. "The choice of vegetables is very small" . When i go to the market there are plenty of veg and even obscure veg that some mountain person has plucked from the jungle. Weird mushrooms even frogs for french visitors. There seems to be lots of amazing fruits throughout the year IMO.

If you come to Thailand for cottage cheese, rye breads, sour cream you will be disappointed but they can be bought. If i visit the Ukraine, Germany and go looking for "laab" "khao nee ow" and "durian" i will be disappointed and maybe even starve.

There are Vietnamese and Korean restaurants in CM if you want. Maybe even Brazilian? lots of choices mainly thai but at a much greater density than other countries.

Hong Kong has some nice food if you visit the right restaurants and pay. Otherwise street food not very good. Fried tofu that smells like rancid piss?

The cheaper Hong Kong restaurants are not very good. Noodle soup not as tasty but the quantity is larger. CM beats HK on choice and value. Everybody has different opinions though and i live in the city not out in the sticks. I take it for granted but when i think about it CM is quite amazing.

I Have filling you be in HK as tourist 24h waiting next plane with few dollar in pocket with out any tools can get read in internet about HK food.

Hk people People in Hong Kong are not super gourmet but still very legible in the food.

Many do not attend twice the same restaurant twice a month on weekends.

Many breakfast lunch and dinner away from home.

tourists visiting Hong Kong for a month to a month more than Chiang Mai unto the year.

The majority of tourists (you probably excluded) know that Hong Kong is one of the largest selections of cuisines from different countries. each tries to visit a number of restaurants and sample different foods.

In HK people per m2 much more than in CM, in one district HK more people than in all sity CM.

SO is physically impossible to Hong Kong was less than the number of restaurants in Chiang Mai. otherwise either in Hong Kong would be a queue for a few days in advance. or Chiang Mai restaurants were almost all camping visitors 1-3 and worked at a loss.

Also the prices are much lower and can be enjoyed even by poor people.

then you need to add

Food paradise for poor people

But this is not true to see tighter.

you are exactly traveling a little.

For comparison, in China, a quarter of a duck (a third of Thai chicken), rice (Thai as two servings), plus grass can cost 10-13 RMB 55-70 baht. it is equivalent the meat 4-5 servings of chicken ate food court or the street (35-40 baht per dish), and 2 servings of rice.

sea food in Guanzhou more choice and in total its cheaper.

In Ukraine even Thai, Chines, Japan food can get from 2.5$ per dish with delivery to home.

In many Latin countries and islands of the choice of sea food or meat is cheaper and more what in Chiang Mai.

so again wrong.

If i visit the Ukraine, Germany and go looking for "laab" "khao nee ow" and "durian" i will be disappointed and maybe even starve.

Ha Ha I do not know about " disappointed", but i am sure you CAN find it

In German durian:

http://tropenkost-shop.de/durian-mon-thong

In Ukraine durian:

http://green-foods-product.all.biz/durian-g2847955

In German sticky rice mango

http://www.tripadvisor.com/LocationPhotoDirectLink-g187309-d8488288-i146592167-Longgrain_Thai_Cuisine-Munich_Upper_Bavaria_Bavaria.html

http://www.tripadvisor.com/LocationPhotoDirectLink-g187323-d1206549-i111801280-Taleh_Thai-Berlin.html

and now I can show where to eat in Chiang Mai German pretzel, gingerbread, "eisbein","rote grütze","eintopf"....

Ukraine " borsh", "cutlet Kiev style", " galushki"

And in my opinion in Berlin and Kiev you can Get more Choice dish and restaraunt than in chiang Mai , For My opinion I can give proof.

But i cant say Kiev or Berlin it paradise food.

HK -Yes, some US sity- Yes. Even Singapure can say paradise food.

Chiang Mai even lost with Bangkok and Pattaya but this also NOT paradise food.

[ardokano]

We all have different opinions and there is no right and wrong but Chiang Mai( and a lot of Thailand) has lots of good food on every street and soi all over the city in any direction. So many choices. Nowhere in Germany , Ukraine or Hong Kong has as many restaurants and food carts, markets etc like you find in CM or Thailand. Also the prices are much lower and can be enjoyed even by poor people.

Local beef is not very good but if you really must have quality beef it can be found for a price. "The choice of vegetables is very small" . When i go to the market there are plenty of veg and even obscure veg that some mountain person has plucked from the jungle. Weird mushrooms even frogs for french visitors. There seems to be lots of amazing fruits throughout the year IMO.

If you come to Thailand for cottage cheese, rye breads, sour cream you will be disappointed but they can be bought. If i visit the Ukraine, Germany and go looking for "laab" "khao nee ow" and "durian" i will be disappointed and maybe even starve.

There are Vietnamese and Korean restaurants in CM if you want. Maybe even Brazilian? lots of choices mainly thai but at a much greater density than other countries.

Hong Kong has some nice food if you visit the right restaurants and pay. Otherwise street food not very good. Fried tofu that smells like rancid piss?

The cheaper Hong Kong restaurants are not very good. Noodle soup not as tasty but the quantity is larger. CM beats HK on choice and value. Everybody has different opinions though and i live in the city not out in the sticks. I take it for granted but when i think about it CM is quite amazing.

Hong Kong has some nice food if you visit the right restaurants and pay.

Show me where in Chiang Mai no need pay? And no nee know "ricth restaraunt)

before i ask WHERE in Chiang Mai can get Vietnam good food( cold noodle and rulet)

Where can get Brasilian food?

WHere Korea.

and another?

Otherwise street food not very good.

We talking about food or only about street food?

and what sttret you go in HK. i am not realy prefer street food but some times eat and in HK it more big choice.

like some much sweet desert. newer see in Chiang Mai some street small shops with big choice dessert as in HK...

Fried tofu that smells like rancid piss?

I do not like tofu (only sweet variant can eat).

But in my opinion its not strong smells as " durian" old socks

The cheaper Hong Kong restaurants are not very good. Noodle soup not as tasty but the quantity is larger. CM beats HK on choice and value.

Really???

Show me where in Chiang Mai I can get in well clean and air con place japan dish with normal beef( not perfect but its good) for 80-150 buth with milk tea or japan green tea and soup? And many another.

In HK its can easy in net eatery "yoshinoya".

Show me where I can get Well veal, beef, any type ribs meal for 300-500 bath?

For each such place, I will show in Hong Kong 3, where there will be more choice of dishes.

And when you run out of examples of restaurants i still have some.

Are you ready to bet? 300 for each restaurant once you will end examples? And twins I pay for you if you stil have some an i will not find more restaurants.

I am not realy fun Hk noodles.

So cant much say about, in HK domestic food even have many dish( i like dimsum( any restaraunt have 100-150 different type and ingredien- price 6-30hkd dish but almast popular its 10-20, 1$ hkd it 4 near batht .and its can say some healphi food.. have sweet, have spicy any have, all type DIM SUN near 2000 !!

and its only dim sum.. its for lunch( cant it at morning and evning, end even cant find not on lunch time)

egg tarts 5 hkd... freash very testy mmmmm in Chiang Mai where ? in KFS? small and 30 baht more??

I am sure many Chiang Mai soi have some "food carts", but almast choice dish what can get from ALL "food carts" and eatery on soi amount will be less than in a Chines OR HK restaurant in HK and places at the table too.

shom me soi where have 50 diference dish?

its not to much. almast its be near 30 dish

about 200 i am even not talk( 200 dish can easy find in cantonies or Hk restaraunt in HK) only ONE!!!! restaraunt and only 1-3 cuisine. in One street in HK I can esy find 10-30 cuisine and 1000 more dish, show me where its can be get in Chiang Mai?

SO about HK

i can say it food paradise...

[ardokano]

Good article and great photos. Chiang Mai and Thailand is a food paradise. Sometimes you take if for granted when you live here.

sorry but where you be and compare with what place?

Yes !! In Chian Mai can get some some tasty food. And can enjoy some times.

But paradise?

This can be said if you did not see another meal.

King crab is very tasty, and shrimp in Thailand are not the best.

I'm not a fan of sea food but, as far as I know in Thailand, many prefer sea food.

I love meat and vegetables.

Find a good beef Chiang May it must try. I'm not saying that it does not exist, but it is very difficult. Prices are the same as in Hong Kong. The quality of her priotoveniya vada pleases. about the steak, I generally keep quiet.

Pork is also far from ideal. In Ukraine and Germany are much better example.

The choice of sausages so poor that we can say it does not exist !!!

Dairy products are also almost there. Sour cream, cottage cheese, cheese.

The choice of vegetables is very small.

Fruit ?

Rye bread is not.

chocolate poor choice.

Cuisines of the public presented. even Asian cuisine choice of dishes and cooking it not best thinks.

Where normal Vietnamese, Korean food?

Brasilian?

What kind of paradise you talking about?

Most of your points are nonsense.

Meet me at Gunter's G&M German Restaurant for a sausage feast and we can talk about the Ukraine.

with pleasure.

but i am not sure most my points nonsense.

Choise realy poor in many place german i can EASY get more than 100 diferent " Wurst" or even 200..Not far need go.

In Moskow not easy but still CAN more than 100.

In HK I am not sure but 50 more realy can get.

In Kiev can...

if You show me even 50 more in Chiang Mai restaraunts... I eat my cup ...

and about another points what I am wrong?

In one brazilian restaraunt i can easy get more 20 type meet. Where is in Chiang Mai?

In Vietnames restaraunt also can get 30-50 dish easy in HK..

an for 30 min i can find 2-5 vietnamese restaraunt with 100 more dish.

can you show me all it in Chiang Mai?

and all its be in well clean place with aircon.

[ardokano]

CM is a food paradise only if you come from the angle of choice, quantity of choice the restaurants and carts being everywhere, and price nearly everything is very cheap, plus there are very exotic and strange options say dancing shrimps at HTT.

If you think about Michelin star chefs, smart restaurants with top service, the freshest ingredients flown in from every corner of the globe, the best wines in the world , 5000 baht a head meal prices being seen as average. Well CM is not your food paradise.

ha ha

i say already. in one restaraunt HK can get 200 more dish

price start from 40 bath per lunch dish.

in one street can find at 10 min 1000 more dish from 10 more world cuisine

show me where it can be in Chian Mai if you say " quantity of choice.."

we even not talk about qulity..

[daoyai]

Why even compare little CM population half million to HK pop. 8 million ? HK is an international financial and business hub, high rollers abound CM is a humble little hamburger, pizza and gang hang lei haven in the middle of nowhere. I really appreciate all the farm produce available, if you have a kitchen and can cook, it makes things infinatly better..

[ardokano]

Why even compare little CM population half million to HK pop. 8 million ? HK is an international financial and business hub, high rollers abound CM is a humble little hamburger, pizza and gang hang lei haven in the middle of nowhere. I really appreciate all the farm produce available, if you have a kitchen and can cook, it makes things infinatly better..

we talk about this is top..

"Chiang Mai is a food paradise"

So I do not think so. In my Opinion it even not better food place in Thailand.

PS

"if you have a kitchen and can cook"

You still cant cook many dish as in even in Bangkok< Pattay.. I am not say about HK and many hundreds of cities in the world..

Becouse poorest choice ingridient for cook.