Chiang Mai: Eating and Shopping

I had never been to Chiang Mai,  Thailand before,  but I have been to Chiang Mai Thai so I knew what to expect.   Right?

We wanted to try out some street food and this was not a problem.  On our first day we found some scooters with food carts just outside the Wat Phra Singh.  Here a woman is making a local favorite,  banana roti.   It is a batter doused with butter, filled with smushed bananas, and fried in hot oil.

Chandra approves.

At the next cart,  a man was making little crepes on his tiny griddle and filling them with a variety of fillings,  from sweet creme to sausage and onions.  

Those prices tell you that 5 creme filled crepes are 10 baht,  or 33 cents.   Look at the cute little decoration around the bigger crepe.   A little flair for pennies.

 The night market is a very popular sight in Chiang Mai.   Turns out,  there are multiple places.   The original Night Market was close to our hotel and open every night.   We made our way there via tuk-tuk,  which was a very cool way to see the city.   Essentially the tuk-tuk is a three-wheeler with a seat in the back.   No seat belts and no doors,  so it is not for the faint of heart,  especially with two young children in tow.   But I think it was worth the mild health risk.   Here's a picture from our seat (again,  I wish I had taken better pictures).

That's us being dropped off at the Night Market.

Near the Night Market,  there is a Muslim neighborhood that was offering a variety of street food.   Here we are getting some fresh spring rolls.  They came with a cute little bag of spicy, sweet, and sour dipping sauce.

A few days later,  on the same street,  we found a Halal version of the local specialty,  khao soi.

A delicious meal with chicken and fried spring rolls for the kids, and some iced thai tea for Dad.  All that food for about $8!!!

Our last night we visited another Night Market.   This one was supposed to cater more to the locals, but it didn't look too different to me.  Chiang Mai really has a lot of ex-pats and tourists,  which makes it really easy and enjoyable to visit,  but makes you wonder a little about authenticity.

Here's a little treat for the kids.   Soda pop popsicles for a quarter a pop.

Next post:   the Elephant Nature Park.