In 2019 the Thailand Michelin Guide (2020 edition) covered Chiang Mai for the first time listing 50 restaurants either as “tables” (a generic good meal) or “Bib Gourmands” (great value, up to 1000 THB). There were no stars. Four of them were joints specializing in Khao Soi, the quintessential Northern curry noodles. I visited them between January and February 2020. Here’s my take. (I will not bother to distinguish between “tables” and “Bib Gourmands” since the distinction as far as Chiang Mai is concerned makes little sense).
The gentrified one: Khao Soi Nimman
Nimman is the posh area of Chiang Mai, a sort of gentrified entertainment district, so no surprise that the eponymous Khao Soi Nimman offers a sanitized version of a classic khao soi diner.
One upside is the menu offering the noodles with a variety of toppings not normally available (the big ones are usually chicken, beef, and pork). I had one with a Northern Thai sausage. The sausage was really good, but the curry sauce and the noodles were just bland. The restaurant also offers other dishes; the Thai omelette with minced pork I tried was fluffy and a very good specimen of this ubiquitous Thai dish.
This khao soi was 105 THB (3.30 USD). Still cheap, but almost twice as much the price in conventional joints.
Address in Chiang Mai: 22 Nimmana Haeminda Rd Lane 7.
The thick one: Khao Soi Mae Manee
Khao Soi Mae Manee is located a few kilometers North of the Old City. It is a 10 minute drive and it is totally worth.
It is located in a shack in the middle of a residential area. It is clearly a family-run eatery. In my visits I could identify both locals and tourists. Their bowls come in normal and big size (in the picture the normal size is light blue and the big one is white).
Their broth is very thick and delicious. Also the beef and the chicken are super-tender. The big bowl carries more meat. You can choose among various meats, including pork intestine and sausage. In my big bowl I mixed beef and chicken. I also appreciated the generous amount of pickles (most people put them in the bowl, I like them as a separate snack).
A standard bowl with one meat cost just 40/50 THB, the big one with two meats was 120 THB.
Address in Chiang Mai: 18 Chotana Rd, Chang Phueak.
The temple one: Khao Soi Samoe Chai
Khao Soi Samoe Chai (sometimes spelled Samer Jai) is located next to Wat Fa Ham (if you have trouble finding it on the map, just look up for Fa Ham or Faham temple). It is a large restaurant and offers a lot of dishes besides khao soi.
I had the chicken khao soi and I was a bit disappointed. The chicken leg was not as tender as in other joints and the curry soup was less tasty. One characteristic of this khao soi was the relatively thick fried noodles (fried noodles are always on top of a khao soi bowl by the way).
I also tried other dishes, including grilled chicken, and I was not particularly happy (it came half-cold). Also, their keeping the food on display in the kiosks throughout the restaurant does not seem very hygienic.
The khao soi is 50-60 THB.
Address in Chiang Mai: 391 Moo 2, Charoenrat Road.
The balanced one: Khao Soi Lambduan
Also located on Charoenrat Road, not far away from Khao Soi Samoe Chai, Khai Soi Lambduan came up in some discussions with locals apart than from the Michelin Guide. It occupies a fairly large shack without any English sign; they have a handy picture menu with English translation.
The best feature of this Khao Soi was the drumtick: a falling-off-the-bone type of drumstick that was really satisfying. It appears that they cook different meats in separate pots with the sauce and this helps. Overall, it was a well-balanced soup, not too spicy.
The Khao Soi is priced 50-60 THB.
Address in Chiang Mai: 352/22 Charoenrat Road.
Also read my comparison between a luxury khao soi and a street khao soi.