The portion may be small, but it packs a phenomenally delicious punch.
What differentiates one version from another is how the broth is made. Some are rich, creamy, and heavy, with a thick coconut milk base, and others are significantly thinner, with an almost watery consistency and oily sheen. Some are sweet while others are unpredictably fiery.
While khao soi is synonymous with northern Thailand, it traces its roots to the chin haw (Thai for Chinese migrants), a group comprised primarily of the Hui – Chinese Muslims hailing from Yunnan province.
For centuries, Chinese merchants traversed the caravan trade routes from southern China to Laos, Burma and Thailand, and many settled down along the route.
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The largest migration was in the 19th century, as a result of the failed Panthay Rebellion, in which Chinese Muslims revolted against the Qing dynasty Manchu rulers. They migrated en masse to Burma and Laos, and eventually, northern Thailand.
In Thai, khao soi means “cut rice”, although the dish’s name is likely a corruption of khao swè, the Burmese word for noodles. It is widely believed that when the chin haw traders settled in northern Thailand, they brought with them the Burmese khao swè – a soup noodle with a curried chicken and coconut broth, thickened with chickpea flour and garnished with crispy noodles. It bears many similarities to northern Thailand’s khao soi.
Traditionally, the noodles were made from rice flour dough, which was first steamed, rolled and then sliced. Different versions of the dish were made with other types of noodles, and sometimes without coconut milk – a rarity in northern Thailand, given that coconut palms are scarce in the region. It is believed egg noodles and coconut milk were eventually introduced that thanks to the Chinese-Muslim influence.
Everywhere you go in Chiang Mai, you’ll find that no two versions of khao soi are ever the same; every restaurant or stall has its own way of making the noodles. Aficionados will have their own favourites, but here are our top picks.
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1. Khao Soi Lam Duan
With 75 years of history, Khao Soi Lam Duan is one of the oldest purveyors of khao soi in Chiang Mai. A local institution, the restaurants makes nearly 200 bowls of chicken, beef, pork and spare rib khao soi every day, and often sells out.
Also on the menu are other Chiang Mai specialities such as rice noodles in a tangy tomato and minced pork soup, and pork satay.
Their warming khao soi is darker than most and has a deep flavour. They’re generous with their curry paste, which is fried with coconut cream, lending the bowl a richness in both colour and flavour. The beef version is all the more intense, with a curry-like consistency and fiery aftertaste. The shop is so popular it even opened a branch in Bangkok.
Khao Soi Lam Duan, 352/22 Charoenrat Road, Faham, tel: +66 53 243 519
2. Khao Soi Khun Yai
The name of the shop translates to “grandmother’s khao soi”. Tucked away in a nondescript car park flanked by the Wat Monthian and Wat Kuan Kama temples north of the Old City, the restaurant has only been around for 18 years, but is one of the most popular spots to get your khao soi fix.
Here, the golden broth is remarkably complex, heavy on the curry paste (and not so much on the coconut milk) and not cloyingly sweet. The extra dollop of coconut cream on top adds body, rendering the soup just thick enough to coat the noodles.
The meat – whether you choose boneless chicken or beef – is marinated in the broth overnight and braised until it is fall-apart tender.
Wash it down with a home-made sweet longan or lotus root juice. I recommend ordering the smaller bowls (40 baht for chicken and 50 baht for beef – around US$1.50) and sampling both khao soi options. While the shop is open until 2pm, make sure to arrive before noon, as they often sell out early.
Khao Soi Khun Yai, 8 Sripoom Road, Mueang Chiang Mai
3. Khao Soi Mae Sai
In the Nimmanhaemin area of Chiang Mai, Khao Soi Mae Sai is a favourite among tourists and locals alike, and for good reason. The broth, packed with the remnants of herbs and spices from the curry paste, is decidedly nuanced; it is beautifully balanced and packs a punch of savoury, spicy, sweet and sour.The khao soi moo is fortified with pork served two ways: sliced and minced. Scatter the latter evenly throughout the soup, and you’ll have broth, noodle and meat in every mouthful. The restaurant makes other noodle dishes – served in clear and brown stocks – but it’s always the khao soi that regulars come for.
Khao Soi Mae Sai, 29/1 Ratchaphuek Alley, Tambon Chang Phueak, Amphoe Mueang Chiang Mai, tel: +66 53 213 284
4. Kao Soy Nimman
It may not make the most memorable khao soi in town – and certainly not the most authentic – but Kao Soy Nimman is a reliable option for those looking to enjoy their meal at a proper sit-down restaurant offering something slightly more comfortable than a flimsy plastic stool.
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There is a price to pay for comfort and air-conditioning, though; the bowls range in price from 79 baht to 169 baht – two to three times the going rate at a food stall. Choose from more than a dozen variations on the northern Thai staple – from softshell crab and Thai omelette to sai oua (northern Thai-style fermented sausage) and stewed beef.
If you’re really hungry, go for the Kao Soy Super Bowl, which features a variety of sources of protein, including squid, prawns, sausage and chicken leg, over an extra large bowl of noodles.
Kao Soy Nimman, 22 Nimmana Haeminda Rd Lane 7, Su Thep, Amphoe Mueang Chiang Mai, tel: +66 53 894 881
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