Places to Eat in Mae Salong

In Mae Salong, as with accommodation, there are several decent options when it comes to eating out. This includes everything from street food and market fare to local eateries and hotel restaurants, typically serving menus that include Yunnanese cuisine, Northern Thai food and popular western dishes.

What to try

Trying Yunnanese food is a must if you’re spending time in the town, with some of the local specialities including: noodles with bean gravy; baked glutinous rice that is usually served with sweet or sour sesame fillings; deep fried dough sticks (not dissimilar to churros) served with hot soy milk and the more daring bamboo worm! You’ll find these alongside traditional northern Thai dishes like Thai sausages and khao soi noodle curry.

Street Food and Markets

If you’re travelling on a tight budget you’ll want to check out some of the town’s street food and local spots. These include the noodle stands found at the morning market and various noodle outlets in town –- the Yunnanist noodle shop is a popular spot serving complimentary and tasty local oolong tea alongside your noodles.

The Xin Shi Dai Bakery is another good one for cheap eats, with a range of Chinese and Thai dishes as well as pancakes and pastries.

Regional Food

Mini Restaurant is more of a cafe but also good if you’re looking for authentic Thai dishes, and has an English menu featuring dishes like green curry and chicken with cashew nuts.

Shin Sane’s cafe is in a similar budget range, offering good value and tasty food as well as western breakfasts. Coffee lovers will find that in Mae Salong it’s usually safer to stick to the region’s famous tea.

Western and International Food

If you’re looking for western or international dishes or a more upmarket meal, then eating at a hotel or resort restaurant is probably the best choice. Be aware that fine dining doesn’t really exist in this area, and mid range is likely to be the most exclusive it gets. It’s also worth bearing in mind that most eat early, with restaurants typically closing by 8pm.

Mae Salong villa is included as a mid range option in the accommodation section, and is also worth visiting for food if you don’t mind a detour outside of the centre of town. The food is reasonable and whilst not as cheap as the options detailed above, is not expensive. We understand that it’s aimed at Asian tour groups so service sometimes isn’t the best, but it’s a decent place to eat if you avoid the main restaurant and sit out at the terrace.

Another mid range choice is Khumnaiphol Resort which includes more Thai cuisine and again offers reasonable quality for mid range prices.

Cafes and Teahouses

Other than this your main options are going to be one of the many teahouses around Mae Salong, where you can enjoy plenty of free samples, with Oolong tea being a particular speciality.

Coffee lovers may struggle in this town, with most outlets serving instant rather than freshly brewed, so it may be worth sticking to tea!