Feeding Frenzy at Chang Phuaek

A few dozen food stalls clustered together on the north side of Chiang Mai, whisking up delicious Thai food to order?! We wouldn’t dream of missing out…

Chang Phuaek Market in Chiang Mai, commonly referred to as the North Gate Market, is a wonderful place to end up after a full day on the back of a motorbike adventuring on the outskirts of town. Tables and chairs fill up the spaces between the individual food vendors and their sizzling woks. It is a symphony of the senses- and meandering through the market trying to decide just where to begin is like foreplay to any decent foodie.

We started on the eastern side of the market, near Changhuak Road, snaking our way past vats of hot oil filled with golden fried doughnuts bobbing gently on the surface, and woks with swirling nests of noodles in what looked like the beginning phases of pad thai.  We walked until our noses caught whiff of the divinely complex scent of five spice powder: cinnamon and star anise hanging heavy on the air. Immediately we stopped, turned, and took a place in the long line forming in front of a stand where a pile of richly coloured pork shanks glistened under the electric light. A heavy knife shredded the moist meat off the bone, small heaps placed on top of a simple bed of steamed rice, accompanied by a hard boiled egg. This was our first introduction to khao kha moo: succulent… and dancing a fine line between savoury and sweet. We happily devoured what was in front of us- carefully creating perfect bites of egg and fragrantly spiced, soy braised meat on the tips of our spoons.

The khao kha moo had whetted our appetite, and we pressed on in search of more food. It had been a long day filled with wats and bumpy dirt roads, and we had worked up a bit of an appetite in all of the excitement. Like big cats on the prowl, we passed one stand after the other- mostly relying on smell to tell us when to stop. As we reached the western edge of the market, we spied a lone woman working her magic at a large wok strategically positioned behind a wall of bright vegetables and an impressive array of frog legs, shrimps, and duck breasts. Nearby, a young girl was bussing a small group of tables, and a friendly man approached us with a menu. It was truly a family affair.

We took a seat and there was no holding back.  We ordered up a few dishes: red curry chicken with crisp green beans and slices of Thai eggplant, wild boar stir fried with bell peppers and lots of holy basil, and green curry chicken studded with whole stems of fresh green peppercorns. Colourful, piquant, crisp, delicious… Nothing disappointed, but the chicken with green peppercorns stood out above the rest: the peppercorns were vibrant and aromatic, a pleasant surprise to my pallet more used to the overtly pungent bite of the more common dried variety. (We enjoyed our meal so much, that we found ourselves returning for a  second visit to the same food stall on our last night in Chiang Mai to try the duck curry…)

Chang Puaek is filled with tourists and locals alike-a good sign that you shouldn’t pass up the opportunity to indulge your senses and try a variety of Thai dishes all conveniently located in one spot. I obviously recommend the khao kha moo stand (located in the front middle section of the market- look for the line) and the place where we ate our way through a smorgasboard of curries (the second from last stand on the west end.)

Click here for a map

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