SP Chicken ★ 4.2
A rotisserie-chicken shop near Wat Phra Singh whose charcoal-blistered gai yang and papaya salad make it the Old City's go-to for a cheap Isan-style lunch.
OrderGai yang, Som tam, Sticky rice
Charcoal-grilled marinated chicken, butterflied and cooked slow over coals until smoky and lacquered, torn by hand and eaten with sticky rice and chilli dip.
Grilled chicken is shared across northern and northeastern Thailand, carried into Chiang Mai kitchens by Isan cooks and northern grill houses alike. The bird is marinated in garlic, coriander root, white pepper, fish sauce and often a little turmeric, then butterflied and grilled slowly over charcoal so the skin lacquers without burning. It is eaten as part of a wider spread with sticky rice, green papaya salad and a fiery jaew dipping sauce, torn and shared by hand. In Chiang Mai it anchors cheap, smoky lunch counters like SP Chicken near Wat Phra Singh.
3 editor picks for Gai yang in Chiang Mai, ranked by editorial score. All Chiang Mai signature dishes · Gai yang across every city.
Cherng Doi Roast Chicken ★ 4.2
A student-packed Nimman corner famous for herb-marinated roast chicken and northern-Isan grilled plates, cheap, smoky and busy from the moment it opens.
OrderRoast chicken, Larb, Nam tok
Aroon Rai ★ 3.9
One of the city's oldest northern kitchens on Kotchasan, an unfussy tin-roof room turning out cheap plates of hang lay and larb since the 1950s.
OrderGaeng hang lay, Larb khua, Fried frog
Learn to cook it, or eat it with a guide
Gai yang makes more sense with someone from Chiang Mai explaining it. These are the classes and tours we have checked, with booking links.
Book food experiences in Chiang Mai
Guided tour · 4 hours
Chiang Mai: Food Tour by Songthaew Truck with 15+ Tastings
Feast on 15+ tastings on a food tour around the street eats and markets of Chiang Mai led by a professional foodie guide on a songthaew truck.
from฿2,034 Check dates
Guided tour · 2h 30m
Chiang Mai: Evening Local Street Food Market Tour
Explore Chiang Mai's colorful night food markets on this 2.5-hour evening food tour of the city. Bring a good appetite as you sample a minimum of 8 dishes. Hotel pick-...
from฿1,336 Check dates
3h 30m
Chiang Mai: Authentic Cooking Class with Market & Farm Visit
Cook authentic Thai food in Chiang Mai with Grandma. Visit a market, explore our large organic farm, feed chickens, collect eggs & mushrooms, and make dishes like Pad ...
from฿1,136 Check dates