Huen Muan Jai ★ 4.6
A garden Lanna house and longtime Michelin Bib Gourmand, plating northern curries, herb sausage and smoky chili dips under its wooden garden pavilions.
OrderGaeng hang lay, Sai ua, Nam prik noom
The northern herb sausage: coarsely chopped pork packed with lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaf, shallot, garlic and chilli, coiled and grilled over charcoal.
Sai ua is the everyday flavour of the north, sold by weight from coiled rings at every Chiang Mai market. Its dense herb-and-spice paste, heavy on lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaf, turmeric and dried chilli, reflects the Shan and Burmese influence that separates Lanna cooking from the milder central Thai plate. Traditionally it was a way to use and preserve pork, seasoned generously and grilled slowly over coals until the casing blisters. Warorot Market stalls like Dam Rong built reputations on their recipes, and today sai ua travels home with visitors as the north's edible souvenir.
3 editor picks for Sai ua in Chiang Mai, ranked by editorial score. All Chiang Mai signature dishes · Sai ua across every city.
Sai Ua Dam Rong ★ 4.3
The famous Warorot Market sausage stall, coiling lemongrass-and-herb sai ua sold by weight alongside pork rinds and chili dips, the benchmark for the dish.
OrderSai ua (northern herb sausage)
Tong Tem Toh ★ 4.3
The teak-and-brick Nimman courtyard where students and tourists queue for a broad northern menu of herb sausage, chili dips and sticky rice.
OrderSai ua, Nam prik ong, Grilled pork neck
Learn to cook it, or eat it with a guide
Sai ua 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