CHIANG MAI: Warorot Market & Tom Lam Yai Market
Where to get into one’s food and culture when you are in a new place?!
Market is my answer; whether it is night market, wet market or dry market.
Last month I was travelling to Chiang Mai with my bff couple after a long planning and we actually bought the air ticket last year.
When I was in Bangkok, I visited the floating market, chatuchak market
When I was in Hua Hin, I went to their night market and some handicraft market.
And for Chiang Mai, of course must not miss out the MARKETs!
On our way to the market, we passed by the river, towards the market area. There were a lot of vendors around, selling daily goods and fresh vegetables and fruits and even food. Citygal got her pairs of sunnies at only 39baht too!
Spot this Yellow sign with blue letters for entrance.
1# Warorot Market
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Also known as Kad Luang, is a must visit if you love a try on local food. It is a 3-storey building with first floor selling food and goods while second and third floors selling inexpensive clothing and merchandise. Things in second and third floors are not something interesting and you won’t get to find any handicraft or souvenir items here; that’s because they target mainly locals. Well, let’s just focus on the food at the first floor.
Sai Ua
This is one of the local foods that one must try if you are here in Warorot Market. It can be said as the busiest stall in this market, selling Chiang Mai’s style or the “northern style” sausage which is made of minced pork and stuff with herbs and spices such as lemongrass, cilantro, shallot, black pepper, chilli paste and galangal (a type of ginger which is known as 南薑 in Chinese; whereby its raw form has pretty stronger taste than normal ginger).
Still piping hot, we were very careful when getting a bite on it. The sausage was really well spiced. It was really fiery at that hot temperature. I love it, but can’t take too much, way too fiery for my taste buds. The sausages are priced at around 34 baht per 100g.
Be patience on the queue as there will be lots of people actually lining up for this.
Spot this greeny thing?! It is the green chilli dips – Nam Prik Noom (the fibrous-liked wet mass chilli that made of green chillies, garlic, shallots and spices). We thought of trying it actually but it is selling by weighing too. Since we can’t take too much, we let it go. Packets of Nam Prik Noom are available at some stalls too. Great as chilli dips for fresh vegetables as Ulam or Crispy Pork Rinds.
Damrong at Warorot Market
ground floor of main building.
Tel: +66 (0)5 323 4661.
Open from 5 am to 6pm daily.
Kalamae
Fancy something sweet after the savoury sausages?! Here is it.
Sovoey is the oldest Kalamae shop in Chiang Mai
Kalamae is a type of candy/desserts, made of molasses, sticky rice and coconut milk. Quite similar to our Malaysian dessert – dodol; except that it is chewier and more compact than ours.
The sesame seed pandan flavour gummies are wrapped in red, green and black and also a special one which is in nipa palm leaves. The special one is very fragrant with a nice leaf-ly scent. We love it.
Ready mixed 3 packets of kalamaes are priced at 120baht.
Savoey at Warorot Market.
Tel: +66 (0) 5327 5712.
Open from 8 am to 5.30 pm daily.
Kaeb Moo
Pork rinds are deep fried into crispy bits, simply artery-cloying and sinful. But care it later, a bit of the crispy pork rinds will cheer you up, trust me.
Be it thin or thick or fat or round… they are all pork rinds
This is the addictive snack and can be found in most of the stalls. Get some sample before buying, but do be prepared to get some black faces or rolled eyes for not purchasing and after bargaining. We tried a few (there is thin version and fat one) and ended laying on this brand (which is the fat one).
We settled at this (the one with label in yellow and red)
Dried Longan
Dried fruits are also appearing in most of the stalls. Longan is one of the must-buy items/souvenirs/snack if you are travelling in Chiang Mai. There are several grades from AA to AAAA. And of course, price is higher for more A’s Longan.
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2# Tom Lam Yai Market (or Ton Lam Yai)
After a round tour, we then headed off to a market opposite Warorot Market. We entered and find that most of the stuff sold here are quite similar to Warorot Market, ie: the dried fruits, crispy pork rinds, kalamaes…
Till I googled about Tom Lam Yai Market, this market is famous for its flower market that is located along the Ping river towards Thapae Road opens 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The most scenic moment to take a visit over is during the evenings where one gets to see delivery of fresh blooming flowers from local farms. Well, we actually passed by here one night and didn’t realize that we were actually at the flower market. It was quite picturesque but sorry to say I do not have photos of them as we were on the forever-ly fast tuk tuk.
I see a big pile of mangosteens I’d like to devour.
hehe, go for it! this place is more than just mangosteens.
anyway, it’s the durian and mangosteens season now in malaysia!!! have you had yours???
Just got back fm Chaingmai as well, my bad that u only wrote about this now. Is the river near the night bazaars near Anusarn night market?
awww, my bad, for doing this piece of homework late. but it’s gonna be a good reason to revisit chiangmai, right???
well, it’s not somewhere near the anusam night market, but further up a bit. somewhere near the nawarat bridge.
I m in khon kaen and where can I buy Chiang mai dried AAAA longan in 1or 2 kilo pack.
I dont mind if its send from Chiang mai to me in Khon Kaen or Kuala Lumpur.
My family just love them anytime o the day.