Kat’s Kitchen Introduction to Northern Thai Food

by John MichaelJul 26, 2019

Where’s this place at?
Almost there, right by the Eastern Old City Gate entrance.

Kat’s Kitchen tl;dr

Friendly Staff
Open Air Eatery
Tasty Menu – Try Their Khao Soi!

Walking around Old City of Chiang Mai one tends to get hungry. We had heard that there was this quaint place to eat not that far away from where we were so we started making our way there. It’s nice walking to some locations because we were able to take in a lot of the local scenery that we would have otherwise missed driving (think photo opportunities).

Meal Kats Kitchen Chiang Mai Thailand

After taking all the photos our cameras could bear by the water, just after entering Chiang Mai’s Old City, we quickly found Kat’s Kitchen. We must have come during late lunch because the place was practically empty. Looking over their extensive menu we decided on a light meal of:

Khao Soi (think a lighter tasting curry with noodles)
A Beef Dish (I gotta start writing down the names of dishes)
And a Papaya Seafood Salad
Fruit juice
Thai coffee
Rice

Everything came to the table freshly made and smelling amazing. While it was very good, the 2 dishes that I was pleasantly surprised by was the Papaya Seafood Salad and the Khao Soi.

Salad Kats Kitchen Chiang Mai Thailand

I don’t normally eat Papaya anything but Nadia likes it a lot and with the seafood ingredients, I had to try it out. I was fortunate that I did because it was the best papaya salad that I’ve tasted and was very refreshing).

Kat’s Kitchen’s Khao Soi (pictured at the top of the post), a regional dish of Northern Thailand was AMAZING! I couldn’t get enough of it. I thought it was a curry based on appearances but much lighter with the inclusion of crispy noodles.

I LOVE NOODLES! I LOVE CURRY! The combination worked so well that I had to think to myself why hasn’t this been adapted everywhere? And if it has, why have I only now chanced upon this culinary delight?

Cooking mysteries aside, the meal went off without a hitch and was very enjoyable. There was even a bowl of free bananas that we could help ourselves to up by the register!

Beef Kats Kitchen Chiang Mai Thailand

To add fuel to the praise bonfire that I have for the place, someone who shall not be named, possibly left their sunglasses at Kat’s Kitchen. We called them to see if they were there and sure enough, they were found on the table. We were assured that the sunglasses would be in their safekeeping upon our return the next day.

And they were!

What is It

Kat’s Kitchen is an open air restaurant with chairs and tables set up both inside and outside this converted roadside home. Their extensive menu will satisfy any hunger and even the most exacting budget.

Eating Area Kats Kitchen Chiang Mai Thailand

Where is It

Just off Old City’s perimeter Mun Mueang Road, there’s an offshoot Ratchamanka Rd where you’ll find Kat’s Kitchen welcoming all the hungry people! I was one of those hungry people and they fed me. They can feed you too!

Nadia JM Kats Kitchen Chiang Mai Thailand

What to Do There

Go Kat’s Kitchen and learn about all the Thai dishes you thought you already knew! Look through their many pages of food. Take your time, savor the flavors as they coalesce on your palate, wash it down with some local coffee, enjoy a dessert or maybe if you’re lucky a free fruit or 2!

All of that food for $11 USD!