Tong Tem Toh - A Flavor Explosion of Authentic Lanna Food in Chiang Mai
Northern Thai Food is my favorite variant of Thai cuisine because of all the strong pungent flavors!
When in Northern Thailand, you of course have to try Lanna cuisine. And what better place to experience such unique flavors than in the foodie heaven of Chiang Mai. It’s no wonder why there is always a long queue at Tong Tem Toh, it’s because they are arguably the best when it comes to this style of cuisine.
A little word of warning, the queue times can be really long so I would recommend you download QueQ on your phone to book a queue in advance. This is NOT an affiliate product or sponsor, it’s genuinely the system that Tong Tem Toh uses to manage their queues.
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Authentic Lanna Cuisine
Do you think my partner and I can finish all of this food? Of course we can!
For those of you who don’t know, Lanna cuisine refers to foods and dishes that originated within Northern Thailand from the ancient Lanna kingdom (hence Lanna food).
If you’re in Bangkok or any of the tourist cities like Phuket of Pattaya, it can be difficult to find restaurants that serve this type of cuisine. Not that this type of cuisine isn’t popular, it’s just that it’s hard to replicate the exact flavors that make this variant of Thai food so delicious.
Tong Tem Toh’s Menu
Different types of soups are only a sliver of what you can find in the menu.
Tong Tem Toh’s menu is massive! There are so many soups, curries, and salads to try. Honestly, if you are new to this cuisine then you will surely be overwhelmed as to what to order. I enjoy Lanna food often and even here I struggle to decide what to order.
Never fear however, there is a recommendations section, and some of the dishes reviewed below are recommended ones.
Side note, another highly recommended dish I want to recommend is Khao Soi which are curry noodles. If Bangkok is known for Pad Thai then Chiang Mai is known for Khao Soi and the absolute best place to get it is at Khao Soi Lung Prakit Kaat Gorm. Fun fact, this place was featured in the Netflix show: Somebody Feed Phil, and is now lovingly known as Khao Soi Netflix!
If you don’t know what to order some some highlights you’ll definitely want to try are:
Chilli Dips - Known as Nam Prik Ong or Nam Prick Noom these are dips made with minced chillies or tomatoes and minced pork, eaten with pork crackling and vegetables.
Gaeng Hang Lay - A Burmese style pork curry bursting with spices
Larb Moo Kuah - Minced pork salad with herbs and tossed in blood (it tastes way better than it sounds, trust me).
Grilled and Fried Dishes - A variety of fried dishes including, Northern Thai sausage, intestines, pork belly, and dried beef.
Pricing
The pricing ranges from dish to dish but in general they are all well priced and cheap, expect to pay less than 200 THB (or 5.70 USD) per dish. Not expensive at all.
In addition to the price, the portions are also of good size. The plate might look small but believe me, it is a very filling meal. And it also means that you can try more dishes.
Nam Prik Noom / Ong Platter
Be honest, would you prefer a charcuterie board over this?
One of the most well known Northern Thai dish you can order is Nam Prik Noom (Chili dip made from green chilis), and Nam Prik Ong (minced pork dip with tomatoes).
We ordered the platter which includes both the Nam Priks, and a myriad of bite sized foods to eat it with.
You have:
A bunch of boiled veggies and eggs.
Cap Moo which is the fried pork skin crackling.
Sai Ua, a Northern Thai sausage filled with herbs and spices.
Sour fermented pork wrapped in Banana leaf (this one is my favorite).
Vietnamese sausage.
Imagine this platter as a Northern Thai Charcuterie board!
It’s incredibly fun to try all the different combinations, you can even eat it with sticky rice.
This is only meant to be an appetizer but I could eat this as a main dish and still be satisfied.
I especially like the Nam Prik Ong, an east comparison would be something like Bolognese sauce (although it would be sacrilegious to call it that). It’s a little soupy using the natural juices of the tomato as the base for the sauce, all the little chunks of meaty minced pork adds to the flavor. The taste is tomatoey, a little sweet, and a bit sour.
The Nam Prik Noom is also good, although I didn’t enjoy it as much as the texture wasn’t for me. It’s slimy much like Okra but the taste is delicious. It’s not really that spicy, and it’s served chilled so the spiciness is toned down. For me, this one pairs really well with Cap Moo as it gives it a nice crunch to contrast the soft chilis.
Larb Moo Kuah
Look at all the fried shallots on top of the deliciously pungent larb.
Larb Moo Kuah has got to be one of my most beloved dishes in all of Northern Thailand. It’s a minced pork salad seasoned with a variety of herbs such as lime, chilies, shallots, toasted rice, etc.. What makes this variant special compared to other Larb versions is that they cook it with pork blood.
Now I know that sounds disgusting but trust me, it gives it that darker color and creates a more intense, earthy, and unique porky flavor. In fact you won’t even taste a hint of blood. For more information on the different types of Larb you can find in Thailand refer to my post here.
Crunch up some of that crunchy fried pork crackling to give it another dimensional texture, or eat it with sticky rice, Larb Moo Kuah is a definite must try when you come to dine at Tong Tem Toh.
Gaeng Hang Lay
Not going to lie, I would’ve drank the soup if I wasn’t sat at a table in the middle of the restaurant.
My absolute favorite dish at Tong Tem Toh is their Gaeng Hang Lay or the Burmese style pork curry. Big melt in your mouth fatty pieces of pork belly stewed in a rich curry made from peanuts, galangal, turmeric, cinnamon, ginger, and so much more.
A spoonful of the curry will warm your soul until next winter. The taste is oily, sweet and very spice heavy, with a hint of spiciness from the ginger. And I am not kidding when I say that the pork belly is the most tender thing you can ever bite into.
In fact, just give me the curry by itself and I will happily dip my sticky rice into it and call it a satisfying meal.
Pak Liang Pad Kai
For such a simple dish this still packs a punch in terms of flavor.
Another famous dish in Northern Thailand is the Pak Liang Pad Kai which are Melinjo leaves stir fried with egg. This is a simple dish but it is still quite tasty. The Melinjo leaves are sweet and the texture is a little rubbery, paired with the egg and you got yourself a tasty dish that you can eat with rice or sticky rice.
I recommend this one as a palette cleanser to help cut the heaviness of the other dishes.
Combination Fried/Grilled Meat Platter
For something as simple as grilled meat, this is way better than it has any right to be.
You can’t come to Northern Thailand without having some grilled and/or fried meats. The staples here are intestines, pork belly, and dried pork.
Served with a sour and spicy dipping sauce that does a really good job at cutting through the fattiness and oil of the meats.
My favorite is hands down the intestines. Don’t knock them until you try them, They’re a little chewy but they have a great smokey flavor.
Snack on these throughout your meal or eat them with sticky rice.
Conclusion
Pros
Every dish is deliciously intense in flavors.
A large and varied menu with all sorts of soups, curries, meats, to choose from. You can’t eat here a dozen times and never get bored trying new things.
Decently sized portions for the price, meaning the price is also relatively cheap.
Cons
The place is often packed and you’ll find yourself waiting for a table for a while. Use QueQ to book in advance
Overall I would definitely recommend you dine at Tong Tem Toh! Not only are you getting a very authentic Lanna cuisine experience, you are also going to enjoy the explosion of flavors and spices in every dish. Not to mention the prices are also very cheap and the large menu means that you will never get bored of eating here.
The only downside is that the queue is very very long, being located in a popular and trendy neighborhood also doesn’t help with the waiting issue.
Thong Tem Toh | 9 / 10
Phone: +66 53 894 701
Location: 11 13 Nimmanahaeminda Road, Suthep, อำเภอเ มือง, Chiang Mai 50200
Opening Hours: 8AM - 11PM | Mon - Sun
Pricing: 100 THB (or 2.80 USD) per dish | $
Looking for Things to Do in Chiang Mai / Chiang Rai?
Doi Inthanon National Park - Admire the views atop Thailand’s tallest mountain!
White Temple - Tour the iconic Wat Rong Kun along with the Blue temple and Black House
Night Safari - Lookout for nocturnal creatures and fair beasts at Chiang Mai Night Safari
Discounted Tickets - Browse a variety of attractions, tours, and transports all for a great price
Useful Resources for Traveling in Thailand
Tourism Information - All the information you need when traveling in Thailand
4G/5G SIM Card - 8 days, 15GB, Important for staying connected while in Thailand
Private Airport Transfers - Transfer from Suvarnabhumi Airport to the city without worry
Best Bangkok Hostels - A list of the best hostels to stay for cheap and meet new friends
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