Chiang Mai Night Bazaar: Khao Soi, Lanna Heat & a Little Northern Thailand in Old Town
Chiang Mai Night Bazaar is the kind of new opening that makes you hungry from the sidewalk. A golden temple spire is painted across the wall outside, string lights swing over orange railings, and inside, the kitchen is ladling coconut curry over egg noodles and piling a nest of crispy noodles on top. The team behind Tuk Tuk Thai Isan Street Food soft opened this Northern Thai room on Thursday, October 1, 2026, at 215 W. North Ave. in Old Town, then announced on Instagram on October 5 that the doors are officially open.
The house line is simple: “North-Thai Soul. Chicago Heart.” What that means on the plate is a menu built around the cooking of Chiang Mai and the old Lanna kingdom of northern Thailand: khao soi, smoky herb sausage, chili dips you scoop with pork rinds and sticky rice, and a slow-braised pork curry that tastes like a whole afternoon went into it.
Why is Chiang Mai Night Bazaar the Thai opening to try this month?
Because Northern Thai food rarely gets a whole Chicago menu to itself, and Chiang Mai Night Bazaar builds its entire identity around it. Chicago eats a lot of Thai, and the city has fallen hard for Isan cooking in particular (Tuk Tuk’s own Lakeview and Wicker Park rooms are part of that story). The north is a different mood. It is earthier and more herbal, with dried chilies, galangal, lemongrass, and kaffir lime doing the heavy lifting, and dishes meant to be shared across a table with a basket of sticky rice in the middle.
The restaurant says it is inspired by the night markets of Chiang Mai, and it wants dinner to feel like an evening out in that city: color, aroma, and a little noise. The Infatuation flagged the opening on October 6, noting the colorful dining room (hence the “Night Bazaar” in the name) and a menu of classics like khao soi gai, sai oua, and nam prik ong. That is exactly the short list we would start with, too.
The other reason to go now is the moment itself. Soft opening week is when a kitchen is cooking with the most to prove, and Chiang Mai Night Bazaar has been teasing these dishes on its own feed since late summer. The plates are here now, and they look like they were worth the wait.
What will you eat at Chiang Mai Night Bazaar?
Start with the khao soi, then build the table around the dips, the sausage, and the curries. The online menu is long, but the heart of it lives under Chiang Mai Signatures, and that is where a first visit should stay.
- Khao Soi Kai, the dish the house calls “the crown jewel of Northern Thai cuisine”: chicken in a rich coconut curry broth with soft wheat noodles and a crown of crispy golden noodles. There is also Khao Soi Nuer Toon with slow-braised beef.
- Sai Oua, the house-made Northern Thai herb sausage, with pork, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, and galangal. The restaurant promises “a complex kick of spice and artisanal smoke.”
- Nam Prik Ong, a Lanna dip of minced pork, tomatoes, and dried chilies, served with fresh vegetables and crispy pork rinds. The kitchen describes it as a grandmother’s recipe.
- Nam Prik Noom, smashed grilled long green peppers with crispy pork skin, the smoky green partner to the red ong.
- Hung Lay, a Northern Thai slow-braised pork curry with ginger, garlic, tamarind, and warm spices: rich, savory, a little sweet and tangy.
- Kanomjeen Nam Ngiao, rice noodles in a savory, spicy tomato broth with ground pork, pork ribs, and herbs.
- Larb Muang, the Northern-style ground pork larb tossed with aromatic herbs and spices, served medium spicy.
If you are two people, the move is the Lanna Combo, a Northern Thai sharing platter with your choice of nam prik noom or nam prik ong, which the kitchen suggests pairing with sticky rice. Add a bowl of khao soi and the hung lay, and you have tasted the north in three plates.
Beyond the signatures, there is room to wander: Tiger Cry grilled rib-eye with jaew, Sam Chan Tod crispy pork belly, Nham sour marinated pork ribs, a crispy whole snapper (Pla Lui Suan) with lemongrass and lime, steamed grouper with lime and garlic, and a Pad Thai Chiang Mai with jumbo shrimp and crispy pork skin. Save space for Thai sweets like pumpkin custard, Bua Loy taro rice balls in warm coconut milk, or house-made coconut ice cream.
How spicy is the food at Chiang Mai Night Bazaar?
You choose, and the scale tops out at “Lanna Hot.” The restaurant lays out three levels so nobody gets ambushed:
- Mild: turmeric, ginger, and garlic with minimal chili, for people who want flavor over fire.
- Medium: what the house calls “the authentic Chicago Thai experience,” a warmth that builds slowly and finishes bright with lime leaf and galangal.
- Lanna Hot: direct, high-intensity spice from Thai bird’s eye chilies and dried spice pastes, which the kitchen calls “a true reflection of the Lanna night market heritage.”
Our take: go Medium on your first khao soi so you can taste the curry paste, then let the dips and the larb bring the fire. Northern Thai heat is meant to sit alongside herbs and smoke, not bury them. Cool it all down with the drinks list, which leans on Thai iced tea, Thai lime iced tea, butterfly pea lime juice, fresh coconut, and Bael Fruit Juice (Ma Toom), the drink the kitchen recommends with the hung lay.
Who is behind Chiang Mai Night Bazaar?
The team behind Tuk Tuk Thai Isan Street Food, according to The Infatuation. Tuk Tuk has been cooking Isan street food out of 2852 N. Clark St. in Lakeview, with a second room at 1500 W. Division St. in Wicker Park, and The Infatuation notes that the new room shares Tuk Tuk’s colorful look. Chiang Mai Night Bazaar takes that energy north, geographically and on the plate: where Isan cooking is known for grilled meats, jaew, and som tum, this menu leans into curry noodles, herb sausage, and the chili dips of Lanna.
The restaurant describes its kitchen as “a canvas for heritage techniques, where the bold spice of Chiang Mai meets the artisanal energy of Chicago’s culinary landscape.” Read past the poetry and the point is clear. This is not a pan-Thai greatest hits list with a Chiang Mai sign on it. It is a regional restaurant with a regional point of view, and that is what makes it exciting.
What does the Chiang Mai Night Bazaar room feel like?
Warm, colorful, and built for sharing. Outside, the mural wall sets the tone before you open the door: a gilded chedi, a temple roofline in burnt orange, and string lights strung overhead, so the whole frontage glows a little at night. Inside, the restaurant’s own photos show wood tables in deep amber tones, plates arriving on banana leaves and rattan, and family-style spreads that cover the table edge to edge.
The website promises a “cinematic dining” experience, and the restaurant also hosts private parties through a request form on its site, which makes it an easy pick for a birthday dinner or a group that wants to order one of everything. On opening week, the official-open video showed a line of guests stepping in out of the rain. That is the energy: a neighborhood spot that already feels like a little event.
When is Chiang Mai Night Bazaar open, and can you reserve?
It is open daily for lunch and dinner, and reservations are live. The official site lists these hours:
- Monday to Thursday: 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. for lunch, and 4:30 to 10 p.m. for dinner
- Friday and Saturday: 11:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.
- Sunday: 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Reservations run through the “Reserve” button on chiangmaichicago.com, which links to the restaurant’s Toast booking page, and the same site links to online ordering. The restaurant’s Toast listing puts the price range at $15 to $30. Hours can shift during opening weeks, so check the site before you go. You can reach the restaurant at (312) 754-0119 or cnxnightbazaar@gmail.com.
Old Town makes it an easy night. Pair dinner with a show nearby or a walk along Wells Street, then come back for a second round of sticky rice and dip. We will be back for the hung lay.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Chiang Mai Night Bazaar?
Chiang Mai Night Bazaar is a new Northern Thai restaurant at 215 W. North Ave. in Chicago’s Old Town, from the team behind Tuk Tuk Thai Isan Street Food. The menu focuses on Lanna dishes like khao soi, sai oua, nam prik ong, and hung lay.
When did Chiang Mai Night Bazaar open?
Chiang Mai Night Bazaar soft opened on Thursday, October 1, 2026, and announced on its Instagram on October 5, 2026, that it is officially open.
Where is Chiang Mai Night Bazaar located?
The restaurant is at 215 W. North Ave., Chicago, IL 60610, in Old Town, just off Wells Street.
What should I order at Chiang Mai Night Bazaar?
Start with the Khao Soi Kai, the Lanna Combo platter with nam prik ong or nam prik noom, the house-made Sai Oua sausage, and the Hung Lay pork curry with sticky rice. Add Bael fruit juice to drink.
Does Chiang Mai Night Bazaar take reservations?
Yes. Reservations are live through the Reserve button on chiangmaichicago.com, which links to the restaurant’s Toast booking page. Online ordering is also available.
How spicy is Northern Thai food at Chiang Mai Night Bazaar?
You choose from Mild, Medium, or Lanna Hot. Medium builds slowly with lime leaf and galangal, while Lanna Hot uses Thai bird’s eye chilies and dried spice pastes for full night market heat.
Sources
- Chiang Mai Night Bazaar official site and Signature Menu Highlights
- Chiang Mai Night Bazaar on Instagram (@chiangmai_nightbazaar), including the October 1 soft opening announcement and the October 5 official opening post
- Chiang Mai Night Bazaar online menu on Toast
- The Infatuation, “Chiang Mai Night Bazaar,” October 6, 2026
- Tuk Tuk Thai Isan Street Food locations
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