My Chiangmai trip was quite a last-minute trip, so there was no planned places to visit and no restaurants or cafes we needed to check off. Most of the nights, we opened Google search and looked for restaurants near our hotel since we were recuperating in our room predominantly
We hopped into a restaurant which was a few steps from our hotel but realised they only took cash and we did not have much on us, so we ventured further out about a 10-minute walk away to @MuanJai
Opened on May 19 2026, the restaurant is built in the heart of the old city. Its name, “Muan Jai” (ม่วนใจ๋), translates to feeling joyful or happy in the Northern Thai dialect. The interiors were designed to be an inviting, cosy, and friendly space where guests can relax as if they are visiting a friend’s house
The restaurant focus on serving clean, high-quality, and highly affordable everyday Thai à la carte comfort food and drinks in a modern, air-conditioned settingfocus on serving clean, high-quality, and highly affordable everyday Thai à la carte comfort food and drinks in a modern, air-conditioned setting. The price range of their food is from THB 60 to THB 200
My friend ordered the Thai omelette with shrimp on rice, which was something you would get from our food court in Singapore. Expect simple home-cooked dishes with no unnecessary garnishing or seasoning. There was not much of an expectation, so I find it very general
I ordered the stir-fried roast pork with basil and a fried egg on rice, which was on the saltier side compared to my friend’s omelette rice, which was quite bland. I felt that the dish was missing the basil flavour, but it was not inedible either. It was just a normal fried roast pork dish with egg and hoisin sauce, just like a friend’s mum would cook for you as a casual meal
We also had a tom yum goong to share, which was a small bowl with some seafood ingredients and mostly mushrooms and vegetables. I like the fact that the soup was tangy and spicy enough, without burning our stomachs
Overall, this is a very simple restaurant offering very affordable meals for those who are not fussy about their meals. The environment is clean and bright and is perfect for those who want to eat in a clean restaurant versus the roadside stalls. The price is also reasonable without being so expensive that you will complain about the quality of the food
Address: 169 Jhaban Rd Old City Phra Sing, Mueang Chiang Mai District, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
Opening hours: 8.30 am to 11 pm
