Huen Phen

Huen Phen is a well-known Old City restaurant for northern Thai food. The restaurant sits at 112 Ratchamankha Road in Phra Sing, a few minutes' walk from Wat Phra Singh, and its reputation rests on Lanna home-style cooking that has been served here for decades.

The menu is a good introduction to the food of the north. Khao soi, the curry noodle soup, is the obvious starting point, but it is worth ordering more widely. Khanom jeen nam ngiao is a rice noodle dish in a tomato-based broth; gaeng hang lay is a slow-cooked northern pork curry; and the pounded jackfruit salad and aeb pla, fish steamed with chilli paste and herbs, show how much variety there is beyond the dishes most visitors know. The menu changes, so ask what is available on the day.

The restaurant works in two sittings, a daytime service from 08:30 to 16:30 and an evening service from 17:00 to 22:00. The dining room is busy and local-leaning, with mixed wooden seating, and queues build at peak lunchtime. Arriving mid-morning or in the early evening usually shortens the wait. Lunch here fits neatly into a day of walking around the Old City temples, while the evening sitting suits a slower meal.

Huen Phen suits budget travellers, families and anyone who wants a straightforward introduction to Lanna food without a fine-dining price. Northern Thai cooking uses a lot of pork and can be very spicy, so tell staff early if you need to avoid either. Payment options can change, so ask when you arrive. Opening times may differ around public holidays, so confirm on the day if you are making a special trip.

Wat Phra Singh is a few minutes' walk to the west and Wat Chedi Luang is also close by. The restaurant has other branches in the city, including one on Nimmanhaemin Soi 5, but the Ratchamankha Road address is the one most visitors seek out.

If you are visiting with friends, order several dishes to share so you can try a range of northern flavours in one sitting, and ask staff which dishes are best that day.