Pun Pun Market, Chiang Mai

The most popular question we get asked about our life in Thailand is about the food. Everyone tells how much they love Thai food and that we are so fortunate to live in Thailand and eat all that good Thai food. Here in Chiang Mai, the food culture is strong and locals love their street food. Street food cart vendors usually specialize in one or a couple of dishes like pad thai, khao pad (fried rice), sukiyaki, etc. Locals love to “argue” about which vendor serves up the best of the best. Well, I don’t want to be a Debbie downer here (okay, maybe a small part of me does..), but once in a while we need a break from eating street food. We want to sit in a proper restaurant and enjoy our food without smelling exhaust fumes and getting a thousand mosquito bites at the same time. Hey, everyone needs a little change from time to time, right?

So where do we go for a bit of change ? Well, one of our go-to places here in Chiang Mai is a restaurant called Pun Pun Market. It’s a bit far from the old city, but it’s definitely worth the trek. From the outside, the restaurant does not look like much. But once you enter, you immediately feel calm. Perhaps it’s their herb and vegetable garden or maybe it’s the calm vibe you get from the servers. Pun Pun Market is a good place to unwind and escape the hustle and bustle of city life. It’s an open air restaurant with rustic tables and chairs. The kitchen is open so you can see everything they do. Pun pun is popular for vegetarian meals, but for those who like meat, you can ask the kitchen to add free range chicken to any of their meals. And don’t forget to get a drink or two! Their smoothies are made with real fruit and not overly sweet like smoothies from street vendors. Oh and don’t forget to stop by their small store. They have a small store in the back of the restaurant stocked with organic items like yogurt, vegan cheesecake, kombucha, curry pastes, soy sauce, rice, honey, jams, shampoo, soaps, etc.