Siri-Chai in Chiang Mai: Seriously good, seriously cheap

Located on a side street that it is pretty unlikely someone is just going to happen upon, Siri-Chai restaurant specialized in quickly made rice and noodle dishes at an extremely low price.

To call this place "low-key" would be an understatement. They make very little effort to advertise and after being in this place (I was a bit lost) I can say that they don't really need to change anything. The furnishings are basic and their locations isn't the best, but they tend to attract a big crowd of locals - which I have said time and time again, is a fantastic sign you are in an authentic Thai dining experience.

They focus mainly on boiled Chinese-style chicken on rice with a mildly spicy brown sauce (Khao man guy) and yellow curry with egg noodles (Khao Soy.) Both of these dishes already have the ingredients prepared sometime in the morning, so from the time you sit down to the time you are served is mere minutes.

Not a huge portion, but at 30 Baht (less than $1) I think it is more than fair. The sauce was great as was the side of soup that I have no idea how it is made but is offered at all of these establishments.

All over the country it is customary to provide free drinking water but Siri-Chai goes one step further by offering unlimited iced-tea. For an American, this is a very welcome change of pace. It is the really inexpensive Chinese tea but was still the "icing on the cake" for my very budget lunch.

As you can see they have a very limited menu and from experience I can say that all of these things will be ready in no time at all. I get a bit fussy if i have to wait for my food so these sorts of establishments are exactly what I am looking for at lunchtime.

Siri-Chai is a hidden gem that is frequented by locals and the few tourists that are able to find it. Their food is about as authentic as it gets and the added bonus for tourists is that it is inside the "Old City" so it will take very little time to locate if you have a maps app of some sort. I highly suggest this very inexpensive, friendly, and quick restaurant for a cheap lunch.