Moom Mai Restaurant ร้านอาหารมุมไม้ — Restaurant in Chiang Rai Province

Moommai Restaurant, located at 58/4 Moo 16, Sankhongluang Rd, Mueang Chiang Rai, is a unique dining spot that promises an authentic Northern Thai experience with a rustic twist. I visited in April 2025 for lunch, drawn by its reputation for traditional Lanna cuisine and quirky ambiance. While the restaurant has its charms, the experience fell short of the hype due to mosquitoes, humidity concerns, and average food. Here’s my take.

Unique Ambiance, But Mosquitoes Mar the Day

Moommai’s setting is undeniably special—a retro, open-air eatery with vintage decor, wooden benches, and a nostalgic vibe that feels like stepping into a Thai countryside home. The walls are adorned with old photos and trinkets, giving it a distinct character that’s perfect for photos. However, during my daytime visit, mosquitoes were a persistent nuisance, buzzing around the tables and making it hard to relax. The open-air design, while charming, offers little protection from bugs, and I can only imagine it being worse at night with increased humidity and more mosquitoes. Bug spray is a must, and the lack of fans or screens felt like an oversight for a tropical climate.

Food: Decent but Not Memorable

The menu focuses on Northern Thai staples, and while the food was okay, it didn’t live up to the rave reviews.Overall, the food was decent but not exceptional, especially given the hype surrounding Moommai. Budget-wise, it’s reasonable (150-250 THB per person), but you can find better Northern Thai cuisine nearby for less.

Moommai’s reputation as a top Chiang Rai restaurant feels exaggerated. The unique decor and Lanna-inspired menu draw crowds, but the execution falls flat when you factor in the mosquito issue and average food. The restaurant was moderately busy during my visit, and service was friendly but slow, likely due to the small staff handling both cooking and serving. Located a bit outside the city center (a 10-minute Grab ride, 60-80 THB from the Night Bazaar), it’s not the most convenient spot. Nighttime visits might amplify the humidity and bug problems, so daytime is probably the better bet despite my experience. The lack of mosquito repellent or proper ventilation was a letdown for an otherwise charming setup.

Moommai Restaurant offers a one-of-a-kind ambiance that’s great for those seeking a quirky, Instagram-friendly dining experience. However, the mosquito issue, especially in a humid climate, and the overhyped food make it hard to fully recommend. It’s worth a visit if you’re curious about its retro vibe and don’t mind slathering on bug spray, but don’t expect culinary excellence. For better Northern Thai food, try Ginggarn or Khao Soi Vijitra Baan Du closer to town. Moommai’s charm is real, but the practical drawbacks keep it from...

We came here twice, once for lunch and once for coffee. Love the garden setting and cute figurines. The menu has many options and it is written in English. One of the waitresses spoke English and was really helpful. Coffee and cakes - well presented, ok price, and tasty. We sat upstairs where was aircon and a comfortable armchair Lunch - ok price, generous portion size, tasty. But not healthy. We ordered 2 salads and both came with lots of deep fried items. One salad had morning glory leaves all battered and deep fried. The other had the tiny dried prawns also battered and deep fried. It defeats the whole purpose of eating a salad, a meal that is supposed to be healthy and low in calorie. I even developed a sore throat from eating the salads. I know Northern cuisine has lots of deep fried items but it would be helpful to indicate in the menu which items are deep fried for the benefit foreigners or non Northern Thai tourists. Otherwise, you will get a lot of angry diners giving one...

Even though there were some language challenges, the staff is very friendly and helpful. Walking in, one is taken by the jungle/gnome kitch decor, and seating is cozy in several hut-like sections. Great for kids. Google listed Moom Mai as a place offering vegetarian dishes, but there were not that many, especially if you are following a vegan diet. Having said that, we got the Penang curry tofu which was really good (but not cheap), the fried mushrooms were also very good. We also enjoyed the fried morning glory leaves with mango salad. Had these with steamed rice. One mistake; the stir fried mixed vegetable yellow curry had an unwanted surprise for us, big chunks of pork, not mentioned on the menu description :( For dessert, the durian sticky rice - that is a...