Chiang Mai is the best place to sample northern cuisine. The most distinct style is known as          khan toke. A Khan Toke meal consists of several small dishes such as chicken or beef curries, crispy fried          pork skin and northern style chili sauces such as the mild red nam prik ong or the firey nam prik on; all          served with sticky rice. A Khan Toke dinner is traditionally served on a small round table.                          You will find several Khan Toke restaurants around Chiang Mai. Most of them are tourist          oriented and put on a show of traditional dancing along with dinner. Our favorite is the Kum Kaew          Palace, located near the Vista Hotel, just inside the Changpuek gate. Its located in a small old palace          building belonging to a princess of Chiang Mai. However, on our last visit our party were the only guests,          so we wouldn't be surprised if the place was closed soon.                          Chiang Mai also has its own style of street food, the most well known of which is khao soi. This          dish is made with flat egg noodles, something like linguine, served in a hearty soup with either chicken or          beef. A thick black chilli paste, lime, shallots and bean sprouts or some other vegetables are served with          the dish to allow you to season it to your own taste. While you can find this dish in some Bangkok          restaurants, most people agree that there's nothing like the "real thing" found just about anywhere in          Chiang Mai. Your best bet if you want to give it a try is the Anusarn night market, about a block from the          night bazaar, or a new restaurant dedicated to this dish, 'Just Kao Soy' on Charoen Prathet Road, not far         from the Anusarn market.