Thai-Style Breakfast in Chiang Mai: Jok, Patongko, and My Favorite Morning Food
Thai-Style Breakfast in Chiang Mai: Jok, Patongko, and My Favorite Morning Food
Hello Dear reader,
This is my article where I want to share some personal experiences I collected during almost a decade of living in Thailand.
I am not going to introduce myself too much here, so I hope you can trust what I share below — and if not, you can always try these places yourself when you are in Chiang Mai. I studied at CMU, and one day one of my fellow students told me they had difficulty finding a good place for breakfast. That felt very strange to me, because I could immediately name at least four places from the top of my head. Where you could get a nice morning meal.
By Continuing this read, you will learn more about where to have breakfast in Chiang Mai.
I am not going to talk about eggs, bacon, toast, or Western-style cafés. As you can see from the title, this article is about Thai breakfast in Chiang Mai — and especially one of my favorite morning foods: rice porridge, called jok in Thai, or โจ๊ก.
[PHOTO: A bowl of jok with egg and patongko]
PS.I did clean up my phone memory so unfortunately there are no images left =(. Ill come back to chiang mai in november 2026 and will edit this article.
What Is Jok?
Jok is Thai rice porridge. It is soft, hot, and very comforting. Usually, people eat it with pork or other meat, egg, ginger, and some green herbs. I am not fully sure what the green herb and some white rice noodles look like in the image below .
[ADD Joke image ]
For me, the most important part is porridge itself and I always like to order jok with a soft-boid egg. When the egg is inside you can use a famous thai dessert similar to western sweet bread but not same, same. 😀
But in my personal opinion, jok cannot be eaten properly without patongko.
Why Patongko Is Important
If you have stayed in Thailand for a while, you probably know patongko, or ปาท่องโก๋. It is a Thai-style fried dough, usually eaten for breakfast with coffee, soy milk, or rice porridge.
If you are new to Thailand, patongko usually comes in small connected pieces. Some people say it looks like two people holding together, and there is even a kind of local saying about people being close like patongko — always together and hard to separate.
For me, jok and patongko are also like this. They belong together.
[PHOTO: Close-up photo of fresh hot patongko together as you and your fiend]]
How I Learned to Eat Jok and Patongko
My Thailand journey started in Phuket. At that time, I learned about Michelin Guide restaurants and discovered that Phuket has many interesting local food places.
There was one place in Phuket famous for patongko. I will not attach the Google Map here because today we are talking about Chiang Mai, but if you ask locals in Phuket about famous patongko, they will probably know what you mean.
This is where I learned my favorite way to eat jok and patongko from my Thai girlfriend.
The Phuket-style way, at least how I learned it, is simple: take one piece of patongko, dip part of it into the soft egg, then eat it together with the hot porridge.
For me, this is way is the only way.
I have not heard the same story in the north of Thailand, but I believe people here may eat it in a simpler way. In Chiang Mai, it is also quite normal to eat cold patongko, but personally I think hot patongko is much better. When it is fresh, crispy outside, and soft inside, it is completely different.
Breakfast in the North and South
From my experience, people in different parts of Thailand eat jok at different times. In some places, you can find jok in the evening too. But for me, jok feels like morning food.
A hot bowl of rice porridge, fresh patongko, and strong Thai coffee — this is one of the best simple breakfasts in Thailand.
And luckily, in Chiang Mai, there are plenty of places where you can find this kind of breakfast.
My Favorite Places for Jok and Patongko in Chiang Mai
Here are some places I like or recommend trying. I will add exact names, Google Maps, and photos. See them below.
1. McDonald’s Near Central Festival
You might not expect McDonald’s to be a good place for Thai-style breakfast, but trust me, it is worth trying. For me, my number one choice is the McDonald’s near Central Festival Chiang Mai.
To be honest, not every McDonald’s breakfast is the same. I like this branch because the patongko is usually hot and crispy, and the porridge comes freshly cooked. You can also order it with an egg. It is not a soft-boiled egg like in some local shops, but it still works well. Not long ago, they also added an omelet to the breakfast menu.
Another reason I like this place is convenience. There is a 7-Eleven nearby, a bus stop, and a big parking area. For me, it is easy, simple, and reliable. I usually like to visit around 8 AM.
They serve this only during breakfast hours, and I believe they stop around 10 AM.
Here is google map : https://maps.app.goo.gl/U3DfcfL3d18smWE3A
2. Place Near Jing Jai Market
The second place is close to Jing Jai Market. They dont have english spelling name so you can check Google maps.
Pin : https://maps.app.goo.gl/3M6VQRaaQPuH4E2b8 ( โก๋เฮง X สถานีปาท่องโก๋ )
This place has three things I strongly recommend trying together:
Patongko + jok + Kaffee boran
Notes: I will write Kaffee coz i fell that this is correct way to write that name =)
Kafae boran, or กาแฟโบราณ, means old-style Thai coffee. It is usually not strong and very sweet. My personal tip is to ask them to add a little more hot water, because sometimes it can be too sweet. Diabetes warning 5555.
At this restaurant, they have two types of patongko. One is the original Thai-style patongko, and the other one looks more like a Japanese-style version, longer and more like breadsticks.
Personally, I am a fan of the original patongko, but you can choose on the spot.
Jok at this place is a little bit more soft compared to Mc’donalds but still good but make sure you will use soy sauce when you are eating this type of Jok.
3. Famous Patongko Near Kad Luang / Warorot Market
Another famous place is around Kad Luang / Warorot Market area.
This is the place where they make patongko in different shapes, like dinosaurs, elephants, and other fun forms.
It is a nice place, especially if you come not only for breakfast but also to explore the local market, the flower market, and the area near the Ping River.
Personally, I am still a fan of the original patongko shape. So I would not go there only for breakfast, but I would definitely bring friends there if they are visiting Chiang Mai for the first time.
It is more than just food. It is also a small local experience.
Google maps: https://maps.app.goo.gl/TyoiNTAdrpwEBQZu6
4. Place Not Far from Chiang Mai University
There is one more place not far from Chiang Mai University. I need to add the name and Google Map here.
Google Maps : https://maps.app.goo.gl/m5zEo48sNcydxHnk8
This place is quite famous, but I am not fully sure why. You can probably find more information about it online.
What I like most about this place is how they work and take orders. If you are old enough and remember old Starbucks, when the cashier called out the order and the barista repeated it back, this place sometimes feels similar. I really like this kind of system and atmosphere.
They serve jok and patongko, but because the place is busy, it can be hard to get hot patongko. If you go there anyway, I also recommend trying the deep-fried tofu.
My personal combination there would be:
Jok + patongko + deep-fried tofu + lemon tea
Trust me, it makes a very good breakfast.
Final Thoughts
That is all I planned to share for this article.
I feel a little sad when people say they cannot find good breakfast in Chiang Mai, because there are actually many places with authentic atmosphere, local style, and simple but delicious food.
You just need to know what to look for.
For me, Thai-style breakfast is not only about food. It is about waking up early, finding a local place, ordering something hot, and starting the day slowly.
So if you are in Chiang Mai, try jok with soft-boiled egg and patongko. And if possible, try to find hot patongko — because hot and cold patongko are not the same thing.
Have a good breakfast, my friend.
See you in the next article.
Your local food friend
last edit : 05 July 2026
Posted Jul 5, 2026, 12:23 PM UTC