The Best Jok (Thai rice porridge) in Chiang Mai's Old Town
by Jok Somphet, Chiang Mai, Thailand
It's morning in Chiang Mai, Thailand, and I'm on the hunt for a delicious and filling breakfast to fuel my upcoming day of adventure and exploration.
The staff at my hotel recommended Jok Somphet, and any time that I get a local recommendation, I try my best to check it out.
Like its name suggests, Jok Somphet serves jok, or Thai congee (rice porridge). This hearty, filling, hot, and soothing Thai breakfast staple typically consists of a bowl of steamed rice porridge filled with pork, chicken, shrimp, or tofu, and topped with mushrooms, green onions, shredded ginger, and a splash of fish sauce.
Jok Somphet serves delicious, salty and savory bowls of jok at a great price accompanied by steamer baskets of dim sum dishes.
 |
| breakfast at Jok Somphet in Chiang Mai, Thailand |
The bowls of jok here are large, with generous portions of meat mixed into the savory rice porridge.
I ordered the jok gai, or chicken congee, which came with large slices of tender chicken meat. The bowl of jok was topped with the traditional chopped green onions and slivered ginger, and also came with a handful of crispy rice noodles, which added a unique crunchy texture to the bowl of jok.
 |
| a bowl of jok, or Thai-style congee (rice porridge) with chicken and a soft-boiled egg |
Jok Somphet also serves a large selection of dim sum, which always go nicely with a hot bowl of jok. We ordered a few different dishes to share.
First up was the iconic hakaw, (蝦餃, or har gow), a ubiquitous Cantonese dim sum dish. Sweet, juicy, and savory shrimp meat is steamed in a thin and translucent flour wrapper.
 |
| hakaw, or Cantonese-style streamed shrimp dumplings |
Next, we tried shitake mushrooms stuffed with a minced pork filling and coated in a rich gravy. This dim sum dish was rich and savory with a strong umami flavor and a toothsome texture.
 |
| stuffed shitake mushroom dumplings |
I also ordered a serving of delicious and savory crab dumplings and a glass of cha yen, or Thai iced tea. This world-famous drink is cool, sweet, and delicious, its iconic orange-brown color coming from the mixture of Thai black tea and sweetened condensed milk.
It is a nice drink to have on a hot, muggy morning in Thailand, and while I generally prefer iced coffee, sometimes a cold and refreshing glass of cha yen is just the thing.
 |
| cha yen, traditional Thai iced milk tea |
Menu
The menu, printed conveniently in Thai, English, and Chinese is simple to read and understand. Just choose whether you'd like jok (congee, or rice porridge) or khao tom (soft-boiled rice), and choose which ingredients you'd like to have.
I ordered chicken jok with an extra soft-boiled egg, but you certainly can't go wrong with any item on the menu (except for maybe offal or liver if you are sensitive to that sort of thing!).
 |
| Jok Somphet menu, Chiang Mai, Thailand |
Although the shop specializes in their famous jok, they also have a menu of classic Thai rice dishes. However, if you are going to be visiting Jok Somphet, you really ought to order its signature jok... it's in the name, after all!
 |
| breakfast at a famous congee porridge shop in Chiang Mai, Thailand |
Location
Jok Somphet is located at 59 3 Sri Poom Rd, Si Phum, Mueang Chiang Mai District, Chiang Mai 50200. The restaurant is conveniently located in the Old City near the moat. It's a short walk to the famous 13th century temple Wat Chiang Man and the photogenic Si Phum Corner of the old city wall.
 |
| Jok Somphet in Chiang Mai, Thailand (old town) |
Jok Somphet is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It's a perfect place not only for a delicious breakfast, but also for lunch, dinner, or a midnight snack.
 |
| inside Jok Somphet, Chiang Mai's most famous congee shop |
Comments
Post a Comment