Khao Man Gai (chicken and rice dish) at random shop in Chiang Mai

So I was riding around looking for a place that sells Snus that just happened to be in my neighborhood and getting to that place was an adventure in itself because the maps app that I was using was very incorrect about the layout of the minor roads (I can see this being an ongoing problem) but the time that I spent lost I hope I was able to help out the gmaps program by pointing out various roads that don't exist.

Anyway, getting lost on a bicycle in residential areas outside of the city center isn't really a big deal because I don't really have a schedule to maintain. I twisted around various corners and found myself in a small subdistrict of Chiang Mai.

I hadn't had breakfast yet when on the side of a road I spotted a "chicken and rice" shop the likes of which exist in thousands of location all throughout the kingdom.

This was just some shop on the side of the road with 4 tables inside and a girl behind the counter. You don't need to think very hard about what you are going to order in this place because they only have one thing. You know a dish is popular when you can open an establishment and not bother to have anything else on the menu. There actually is no menu, just a picture on the wall and a lady behind the counter.

I would say that the only thing that really sets any place apart from any other would be the sauce that they prepare and of course the soup that comes with it. The sauce in this place didn't really do it for me but I am not trying to say they are wrong. I am not Thai so there is a really good chance that I actually have the wrong idea about what it is supposed to taste like.

The soup was spectacularly spiced with just the right combination of seasonings. Some places are quite lazy with the soup and it ends up being bland but not this shop. One interesting thing about it is featured in the picture above. I do not know what this vegetable is called in English but in Thai it is actually pronounced "fuck" (I promise I am not making this up.) I normally giggle a bit and feel tempted to ask for "extra fuck" when ordering (I don't ever actually do this - I'm a very polite person.)

If you are ever anywhere in Thailand, especially outside of tourist areas and you have the chance to order a Khao Man Gai plate, do yourself a favor and rise to the challenge. It tends to not be spicy and is literally available everywhere including almost any food court in shopping malls that you will probably encounter at one point or another.

This quick lunch for me cost a whopping 25 Baht, which comes it at about 70 cents. Not a bad price for a full meal now is it?