I love this dish and it’s a soup that will definitely go on a future menu. It’s full of chicken bits, including shredded white meat, bits of bone with crunchy cartilage, blood cake and braised feet. It may sound a bit extreme, but it’s probably the kind of soup a chicken would hope to end up in. It’s rich and texturally exciting, and bean sprouts, cabbage and morning glory round out the crunch factor. Top it with chilies, basil and peanuts and you’ve got a soup that will knock. your. socks. off.
passport to eat 
Hello foodie friend!
I’m back in SE Asia- north Thailand at the moment. En route to Laos and Vietnam before Indo. I haven’t been in almost 5 years. Any advise to get me off the “gringo trail” and onto proper Asian-foodie- wonder!? …. I’ve encountered too many spice-less meals served with Heinz chile sauce on the side… Slightly devastated in Pai 😦
It can be tough to get off the trail. You need to meet locals and befriend them! Or do you feel comfortable renting a motorbike? The surrounding areas of Pai are amazing, but the actual town of Pai is pretty run through with tourism and falang-geared food. An amazing blog to check out is http://www.austinbushphotography.com. Austin writes for Lonely Planet so has documented tons of places to eat up north (and all over Thailand), so check out that site for recommendations. Good luck and I hope to see pictures of some great food soon 🙂
Thank you so much for the reply! Went north to Soppong and now Mae Hong Son. Reaffirming my faith in Thailand once again. 1 more week in the land of brush fires and Burmese laced food.