Unapologetically fiery, brimming with seafood and herbs, and light on the rich coconut cream and sugar, Southern Thai is tailor-made for palates that crave fresh, bright flavors paired with bucket loads of spice.
“Southern Thai food is so good because of the fresh curry pastes that are used in many dishes, giving Southern Thai food its punchy flavor and balance of spice,” said Bangkok-based American food blogger Mark Wiens. At the same time, “In Bangkok, lots of ordinary Southern Thai food is either too sweet, or not spicy enough — some dishes need to be very spicy to work,” he added. “Additionally, key ingredients like shrimp paste and fermented fish entrails [tai pla], the right types of chilies, kaffir lime leaves, and fresh turmeric are essential to make proper tasting Southern Thai food.”
Luckily for lovers of authentic Southern Thai food, good stand-ins for a night spent in Hat Yai or Krabi — from down-to-earth shophouse vendors to the fine dining branch of a Phuket institution — can still be found in Bangkok. Here are a handful of the very best.
Prai Raya (59 Sukhumvit Soi 8) – Michelin Bib Gourmand
The original Raya ruled the roost in Phuket with its wildly popular renditions of signature local favorites such as moo hong (sweet braised pork), nam prik goong sieb (chili paste with roasted prawns) and gaeng poo bai chaplu (crab curry with piper leaves) ladled over kanom jeen (fermented Mon-style rice noodles). Thanks to its impressive pedigree, the much-fancier Bangkok branch has wowed the crowds, collecting a Michelin Bib Gourmand mention in the process.
See what our inspectors said about Prai Raya (59 Sujhumvit Soi 8) here.
Khua Kling + Pak Sod (21/32 Sukhumvit soi 29) – Michelin Bib Gourmand
This family-run restaurant in a renovated house has collected enough plaudits to warrant a Michelin Bib Gourmand honor earlier this year. Named after a signature dish of the South comprising minced meat stir-fried with kaffir lime leaves, turmeric and volcanically hot chilies, the restaurant is also unstinting in its championing of other Southern standouts, such as stir-fried stink beans (sator) with shrimp paste, fresh shrimp chili paste, and a whole section devoted to deep-fried omelets to mitigate all that spice.
See what our inspectors said about Khua Kling + Pak Sod (21/32 Sukhumvit soi 29) here.
Janhom (273/4 Ramkhamhaeng Soi 21)
This humble eatery is known for serving some of the most uncompromisingly Southern Thai fare in the capital. Headed by Surat Thani native Poonsri Sarikam (aka Auntie Baew), standout menu selections include her sour curry (referred to as gaeng luang, or “yellow curry” in the South) and tart tamarind soup tom som, studded with fresh mullet.
Krua Khun Ein 2 (23 Pradit Manutham Road)
Not yet on the radar of most Bangkokians, this unassuming diner has finally been ferreted out by Southern Thai-o-philes who are truly in the know. While the first iteration of this restaurant (Krua Khun Ein 1) is basically a street-side fried chicken stand, the dressier sister specializes in mouthwatering and deceptively complex dishes such as its yum mamuang bao, a spicy salad based on a sour mango specific to the South, and kaeng kua gang, a coconut milk-based crayfish curry.
Dao Tai (508/26 Phran Nok Road)
For years, local food lovers have been flocking to this neighborhood in the shadow of Bangkok’s Siriraj Hospital for what they say is the most authentic Southern Thai food in the city. On a road lined with a string of open-air shophouses, the inarguable standout is this cluttered eatery, half-full of trays of food and bric-a-brac crowding onto three or four tables for customers who choose to eat in. The shophouse’s most famous dishes include the gaeng som pla grapong (sour curry with seabass), the kua kling (stir-fried pork or beef with herbs and gaeng lueng chilies), and pad sator kapi (stir-fried stink beans (sator) with shrimp paste).
