Suwalee

Every day, in nearly every town and village across southern Thailand, vendors prepare a huge variety of curries and other dishes, showcasing them in stainless steel pots and trays. These eateries are known in Thai as raan khaao kaeng, “rice and curry shops.” 

Regardless of location, many claim a link with Nakhon Si Thammarat, most likely because of that city’s culinary legacy and impressive bounty of natural resources and ingredients. Yet of the dozens of rice and curry stalls found in and around Nakhon Si Thammarat, one stands out.

Located steps from Nakhon Si Thammarat’s train station, Suwalee has been serving hungry locals for two generations. As with other southern Thai curry restaurants there’s no real menu here; the dishes change on a daily basis, and it’s your job to simply point at whatever curry, soup, stir-fry, deep-fried dish or dip looks tasty, which will then be served in a small dish or simply served over your plate of rice. When you sit down, your selections will be supplemented with naam chup, a free spicy shrimp paste-based dip, and a platter of vegetables and herbs. 

Compared to the majority of southern Thailand’s rice and curry stalls, which are generally workaday operations, the dishes at Suwalee are more sophisticated, cooked with bold but balanced seasonings, and unique tweaks. Just about everything here is delicious, but a highlight is the almost decadent khua kling muu, slices of fatty pork collar stir-fried with an herb paste and a splash of coconut milk.