Street Vendors & Hawkers, Hat Yai

Try this noodle. It's called "Yen To Fo". The soup is cooked from fermented red bean curd called "tau hu yee". That's why the soup is kind of pinkish. It has veggie, deep fried crackers, squid, bbq pork and fish ball. It costs between 35 to 40 baht depending on the size you order. It's one of my favourite food in Thailand!

By far the best place to get local thai seafood at local prices. Its a simple set up restaurant that serves great food. I completely recommend this place. This place is very famous among the local thais but not very well known to tourist. Their tomyum kung is a must try and also their sambal squid is absolutely mouth watering.

Favorite Dish: Seafood TOM YUM KONG!!!

Once you have reached Hatyai town, take a look around and you will notice that there are loads of fruit peddlars. For 20BHT a piece, there are loads of selection from watermelons, pineapples and some of their local fruit. I manage to try a local fruit guava which is bright lime green in color. Very interesting...

Favorite Dish: Fruits

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There are many stalls that sell these sweet desserts... I patronize the one just outside the Lee Gardens Plaza Hotel... It is operated by a Malaysian and his Thai wife...

Hatyai is known for its bird's nest but current price at 100 baht has risen in recent times... However, this stall sells desserts which are almost similar to what you will find in Malaysia viz, soya bean, bean curd, ginko nuts, lycee juice, lemon jelly and (surprisingly lai chi kang as well) etc...

Favorite Dish: The lai chi kang is certainly one of the best I have taken for some time... Topped generously with the various ingredients, it is good value for money at 40 baht...

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The rice dumpling is certainly a Chinese delicacy but it is readily available in Hatyai, where Chinese influence is strong... There is the plain rice dumpling which taste good if you eat it with a spread of kaya... or the salty "bak chang" with a wide variety of fillings, including pork, chicken, mushroom slices, salted egg, ginko nuts etc... The more extensive the filling, the bigger the dumpling and the higher the price...

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There are a variety of local fruits in Thailand... but some of them are seasonal... Southern Thailand is noted for its rambutan and mango... not sure about pineapple... There are fruit stalls all over the place... in market place, in front of hotels, in front of restaurants, in front of shopping complexes etc...

The fruits are nice and juicy especially the mango and pineapple... the pineapple is certainly comparable to the famous specie in Chiangrai...

Thai dessert tends to be very sweet in nature... and it is colourful as well... I would say that these dessert certainly have a high fusion of Chinese food as there are a lot of Chinese type of desserts... including the "bak chang"...

The pig trotter is one of my favourite dish and nowhere else can you get better pig trotters than in Thailand... The braised trotters can be found in street stalls, up-class food courts as well as Chinese/Thai restaurants... You can have just trotters as dish or just rice or noodles with trotter meat for one person at hawker stalls... but beware of the high fat content of the meat...

I would say that the standard and quality of braised trotters in Thailand is quite consistent having taken it in Bangkok, Chiangmai, Chiangrai, Hua Hin and Hatyai... In one word - it is certainly delicious and making you want more of it... hehe...