Southern food

Post by **Bamboo Grove** » Thu Mar 23, 2006 2:06 pm

Guess, the place you recommended for southern curries seems to be closed. Any other options for those fiery things?

Post by **Guess** » Thu Mar 23, 2006 3:03 pm

If it is Kin Lek you are referring to I am very surprised. It was/is a thriving business. One of the busiest Thai restaurants in town.

We get our daily doseage from a guy on the corner of the railway road and the night market road directly opposite the Railway Restaurant.

Also I have to go to TT & T soon because they have not sent me a bill for over one month now. I will check it out then.

There is a place on the opposite side of the road on the corner of Soi 96 that does some southern dishes as well.

I will speak to Oi. She is the family expert on culinary affairs.

Post by **chelsea** » Fri Mar 24, 2006 10:47 am

Try the places on the opposite side of the road to the swedish bar in the street where the London Lounge is (one I thnk is Nam Nam's).
It was by far the hottest Thai food that i tasted in HH when I was there last year.

Post by **Guess** » Fri Mar 24, 2006 1:02 pm

Apparently Kin Lek is only closed temporarily due to some family problem and will be open again soon.

Oi knows of no other decent restaurants in Hua Hin although there are many Hawker Stalls and a few such as chelsea has mentioned that have a few Southern dishes on the menu. I would not vouch for their authenticity though.

Post by **Bamboo Grove** » Fri Mar 24, 2006 1:12 pm

If you go further that soi across the railway line (where Kin Lek is/was) after the soi turns to left about where the school is, there are couple of places selling southern curries but the selection is rather limited.

Post by **chelsea** » Fri Mar 24, 2006 1:19 pm

Can anyone explain tp me what the differnces between Southern Thai curries and the other regions of the country. I am a lover of Thai food and would be interested to know

Post by **Guess** » Fri Mar 24, 2006 3:24 pm

Thai curries mostly come from the Southern Cultures and were inherited by the Thais when the ventured down south in the King Nuresuan (pre Rama) Era. So essentially all curries in Thailand originated in the South.

However today they still have they own special varieties. There is much use of Khamin (Haldi in Hindi) which you see in the west in powder format and it is what gives Indian Curries the yellowish tinge that is a bugger to wash off clothes. Lime leaves, root spices, (I can get the names if you really want to know) and loads of little chillies (In Singlish know as chilli paddy). The proportion of red to green changes the heat and the colour.

Additionally fruits such as pineapple (Gang Som) and coconut extract are used. The Buddhist varieties usually contain Pork or Fish whereas the Masaman (Muslim) will contain chicken or fish. The Muslims also add blended peanut and other kernels to dishes. Palm sugar is also a common ingredient but in varying quantities depending upon the chef.

The guy who wrote in the guide book that states Thai food is not hot has his head firmly up his butt and has obviously not never been further south that Sirkimwit Nana.

The hottest Indian food and the hottest Mexican food is like a bowl of Sugar Frosties compared to some of the stuff that I have eaten in the South.

Post by **PeteC** » Fri Mar 24, 2006 6:52 pm

Guess wrote:The hottest Indian food and the hottest Mexican food is like a bowl of Sugar Frosties compared to some of the stuff that I have eaten in the South.

This could be a good one...a debate between a Southerner and an Issan native on what food is hotter. Anyone want to volunteer their "better halves"? Into the ring!>>>LOL. Pete

Post by **lomuamart** » Fri Mar 24, 2006 7:16 pm

Well, Pete, I'll start the ball rooling. My wife's from HH, so fairly neutral geographically. Her view :
Definitely southern food.

Post by **PeteC** » Fri Mar 24, 2006 7:23 pm

Mine is from the Rayong area so I can only be an observer. There is one hotel I used to frequent regularly here (Asia Pattaya) who has weekend seminars for many companies. I was there once on a weekend sitting at the pool bar observing an Issan/Lao company group. The chefs in the kitchen and waitresses said that a normal Thai couldn't eat what this group had asked them to prepare...chilli wise. Pete

UPDATE: We discussed it at dinner. She has visited Issan more than the South but she said "....almost the same but...the South is hotter...".

Post by **Norseman** » Fri Mar 24, 2006 9:55 pm

Issan food is hot, but the southern food is even hotter. If I understand it correct, it's the southerners use of curry powder that makes you sweat.

Post by **Bamboo Grove** » Sat Mar 25, 2006 12:13 pm

Different things make food spicy and different chillies and spices affect the taste buds in different ways. I remember when I was in Chengdu, China and ate some noodles there, the local chilly made me feel like my lips would be running around.

Post by **Guess** » Sat Mar 25, 2006 3:06 pm

Yes Isanese food can also be very hot. I don't like it do have not had much experience despite the fact I did six months R & R in Khon Kaen.

It seems that the general opinion here is that the food in the South and the North East is hot whereas in central regions it is more mild. That ties up with my experiences.

As for the mention of powder, I have never ever seen a Southern Thai cook anything at all with any kind of powder although I have seen the odd bit of MSG chucked in sometimes.

The general method of creating a curry paste in the South is to get all the spices and beat them to pulp with a pestel and mortar. My wife also uses a blender (which BTW makes my milk shakes taste disgusting).

PS one spice that I forgot the name of yesterday was Kaklai (forgive me on the spelling) which looks like a pea but does not taste remotely like one. They are sometimes pulped and sometimes added whole especially in a Grenn Curry.

Post by **Norseman** » Sat Mar 25, 2006 3:15 pm

Guess wrote:
As for the mention of powder, I have never ever seen a Southern Thai cook anything at all with any kind of powder although I have seen the odd bit of MSG chucked in sometimes.

Agree with you on that Guess. The word in the thai/english dictionary said curry powder, but I have never seen they add this myself.
Anybody know more about this?

Post by **lomuamart** » Sat Mar 25, 2006 4:21 pm

I've not seen Thais cook with powder either - that's not to say they don't, though.
As we know, they tend to use paste, as Guess said. In fact duing my visits to India, paste was more often used as well. It's maybe just that the spices grow naturally here, whereas back in farangland, the easiest way to transport and keep them is in powder form.