On the surface, Khao Noi appears to be your typical southern Thai-style raan khao kaeng, curry restaurant. A closer look reveals that Khao Noi is anything but ordinary. The tiny restaurant prepares nearly 50 dishes on a daily basis:
and most un-ordinarily, every one I've ever tried there is delicious.
On my most recent visit I had a plate of rice topped with two dishes: muu phat phet, pork fried with a spicy curry paste, fresh herbs and spices, and kaeng khi lek, a southern Thai-style coconut milk curry of cassia leaves and unusually, tiny shrimp (pictured at the top of this post). The phat phet, as the name suggests, was satisfyingly spicy, and the kaeng khi lek equal parts bitter and savoury. All dishes are served, in the southern style, with a side of crispy veggies to alleviate the heat.
I couldn't stop at this and my second dish included a yam or salad of green mango and a coconut milk curry of "stink beans" (sator), eggplant and fish:
The salad was crispy and sour, and the curry was rich and pungent -- a perfect combination.
Khao Noy 14/22 Th Wichianchom, Songkhla 074 311 805 Breakfast & lunch, closed Wed
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