Page Contents

• Hat Yai Restaurant Listings Page 6
  • Mariko Japanese Restaurant [more]
  • McDonalds [more]
  • Menu Steak House 39 [more]
  • Miang Bplaa [more]
  • Nakorn Nai [more]
  • Namaste [more]
  • Nest Home [more]
  • Num Heng (Vegetarian) [more]
  • Ome Bake House [more]
  • Pairin Steak House [more]

Food - Page 6

Hat Yai Restaurant Listings Page 6

For a general overview of the food scene in Hat Yai see Hat Yai Food and Restaurant Listings Page 1. The following restaurants are some of the places I've eaten at in Hat Yai.

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Comments: The English language rendition of the name is Mariko but, as you can see from the Thai sign, it is Maligo to the locals. Never mind, Ls and Rs are easily interchangeable in Asia. Ror Rua or Lor Ling? Who cares?

The Fuji chain of Japanese restaurants in Thailand (of which Hat Yai has two) sell great food in ultra-hygienic surroundings. You can't really go wrong - apart from the fact they aren't all that cheap relative to the local economy.

In Hat Yai, Mariko gives people an option to eat cheap Japanese food. The area it's in isn't that great but you can't have everything. You're not going to see any rats scurrying around while eating at a branch of Fuji but it's quite possible that you will while eating at Mariko, especially if seated at one of the tables outside.

The food is fine and the set meals are good value.

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Comments: While thinking about restaurants in Hat Yai it never occurred to me that McDonalds is a restaurant, which is surprising because it's actually the world's largest restaurant chain.

Even after realising it was a restaurant I wasn't sure if I should bother adding it here. However, McDonalds is still good to have when you can't face another plate of rice or noodles. A guy I met living in rural Nakhon Sri Thammarat made occasional trips to Hat Yai and one of the highlights of his trips was eating at McDonalds.

Many visiting Malaysian tourists eat there, and so do I occasionally when I get the urge for a burger. You can get a better burger upstairs at Sizzler but it will cost a lot more money.

There used to be another branch of McDonalds at Lotus but it closed. Thais aren't over keen on Western food; most tell me they can eat it, but that don't really enjoy it. When they do decide to eat Western food they prefer KFC and pizza to burgers.

McDonalds at Lee Gardens Plaza had a makeover in 2009 and they've tried to make it a bit more upmarket. The noisy kids' playpen in the corner was removed, and a McCafe coffee bar installed. The changes have made a big improvement.

Hat Yai has experienced a coffee shop explosion in recent years and there are now coffee shops everywhere but the best coffee I know of in Hat Yai is served at McCafe.

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Comments: This is another of the small, independent, local-style steak houses that do farang food at prices which always end in a 9. They seem to be fairly common in provincial Thailand.

It is similar to BKK Grill, but (in my opinion) not as good, and it seems more geared to local tastes. For example, Thai style sauces are available with the steaks, and the mushroom soup is a Chinese-style soup rather than being cream of mushroom. Spaghetti and Thai food also feature on the menu.

The portions are noticeably smaller than at BKK Grill and not really up to the task of filling large farang stomachs. I have found it necessary to order extra dishes so as not to leave still feeling hungry. As a result, this bumps up the cost.

As usual with locally produced beef, the steaks can be a bit hit-or-miss. I have eaten some perfectly acceptable Thai beef but it can be quite tough. Pork is very popular with Thais and the chicken is fine.

It's a tricky place to find if you are not familiar with Hat Yai, being located on a road that links Prachathipat and Thamanoonvithee roads. The closest large landmark is a big Suzuki dealer called Baan Suzuki.

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Comments: Located in the area around JB Hotel, this is a comfortable little place well away from the Malaysian tourist trail. It's air-conditioned, which can be of great relief in Hat Yai during the hot season.

There is no English sign outside, but the menu has English translations if you can't read Thai. The menu isn't that extensive but everything is good and prices are reasonable.

This small restaurant is very pleasantly decorated with old photos, posters, antiques, and other artefacts. There is even a framed copy of the King's birth certificate hanging on one wall.

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Comments: Nakorn Nai is popular with both locals and farangs in Hat Yai, and for good reason. There is an excellent selection of food on the menu and prices are reasonable. They serve typical Thai dishes, Chinese food, Muslim curries and rotis, Western food including pasta and pizzas, Western breakfast food, specials such as beef stroganoff (accompanied with the weirdest 'sour cream' I have ever tasted), and there are even a few Japanese dishes.

They offer a wireless Internet connection and tea and coffee for free.

The cafe-style atmosphere is pleasant and the front of the restaurant is open. The only problem is that they have designated the front of the restaurant as a smoking area which is a bit unsocial. I read a comment recently that said having a smoking area in a restaurant was like having a peeing area in a swimming pool.

The restaurant is named after a street in old Songkhla town in which the first settlers made their homes. Presumably the owners can trace their ancestry back to those early settlers?

The restaurant is located a little way out of town, fairly close to Kosit hotel but on the other side of the street. Opening times are 07:30 to 20:00 and the restaurant is closed all day on Wednesdays.

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Comments: This is one of the few places in Hat Yai that serves Indian food. If you visit Darbar on a good day, it can be a great experience. However, the service at Darbar isn't always reliable and quite frequently a lot of dishes shown on the menu aren't available.

Namaste appears to be a lot more consistent and reliable. A Thai lady does the cooking and told me she has been cooking Indian food for seven years. She does a good job. The menu isn't extensive (compared to Indian restaurants in other countries), but you get a decent choice.

There is no beef or pork served. Hindus don't eat beef (neither do many Buddhist Thais), and Muslims don't eat pork of course. There shouldn't be anything here that you can't eat because of religious beliefs, and even vegetarians should be able to find something suitable.

The food is very good. The curries taste authentic and the naan bread was quite OK (even if it wasn't the best naan I have ever eaten). As a Brit, Indian food is one type of food that I crave and it isn't very common in Hat Yai. Bangkok has some great Indian restaurants but they are something of a rarity out in the provinces.

Namaste is therefore a very valued restaurant in Hat Yai. It is located on Niphat Uthit 2 fairly close to the Florida hotel.

Whenever I have visited it has never been very busy. Thais have some strange views about Indian food and many say that it smells bad. Considering how bad some Thai food smells, for example som tum bplaa raa, this is hypocritical to say the least.

I sometimes make Indian curries at home using the Patak's sauces that you can buy at TOPS. I think they taste wonderful, but my Thai wife won't touch them and turns her nose up. Strange ...

Diner Comments:

• My boyfriend and I searched this out last night and it was great. Been craving Indian food since returning from a trip to Malaysia and this was almost as good. The butter garlic naan was yummy and the chicken masala is a must! (February 2012)

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Comments: When I first arrived in Hat Yai at the end of 2003 there were only a few coffee and cake shops. There was no such thing as wireless Internet at that time.

I mention this because there are now lots of coffee and cake shops in Hat Yai, and what has really driven the trend is Wi-Fi. Nowadays, lots of people carry laptops around and they want places that have a Wi-Fi connection so they can sit down for a coffee and check their e-mail, surf the Internet, etc.

Nest Home is just one of many such places that have opened up in Hat Yai in recent years. It is located directly opposite the Kosit hotel. They serve drinks, cakes, Thai food, Western food and - as the name might imply - they have another speciality.

The resident population of Hat Yai is mainly ethnic Chinese, and most tourists from Malaysia and Singapore are also ethnic Chinese. Businesses in Hat Yai therefore cater to Chinese tastes.

Nest Home - according to the business card - is a purveyor of "Bakery Food Drink & Birds' nest products". There are also a number of places in Hat Yai that sell sharks' fin products.

The atmosphere inside is quite cozy. The Thai food is OK but in my opinion the Western food is a little expensive.

Diner Comments:

• Westen food is truly expensive, local food is good. No beer served. I was disappointed with the service as they served us food within the waiting area on a very low living room table. Locals who arrived later, where placed at a decent table. My friendly comment was answered with a "do not get upset". I did not, but I will not return. (2011)

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Comments: Possibly due to its proximity to Lee Gardens Plaza, this vegetarian restaurant seems to be well known to farangs in Hat Yai. I often see a farang or two if I eat here whereas I don't at many other places I go to.

They serve already prepared food (kaaw-gairng style) and can also cook to order. Some of the dishes contain 'vegetarian meat' which I assume is some kind of soya simulation. As you can see form the photo (if you can read Thai) they have 'vegetarian chicken' and 'vegetarian pork'.

I haven't worked out whether Muslims can eat vegetarian pork or not. I guess that technically they can but doubt that any would want to.

The restaurant is located on the corner where Prachathipat and Pracharom roads meet; just a few doors away from Corazon.

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Comments: Outside of Bangkok, finding good Western food in Thailand can be quite a problem. The Thais try to make sandwiches and Western breakfasts and things and although they taste OK they are never quite like the real thing. Occasionally though you come across places in provincial Thailand that defy this general observation.

In a small Thai-run breakfast restaurant in Khaolak I have eaten delicious German-style black bread which was as good as any I've had in Germany and it was made by a Thai woman, not an expat from Mainz. The Ome Bake House in Hat Yai makes cakes that are as tasty as any I've eaten in a Salzburg or Vienna coffee house. Germans and Austrians may disagree but my opinion is that the cakes are just as good.

Chocolate and cheese cakes are sold by the slice for less than Bt100. They also serve Thai food which is tasty and a meal of fried chicken with holy basil leaves and rice costs half as much as a piece of chocolate cake.

There is no A/C and it gets pretty hot inside. The location is quite a way out of central Hat Yai. It's at the other end of Thamnoonvithee Road to the railway station, just next door to the Chinese Buddhist temple which is adjacent to Tesco Lotus.

Ome is open from 10am to 10pm but closed on Mondays.

When I first added this entry there weren't many coffee shops in Hat Yai but now they are everywhere. Ome has lost its uniqueness but it is still good and it is cheaper than most.

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Comments: Restaurants selling Western style food and Japanese food are very popular in Hat Yai. The Western food isn't as authentic as you might get in Bangkok or Phuket but it's OK.

Most places give you the option of eating imported steaks but these are a lot more expensive than the home-grown ones. Local beef can be variable. Sometimes it is quite OK, but other times it is tough. If you opt for chicken, there is nothing wrong with the local produce.

Of all the Western-style restaurants in Hat Yai, I think that Taste Add serves the best food. Pairin Steak House isn't bad though.

In most of these restaurants you are still very aware that you are in Thailand but Pairin could be anywhere in Europe or North America. It's air-conditioned and the decor is very Western.

The staff are very pleasant, the food is quite acceptable, and the prices reasonable.

It's located on the same road as Diana department store and the Florida hotel, in between these two places but closer to the Florida. It's very near the intersection with Niphat Uthit 3 Road. There's a sign-making shop opposite with lots of neon signs on display so it's quite easy to find.

Diner Comments: No diner comments yet. Be the first to comment. If you've eaten here and wish to provide some feedback, send an e-mail to phil@phil.uk.net, or use the following form. Comments will be added anonymously.

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