We don’t have anything against massaman curry. On the contrary, we agree that it could be the best food in the world.

​​Hat Yai is a city in southern Thailand close to the Malaysian border. With round-trip flights from Bangkok costing as little as $40, the city is easily reachable for a gluttonous weekend away. Like the food in the following list, Hat Yai is a mixed bag of Malaysian businessmen, Chinese locals, and foreign backpackers. Asean Trade Bazaar, the largest night market in Hat Yai, gives you an idea what tastes good in the city. And where to sleep in the city? Red Planet Hat Yai is centrally located near all the bread and circuses.

Deep fried insects

If your stomach just started growling, it’s either from hunger or disgust. Now is the time to step out of your comfort zone and take a giant leap for the insect kingdom. These crunchy, tasty bits and pieces are a favourite snack in Hat Yai. Try silkworms, the primary producer of silk, but also a delight served with black sauce and white pepper.

Chicken biryani

Hat Yai specialises in Muslim kitchen that serves toned down (at least presentation-wise) yellow rice with chicken. If you’ve had biryani in India, the taste and appearance will definitely be off — but not in a wrong way. Resist the urge to eat all the delicious, crispy fried shallots in one go, or buck up and ask for more.

​​Dim sum

In Italy, people will weirdly look at you if you have a cappuccino after 11. And the same goes for dim sum. Shut the front door; we are in Hat Yai not in Hong Kong. You can have your dim sums any time you please. Choose from freshly steamed pork, shrimp, crab, and fish served in tiny bamboo steamers, accompanied with thick bak kut tae pork soup. Wash them down with teh tarik, a hot, local milk tea.

​​Hat Yai fried chicken

HFC, Hat Yai Fried Chicken, is crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. The southerners realised that chicken goes so well with deep-fried shallots that they are now a mandatory side dish, and there is nothing wrong with it. If you like your chicken straight from the frier, then order this timeless classic served with turmeric-coloured rice and fresh slices of cucumber.

Deep-fried buns

What’s a day of overeating without something sweet? ​​And like many Thai sweets, this one is something between sweet and savoury. You decide the filling, whether it’s custard, dough, or red pork. You read that right; this sweet bun is often eaten with pork for breakfast sweet treat. Once you start eating these delicious Hat Yai’s claim to fames, you aren’t going to stop after one box.