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Surat Thani is lucky to have fresh seafood available every day. I always choose the restaurants that have a good atmosphere, preferably near the water. Kiang Lay is one of them, located at the mouth of a local waterway leading to the bay. You have to park about 200 metres away and walk down the small lane. Along the way you can browse the fresh seafood and local desserts on sale that you might want to buy on your way back.

One dessert you always find near the sea is khanom jark, which is rice flour and the milk and dessicated meat of a coconut wrapped in a jark leaf and grilled, giving off a wonderful aroma.

To my surprise, Kiang Lay has grown a lot since my last visit, with tables on several decks by the waterway. We chose one of the regular long wooden tables with benches.

The owners asked if I wanted what I had the last time and I readily agreed: fresh steamed crab served with a dipping sauce made with garlic, chilli peppers, salt and lime juice.

This sauce is quite hot, but doesn't overpower the sweetness of the crabmeat. Though it's a little messy eating with your hands, it's definitely worth it.

The spicy stir-fried catfish with chilli and garlic is very spicy indeed, and has to be eaten with rice, but this is the South and everything's hot. This dish is a good measure of a chef's skills because it's easily overcooked and over-seasoned. They do it perfectly at Kiang Lay.

You haven't really been to the South if you don't order stir-fried sator and shrimp. Sator - indigenous there - is a nutty bean that some find smelly, but I've always loved it because it reduces the sugar in my blood, and it's also delicious.

Another signature dish down south is yellow sour curry. At Kiang Lay it's even sourer with the addition of pickled bamboo shoots. It's hot and has to be eaten with an omelette stuffed with crabmeat and rice.

Since the fish is always very fresh, the preparation can be simple. Fried whole pla gapong with tamarind and lemongrass sauce is the right choice with all the hot food. The sauce's sweet and sour flavour cools your palate.

xtra

By the sea

Kiang Lay is at 124 Moo 7 Kalae, Amphor Kanchanadit, Surat Thani. Call (077) 255 243