Places to eat in Satun
You won/t call Satun the culinary capital of Thailand, but it can give you the taste of the South. Do not look too far and start your food journey at one of the night markets where you can get the most authentic and cheap local dishes.
Markets
In Satun, the central night market (Satunthanee Soi 3) is open every day from 5pm till 9pm. Don’t be afraid to experiment; you’ll find all the most common Thai dishes like Pad Thai, fried rice with chicken, Pad Seeuw, various kinds of meat and seafood on a stick – a convenient know-how if you want to walk around the clothes’ section of the market while eating – along with halal food, Malayan desserts and Chinese specialties.
Many stalls offer the Thai version of roti crepes. Spiced with condensed milk and rolled up, top it up with chocolate and enjoy it as a snack while walking around. A few tables to sit and eat are also available, too.
Even a better option, open only on Saturday night, is the market that take place on Burivanich Road. This is probably the closest thing to the ‘nightlife’ concept that Satun has. Almost everyone in town will pop up there at some point of the evening, not only for food (there’s a bigger choice than the regular night market has on offer) but also for shopping and and enjoying some live music and other entertainments.
Western and International Food
In the same street that the Saturday Market, there is On’s Kitchen and Bar (Burivanich Rd, open every day from breakfast till dinner). This is a very popular place among the few Western expats in Satun, and the reason is that it’s simply a great place to go (if not the only one) when you’re craving for Western food. Burgers, baguettes, sandwiches, salads, pizza and pasta are all delicious and reasonably cheap. They also serve tasty Thai dishes but they’re definitely overpriced compared to the local restaurants (THB80/THB100). Across the road they have a bar attached to the namesake hostel that stays open till late at night and it’s a good place to go for a few beers and a game of pool.
Open in 2014, Ti Baan (Soi Tirasuthit, open every day 11am–2.30pm & 6pm–10pm) is a bistro-style restaurant offering Thai and French cuisine. They don’t have a fixed menu because they change their offer depending on the season and on what they can find fresh at the market every day. Nevertheless you can always expect to find the most common dishes like green curry chicken or Tom Yam. If you fancy a taste of France while you’re in Thailand, they have a good selection of cheeses and wines. It’s a good choice for steaks, too. Prices are still reasonable considering the nice setting (THB80/THB150 for Thai food, THB150/THB500 for Western).
If you have a spare afternoon head over there for a Thai cooking class. The owner Pooh speaks good English and will teach you how to prepare three Thai dishes of your choice and of course you’re going to have them all for dinner.
Halal Food
If you want to try Halal food you’ll have plenty of choice from street stall to small local restaurants. A good choice is Fahat Coffee and Restaurant 12/7 (Buriwanich Rd, 9am – 9pm, closed on Sunday), a modern and clean restaurant which is also a good option for a coffee for breakfast.
Remember that more than likely restaurants run by Muslim people will not serve any alcohol and, while very few restaurants will let bring in beer if you buy it outside, many will not allow you to do that. Make sure you check with the staff before you sit if you feel like drinking a beer while having dinner.
