Starting a New Day With ‘Roi Chang Hu’ (So Delicious!)

Atthapon Promnui

       The sun breaks dawn and a new day begins. The morning air is cool. Many people might have already started preparing for the new morning. Some start the morning with exercise. Some start by sending their children to school, and some begin the day with ‘breakfast’.

        Today, I would like to mentally indulge you with breakfast in Songkhla. No matter where you are or what you are doing, you can ‘fill up’ with me just from reading my article.

        First, I will introduce you to two restaurants most special in the hearts of Songkhla people. The first is a restaurant well-known for its ‘fresh seafood’, and the second, a tea house famous for its ‘custard bread’.

         “But wait..... Firstly, what do Songkhla people tend to eat for breakfast?”

      Songkhla people share a diverse cultural heritage, including those from China, Muslims, and Westerners. For that reason, there are various kinds of food for breakfast, so “whatever one wants to eat one can find”.

A cozy wooden-styled restaurant

         The first restaurant that I would like to recommend is ‘Ban Cha Chai Khao’. The restaurant      has been with Songkhla people for a long time. It is located at Tang Kuan Mountain, Bo Yang Sub-district, Muaeng Songkhla District, Songkhla. It is a cozy wooden-styled restaurant which is best known for its breakfast. The menu includes Thai, Chinese, Muslim and, Western foods so customers can enjoy whatever style of food they desire...

Sea bass noodles, pan-fried egg omelet, minced pork toast,

fried pork with sticky rice, and dim sum

        Ban Cha Chai Khao is famous for its fresh seafood. P’ Pu, the owner of the restaurant, says that she uses natural sea bass, claiming ‘the fish is so fresh that it is white like a pearl.’ The food at ‘Ban Cha Chai Khao’ uses high-quality, fresh ingredients, so it is highly regarded by Songkhla people. The restaurant is open every day between 05.30 a.m. – 01.30 p.m. and can be contacted via the number +668 0365 1781.

        After enjoying the main course, it is now time to freshen one's palate with some   dessert. My second restaurant to recommend is known for its custard bread, by Aunt Buai. It is located on Nang Ngam Road, Bo Yang Sub-district, Mueang Songkhla District, Songkhla. Aunt Buai uses a secret recipe for custard bread which has been passed down for two generations.

Aunt Buai, the owner of Hap Seng, during an interview on the 3rd of February 2021

Traditional style custard bread with richly sweet Ceylon tea

      Aunt Buai’s restaurant is called ‘Hap Seng’, and it has grown to be remarkably famous for its custard bread. Whoever visits Hap Seng, it is recommended they must try the custard bread and Ceylon tea. Aunt Buai says that her tea has a distinctive aroma and does not contain any artificial colorings. As well, her special custard recipe uses only chicken eggs, sugar and coconut milk, without adding any additional flavorings. The custard is stewed for many hours to produce a texture that is sticky and dexterous, and to extract a characteristically unique smell from the egg.

        This long-established shop has served delicious custard bread and aromatic teas for over 90 years, which has captured the hearts of many customers from then until now.

Songkhla locals drinking tea and chit-chatting in the morning

      The restaurant is open every day from 05.30 a.m. – 12.00 a.m. and is comparable to a coffeehouse where people freely come to sit and have small talk.

        So, what do you say, did my narration make you really want to try these restaurants yourself? Both these restaurants represent the core Songkhla city cultural essence and follow an impressive cultural heritage. For Songkhla people, to eat, drink tea, and come together for small talk, is an essential part of life.

          If you have a chance to visit these restaurants, I am confident you will say, as we do in the South, ‘roi chang hu’, or ‘so delicious!’