5 Things You HAVE to Eat and Drink in Trang

Trang is a town in southern Thailand that is usually looked upon by travellers as nothing more than a transit hub on the way to the beautiful islands of Koh Mook, Koh Kradan and Koh Ngai. If, like me, though, you are obsessed by seeking out local dishes that you may not find elsewhere then you’d be best served to hang around for a day or two to take in the city’s excellent food scene.

Trang has a high population of ethnic Chinese as well as a large Muslim community which is very much reflected in the unique dishes on offer around town. I spent two days eating as much as I could and here is my list of five things not to miss in Trang.

Khanom Jeen.

Khanom Jeen is the Thai name for fresh, soft rice noodles used in many curries throughout Thailand. In the South, the most famous of these is undoubtably Khanom Jeen Nam Ya – a spicy coconut based curry fish curry. You’ll also commonly find it made with chicken or meatballs; they’re all pretty good! This dish is usually served with an array of fresh herbs and vegetables to add crunch and freshness.

Kopi – Traditional Trang Coffee.

Trang is famous for its coffee, or kopi as it’s known locally. They serve black coffee sweetened with condensed milk, reminiscent of a Vietnamese coffee. You can sample it all over town in traditional kopi shops, the easiest of these to find is named just Kopi and it is located right by the train station.

Gai Tod – Southern Style Fried Chicken

Ah, there’s nothing quite like Southern Thai fried chicken! Much like the fried chicken in Hat Yai, it’s marinated in spices, floured then deep fried to perfection, topped with crispy fried shallots and served with a sweet chilli dip…perfection!

Moo Yang – Grilled Pork Belly.

This slow cooked, succulent, sweet, fatty pork belly is worth the trip alone. It’s sold all over town and is one of Trang’s signature foods. It tasted like char sui pork that you would normally associate with Chinese cooking which is not too surprising given Trang’s Chinese ancestry.

Dim sum

Carrying on with Trang’s Chinese roots, we come to dim sum. These steamed treats come in all shapes and sizes and can be found all over town. They serve all the classics such as pork sui mai, har gow and bao buns and some other local variations. My favourite shop for dim sum in Trang was Ruam Thai, partly because it also served the moo yang! Definitely my choice for a traditional breakfast.