Nasi Dagae

This home-bound, family-run stall in the southern Thai town of Pattani specializes in one dish and one dish only: nasi dagae.

The dish, whose name means “trader’s rice” in the local Malay dialect, has its roots in Malaysia. It takes the form of rice served with a rich fish curry and sides, and although a handful of Muslim-influenced dishes have spread to various parts of Thailand, this is one that’s only available here, in the country’s Muslim-leaning deep south.

The eponymous centerpiece here is three types of rice—long-grained white and red, and sticky rice—made rich and fragrant from coconut milk and aromatics such as ginger, shallots and fenugreek. This is paired with a pleasantly oily longfin tuna curry, and sides that include a mild, tender braised chili, a hard-boiled egg and a dollop of saman, minced shrimp simmered with coconut milk and palm sugar until nearly caramelized. The whole package is rich, slightly sweet, aromatic and utterly delicious.