My favorite dish

I’m proud to say I’m one of the “founders” of this special dish.

Founder — not because I owned the restaurant — but because I was one of the few loyal customers who helped build it up. We were there almost every single day for breakfast and lunch, supporting it when it was just surviving.

In life, I’ve learned that logic doesn’t always win. Sometimes the most illogical decisions create the greatest success.

When prices go up and customers complain, the logical move is to lower prices.
We did the opposite.

The shop is called Leng Kee Bak Kut Teh in Hatyai. If you ever visit, just tell any tuk-tuk driver the name — they’ll take you there. It has become that well known.

But 15 or maybe 20 years ago, things were very different.

It was just a small rented corner shop on the fringe of the city centre. Business was slow. The menu was simple — black pomfret curry, Bak Kut Teh, some vegetables, and duck. Some days the fish was fresh and the curry tasted amazing. Some days it wasn’t so fresh, and the taste dropped. Fish prices kept increasing, and customers complained it was too expensive.

Nothing stood out. Nothing special.

Then came the move that changed everything.

Our group of friends were fish merchants. We decided to source the best quality Chinese pomfret ourselves and supply it to him. We told him:

“Don’t worry about the cost. Just cook your best dish using this fish.”

The result? Incredible.

The taste was on another level. Freshness plus his cooking skill created magic. Every day we looked forward to trying something new — different species of fish, different cooking styles. We couldn’t wait to see what was next.

The system worked.

Quality first. Fresh ingredients. Confident pricing.

Slowly, our group of loyal patrons grew. We proudly entertained clients there. Word spread — first locally, then nationwide, and eventually even to China and Indonesia.

Price stopped being an issue. In fact, the higher the price, the greater the pride we felt bringing clients to a truly premium, quality restaurant.

And the rest is history.

Today, the restaurant still serves only breakfast and lunch. Our friend, the cook, has since passed away. But the tradition and standard remain.

This is one shop where nobody talks about price.

Just serve your best dish.

Chinese pomfret curry

Leng Kee Bak Kut Teh

click photo below for location