Peangprai Restaurant

Super-duper local, this restaurant sits hidden in the woods beside a marsh, where it turns out southern Thai classics like nam prig kung siab to the backdrop of gibbon howls echoing through the trees. Its fame lies in specialties that draw on seasonal, local produce, like the mangosteen salad in a spicy dressing with cashew nuts and a heavy sprinkling of roasted coconut flakes (B180 / US$7.40). They even make a somtam that uses mangosteen instead of shredded papaya (B180 / $7.40). For dessert, the restaurant serves its deep-fried bananas in a thick batter—crunchy, yet soft in the middle—for free