The fried chicken at Decha, on Niphat Uthit 3, is widely held to be the original or at least the definitive version of the gai tod hat yai that the city is named for. The chicken is marinated overnight in a southern Thai paste of turmeric, white pepper, garlic, coriander root and fish sauce, then deep fried until the outside is dark golden and crisp, and served with a generous shower of crispy fried shallots and a sticky-sweet chilli dip.
Order it with sticky rice (khao niao) and a som tam if the kitchen has the bird right. The stall is no-frills — plastic stools, paper plates — but the queue starts forming by mid-morning. Cash only.