Ar Restaurant — Restaurant in Songkhla Province

We arrived at Ar Restaurant around 3:30pm local time, after a long travel to Hatyai. It was just a short walk from our hotel. We were famished, as we hadn't had our lunch yet. Luckily, the restaurant was practically empty when we arrived, so the food was served quickly after we placed our orders.

First up was the medium sized Seafood Tom Yum. The soup was rich and flavourful, and the spiciness and sourness was just nice. The seafood tasted great too. The medium sized portion was just right for the 4 of us.

Then came Stir Fried Asparagus with Prawns, with king oyster mushrooms in it as well. Simple yet tasty.

Up next was Spicy Petai with Squid. Squid were cooked with the petai beans, along with chillies and basil leaves. It was very delicious and makes me want to eat more rice with it.

Last to be served was the Deep Fried Pork Knuckle. The large size of the pork knuckle shocked us a little when it was served. Among all the food we ordered, this was the best dish. The pork knuckle was covered with delicious crackling, which was very easy to eat even for the elders in the group, due to its crispiness. The meat was tender, and I especially enjoyed the tendon of the pork knuckle, the jelly like substance that was both flavour packed and succulent. My gf loved the dish, even though she doesn't normally enjoy eating meat. While it was already great to eat on its own, we also enjoyed the green dipping sauce that came with it, which had a balanced level of spiciness from the chilli and sourness from the lime juice.

For drinks, they offered a choice of bottled drinking water and sugarcane drink in a bottle. We opted for the sugarcane drink, but while it was too sweet for my taste, the sweetness was a great way to balance the spiciness in the food.

Overall, great food, reasonably priced. I would recommend giving this place a try, especially for their...

Variety of Thai Chinese foods:

AR Restaurant in Hat Yai is a must-visit for anyone looking to experience a delicious blend of authentic Thai and Chinese cuisine. The restaurant successfully captures the essence of classic Southeast Asian dining with its charming, old-school ambiance, making you feel right at home. The friendly staff and quick service add to the welcoming atmosphere, even during peak hours. The variety of dishes on offer is impressive, with a menu that caters to diverse tastes. Their strength lies in their ability to use fresh, high-quality ingredients, which shines through in every bite. While the restaurant may be more celebrated for its Chinese-style dishes, such as the succulent braised goose and the highly-praised pork knuckle, its Thai offerings are equally outstanding. For a true Thai culinary adventure, don't miss the Tom Yum Talay, which is a perfect symphony of sour, spicy, and sweet flavors. The Kerabu Chicken Feet is another standout, with its delightful texture and flavorful sauce. The extensive menu also includes a variety of other popular dishes like Fried Fish Maw, Steamed Fish with Soy Sauce, and a range of vegetarian options. The prices are very reasonable, especially given the generous portion sizes, making it a great value for both locals and tourists. While it's worth noting that some reviews mention a focus on Thai-Chinese flavors rather than the fiery heat of traditional Thai cuisine, the food is consistently praised for its quality and deliciousness. AR Restaurant is more than just a place to eat; it's a genuine culinary destination that truly lives up to its reputation for serving some of the best Thai-Chinese food...

Lovely old and traditional restaurant serving Thai-Chinese fusion cuisine. Its located inside a very well-preserved old heritage building.

We ordered various of their signature dishes and all of them were pretty good, with a few standout dishes. The best dishes were the deep fried pork knuckles and salted fish kailan vege. The pork knuckle is crispy on the outside, and very soft and tender on the inside, the meat literally melts in your mouth. I highly recommend pairing the meat with the sweet soy sauce that comes with it, absolutely delicious! For salted fish kailan lovers, their rendition is very good. The kailan is not too hard, and not bitter at all. Moreover, the salted fish is very fragrant and flavorful. Highly recommend these 2 dishes!

Some other decent dishes include their tomyum, which is super flavourful and spicy, and the thai-style water spinach. Their crab-based dishes are pretty interesting as they use whole crab meats as the ingredients, which includes the cartilage and sometimes crab shells. It's very annoying to pick away the cartilage and randomly bite into a shell while eating the crab fried rice and egg. However, the taste of those dishes are still pretty good.

Dishes we found slightly underwhelming (but still good) are the shrimp rolls and oyster omelette. The shrimp roll tasted pretty bland without much of a shrimp taste. While the oyster omelette is also pretty bland, I very much prefer the Penang style oyster omelette instead unfortunately.

Overall, it's still an incredible restaurant right in the town center and I highly recommend to try it out you love Thai-Chinese...