His hands fly over the surface of his small food stall, moving quicker than a viper going in for the kill, flattening the ball of pancake dough within seconds, preparing the oil on the pan and toppings/fillings for the pancakes. With three orders of three different pancakes, we were looking for a seat thinking it would take a while to be ready. In less than two minutes the first is ready and the second almost done. Cooking them one at a time, we were astounded by the precision and quickness of the old man expertly moving around his food stand.
Not only is the skill of the old man running his small food stall amazing, the pancakes themselves are sensational. Whether savoury or sweet, there is a perfect balance and mix of flavours and everyone is the same. If you order something a little different from his board, he doesn’t flinch, just gets straight to it with speed and precision, never faltering no matter what day it is.
Located on the main road outside 7/11 of Sairee Beach he is open generally from 3pm in the afternoon to late at night. He is there when it is sunny and he is there when it is pouring down with rain. Nothing disturbs his business.
For something that tastes so amazing and melts in your mouth it is very reasonably priced. Prices range from 40 THB for a nutella pancake topped with some condensed milk to a savoury pancake for around 60 THB with combos like egg, cheese and onion.
He himself is also a strange character and one to meet. A member of the silent type one who I never once saw him smile. I would get an appreciative nod and acknowledgement when I said hello each day, and visited each evening for my pancake fix. Taking pride in his business and care in his work you can’t not go for a pancake or two during your stay in Koh Tao.
All opinions are subjective to the writers personal travel experience. The writer travelled at her own expense.