Southern Thai food: Exploring the flavors of the country's 'spiciest cuisine'

The food of southern Thailand has a reputation for being spicy. And often, this reputation is justified. But below the surface there are so many otther flavors and outside influences at play, making it clear that the real goal is balance.

(CNN) — The toughest reservation in Bangkok? It's almost certainly a place called Sorn. When the restaurant announces on Instagram that its booking period has opened, foodies are willing to endure hours on hold listening to Muzak in order to snag one of 20 elusive tables. Offered weeks in advance, an entire month of dining is regularly booked out in a matter of hours. This is all the more astonishing given that the Michelin starred restaurant's five-course tasting menu costs more than US$100 -- this in a city where a tasty dinner can easily run less than $10 and a bowl of noodles can cost as little as $1.50.