You’ve probably heard of Phuket as the largest of Thailand’s many islands, with its idyllic beach culture, historical cultural centre and bustling nightlife. But how well do you know its food? This southern area of the country is a total delight, but yet its offerings aren’t as widely known as your infamous pad thai, for instance. Until now. I decided to delve into the nitty gritty of Phuket’s unique brand of cuisine by eating and drinking my way around the island. Two days, 48 hours. Come join my foodie tour, from sunrise to sundowners, and see what to eat in Phuket.
Day 1: Breakfast in Phuket
Let’s face it: travel and sightseeing is all well and good, but it’s the food and drink culture of a place that really draws me in. So, while I may have started my food tour of Phuket in a place where you’d probably expect – the beach – I’m ready to hunt down all the unexpected food wonders this Thai island has to offer.
First stop is Nai Yang Beach, in the northwest of Phuket. Within walking distance of the international airport, it’s got a lovely relaxed vibe, thanks to it being part of Sirinat National Park. And, as well as those stunning sea, sun and sand views, the locals in particular come here to partake in some fresh food market action. Me included.
Nai Yang Fresh Market
Breakfast in Phuket: a thing of beauty.
Move over, bacon and eggs: how’s this for a breakfast buffet with a difference? If you’re wondering what to eat in Phuket, Nai Yang Market is the place to kick off your foodie adventure. As well as the place to stock up on an assortment of fresh fruit and vegetables, there’s also an array of delicious, ready-to-get-stuck-into snacks, treats and meals.
First breakfast dish incoming, and jok moo sap didn’t fail to deliver. It’s a rice porridge that you can find all over Thailand, and offers comfort by the bucketful (I’ve even made my own jok moo sap recipe so you can recreate the hug-in-a-bowl vibe at home). Kanom jeen is another must for me. This Thai fish curry with rice noodles has the most epic sauce made from ground fish and a heap of spices and other yummy ingredients, and the result is next-level. And I couldn’t resist sampling kanom hua lan, these sweet and sticky little dumplings filled with a mixture of green beans, coconut milk and sugar.
Moo ping: dreamy, dreamy, dreamy.
Moo ping, or grilled pork skewers, was another morning wake-up must, plus sai oua and naam, two different kinds of sausage. Savoury and juicy beyond belief, all these were so moreish I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to go back to eating cereal for brekky again.
All that eating was thirsty work, so I ordered a Thai tea to wash everything down with. It’s ridiculously sweet thanks to the inclusion of sweetened condensed milk, but hey, it’s also ridiculously good, so there were zero complaints about it from me.
It’s fighting fish time.
The entertainment was also right on cue, too. I also loved seeing all the fishing boats come into shore with their fresh-as-you-like hauls, only for the locals to fight over the catch. You can’t beat these local experiences, in my book.
Next stop: off to Phuket Old Town
Phuket Old Town is where you can experience the ‘real’ Phuket. It has this amazing sense of history and Chinese-Malay-inspired culture, both through the architecture with its coloured shophouses, and the tantalising local fare that’s dished up. But combined with all that is this modern street art and just a general cool vibe. And the great news is it’s totally manageable size-wise to get round on foot, making your local food crawl hella easy.
Mee Ko Lan, Satun Road
Yep, gonna eat ‘em all.
Wow, the noodles at this local eatery are totally next-level – I’ve never seen noodles prepared this way before. So of course, it made total sense to try as many iterations as possible. My top picks? Pad mee, an egg noodle stir-fry with a pork broth I would bathe in if I could it’s that delicious, and mee haeng (‘haeng’ means ‘dry’ in Thai), which was a soupless version of the pork noodle dish. Pops of pork skin marinated in the broth made me one happy diner.
Ko Yoon Phuket Noodle, Suriyadet Circle
You can never have enough noodles. Which is why when I was looking for the best places to eat in Phuket, I checked out this next eatery (which came highly recommended by Gao, who I’ve worked with forever and who’s a proud local) for its Hokkien noodles in both soup and dry forms. I loved the various toppings – dumplings, shrimp, pork, peanuts, fried garlic – that make every mouthful unique. It made me realise just how much I love how Phuket has its own dishes. And they’re just so undiscovered.
Thaivetro Ice Cream, 54 Yaowarat Road
Tom yum soup… as an ice cream? I’ll give it a go.
Time to cool off, and so I headed for Thaivetro Ice Cream to sample its tom yum-flavoured offering. Yep, you read that right. Tom yum soup ice cream. All you need to know is: I’m a convert (even if it wasn’t love at first bite!). Add this to your Phuket bucket list for something a little different but heaps fun.
Kruvit Seafood Raft Restaurant, from Laem Hin Pier
So you’re in the mood for seafood, but you want to go somewhere that’s in the inner circle. In the know. Where the locals go. Well, I found it, here on the east coast of the island. I caught a longtail boat to Kruvit Seafood Raft Restaurant, a secret eatery on a raft that’s located right in the heart of the bay in front of Coconut Island. It has charm in abundance, plus fresher than anything seafood because, get this, you catch it yourself.
It doesn’t get fresher.
After selecting our fresh fish, crab and lobster, our seafood was lovingly prepared by the chefs. I chose pla kapong neung manao, aka steamed seabass with lime and chillies (check out my similar recipe for Thai Lime & Garlic Steamed Fish), grilled lobster with garlic butter and bu pad pong kari, or stir-fried yellow curry crab. It’s lovely and mild, so you don’t detract from the sweetness of the crab, and is stir-fried with aromatics to give it an air of fragrance too. It’s always been a favourite of mine, so this one comes highly recommended.
Eating locally caught seafood at the floating raft restaurant.
Bar hopping in Phuket Town
Time for a nightcap… or three. It was back to the Old Town for a couple of drinks before turning in for the day, and what a treat it was.
Zimplex Mixology Laboratory, 48 Phangnga Rd
Otherworldly shots at Zimplex Mixology Laboratory.
Starting the night with shots felt like a great idea (at the time!). And this place in Tambon Talat Yai was so worth it. Zimplex Mixology Laboratory was like a cross between a science lab and a bar, with the result being these otherworldly shooters that were almost too cool to drink (almost).
How cool?!
Dibuk House, 39/2 Dibuk Road Talad Yai
Out of the lab and into the luxe, with a trip to the very glamorous Dibuk House, which serves classic drinks with a modern twist. Small and intimate, this place had such a classy vibe. You wouldn’t have thought this innovative little gem would be here on Phuket but yep, another hidden secret that I’m so glad to have been to.
Drinks at Dibuk House.
Fade to black, and that’s day one of my 48-hour exploratory tour of what to eat in Phuket done and dusted.
Day 2: Hangover breakfast
A bit dusty. A touch fragile. But also equal parts totally ready to get straight back on the foodie tour horse. Let’s get dim sum for breakfast.
Chokchai Dim Sum, 46/2 Mae Luan Rd
Dumplings + spicy dipping sauce = ultimate hangover cure.
I was genuinely excited about this place, because it’s the place to go for dim sum, but the difference is it’s southern Thai in style. All the locals come here for breakfast and there’s this really spicy dipping sauce they’re famous for, so I was sure that would sort me right out. It comes in a jug because SOMEBODY PASS ME A CUP. Even better? All the individual dishes and dumplings not only look and taste delicious, but they’re also budget-friendly. Winning.
Chom-Cha Market, Tambon Talat Nuea
This is a local market that’s almost like Phuket’s answer to your typical food court or street food hawker centre. I absolutely loved its specialty dishes you won’t find anywhere else. Take lo ba, for instance. It’s essentially an assortment of pork, er… bits. All different pieces, all chopped up – but so delicious, trust me.
I can’t believe I’d never tried mee hoon before!
Mee hoon was another local must-try dish. It’s a dish that’s very particular to Phuket and is a kind of dry noodle situation with a lovely dark soy sauce kind of flavour. Mild, but comforting, it also came with a porky and satisfying soup on the side that was savoury and peppery and all-round delicious. Po pia sod, or Thai fresh spring rolls, were also sampled. Hangover definitely on its way out now.
Ko Tee Sangkasi Restaurant, Yaowarat Road
Ok, so Phuket is in southern Thailand, so it goes without saying that you’re going to want to try out some southern Thai food while you’re in the area. But how can you spot the local fare amidst all the tourist offerings? One idea is to head to Ko Tee Sangkasi Restaurant, which serves the southern stuff… providing you can read the Thai version of the menu, that is! The English-language menu had all your typical Thai food favourites, but if you pick up the local lingo version of the menu, you’re in for a treat. My top picks? Kaeng bu, or crab curry with betel leaves: it’s got beautifully creamy coconut milk but oooh, that spice level is pretty hot.
Now THIS is what I call lunch.
Kaeng som, or Thai sour curry, is another dish to seek out, especially if you’re a fan of spicy dishes, while bai liang tom kati is a coconut milk soup that’s packed with malindjo leaves, which have a texture similar to spinach. It’s a top pick for something that’s mild and creamy, savoury and salty, with a beautiful green vegetable flavour to make you feel slightly more virtuous. Oh, and it cools your palate down a treat, so was a great companion dish to the more fierier fare. My advice? Get down here, arm yourself with Google Translate, then get amongst it.
The Charm Dining Gallery, 93 Dibuk Rd, Talad Nuea
This is the place to come if you want dishes that aren’t just from southern Thailand as a region, but from the area of Phuket specifically. The Charm Dining Gallery offers just that. In fact, I’d go as far to say that even Thai people from Bangkok haven’t tried some of these amazing dishes.
Young owner Buriphat grew up in his family’s food business, and opened the restaurant in 2018 with the dream of taking beloved local recipes and taking them up a serious notch. And that notch is a wonderful Peranakan influence.
I couldn’t get over how delicious the nam choop yum was.
The nam choop yum was a favourite of mine. It’s a sophisticated shrimp paste dip (yes, those words do belong together) that’s full of poached shrimp meat, which you eat by scooping it up with fresh veggies.
Moo hong, or slow-braised pork belly, just MELTED in my mouth.
Yum ma prao kua is another delicious delicacy, where you wrap up spicy salad in fresh betel leaves and enjoy a taste explosion of tang and freshness and heat all at once. And don’t forget the kaeng moo supparot, or pork and pineapple curry, and moo hong, which is probably Phuket’s most famous dish. It’s a lovely slow-braised pork belly in soy and spices that has almost caramel-like tones. Absolutely worth a try.
48 hours in Phuket: a summary
Phuket is obviously a great beach destination, no one is denying that. But when you actually take the time to get off the beaten track, find those hidden gems and try the real food of Phuket – food you can’t get elsewhere in Thailand (or the world, for that matter) – then that’s when it’s truly magical.
