Phuket food and travel

[insomniac]

We used to spend 4 months of the year in Phuket when the kids were small.

Haven't been back for a few years but local friends say that Kan Eang 2 (not 1, there are two restos) is still great. It's right on the water at Chalong Bay, full of locals, and the food is stunning. Try the gung ten or gung share nam pla which is a marinated very hot raw prawn dish, gung ten means dancing prawns as they are still alive when it's done. Also haw mok talay, a melange of shellfish, fish and prawns steamed in a coconutty red curry paste. All the grills are on coconut husks and the aroma is amazing. Highly recommended resto, the setting is unparalleled

p.s. they have a dish there that I really loved that I thought was shrimp but my Thai girlfriend told me when I asked that it was the small insect that 'lives in the hedge', I think crickets or cicadas. I was enjoying them up to that point

Phuket town and Patong are dumps of the highest magnitude

the food stalls by the beach at Kata are excellent, great som tum and gai phad krapao, it's a lovely beach, and the gai yang is the best, with sticky rice of course.

edited to add off topic but important : it's good to hire a car, just keep a constant lookout on your left hand (inner)wing mirror. Every Thai you see has some sort of scar and it is from a motorcycle accident....overtaking on the inside is the norm, and if there is an accident it will be your fault no matter what (even if you have a Thai wife and kids )

Edited February 6, 2007 by insomniac (log)

[Blether]

'Farang' Italian restaurant (owned and run by a Thai chef who trained in a foreign establishment) in Cherng Talay (10 minutes from Trisara) is good - I ate there in December with my brother and his wife who live in the area, and it was their introduction. Not so upscale, but good food - Farang

Upscale, there's Baan Rim Pa for a Thai evening meal on a cliff above the sea, just on your side of Patong - 20 or 25 minutes' drive ? Long-established.

Most of the time I've spent in Phuket (one trip a year for seven years straight) has been in the south, which is a bit more of a drive away. Chalong is great if you sail at all, it's the biggest, most-used natural harbour. Marinas are nearer where you're staying but on the other side of the island.

I'll leave it at that since you're only asking for dining. Of course I should be asking first, but what do you like / not like to eat ? How many people (family travel ?) ? Budgets ?

[insomniac]

'Farang' Italian restaurant (owned and run by a Thai chef who trained in a foreign establishment) in Cherng Talay (10 minutes from Trisara) is good - I ate there in December with my brother and his wife who live in the area, and it was their introduction.  Not so upscale, but good food - Farang

Upscale, there's Baan Rim Pa for a Thai evening meal on a cliff above the sea, just on your side of Patong - 20 or 25 minutes' drive ?  Long-established.

Most of the time I've spent in Phuket (one trip a year for seven years straight) has been in the south, which is a bit more of a drive away.  Chalong is great if you sail at all, it's the biggest, most-used natural harbour.  Marinas are nearer where you're staying but on the other side of the island.

I'll leave it at that since you're only asking for dining.  Of course I should be asking first, but what do you like / not like to eat ?  How many people (family travel ?) ?  Budgets ?

←

you've triggered my memory Blether, I was trying to remember Baan Rim Pa. the chef/owner is the famous Chalie Amatyakul, one of Thailand's most knowledgeable and fluent lecturers on Thai gastronomic themes who has been called the high priest, diplomat, missionary of Thai food. It's good

Edited February 6, 2007 by insomniac (log)

[Blether]

Hey, Insomniac. That's the one !

(Why so hard on Patong and Phuket Town ? )

[insomniac]

Hey, Insomniac.  That's the one !

(Why so hard on Patong and Phuket Town ?     )

←

Actually I have a few friends 'working' in Patong (I'm female ) and as I can get by in Thai I normally have a great time there but its a bit hmmm for tourists esp. if they are a bit naive, eg, katoey (also have a few katoey friends, no disrespect, just hard to explain to the punters) one of the girls there was my kids' favourite babysitter

actually it's prob fun for a night out :smile:but the food is a bit pricey and tourist oriented , and Phuket is just another town...there are definitely better fish to fry, eg go diving or sailing. I'm a Rawai girl

Edited February 6, 2007 by insomniac (log)

[Matthew Grant]

'Farang' Italian restaurant (owned and run by a Thai chef who trained in a foreign establishment) in Cherng Talay (10 minutes from Trisara) is good - I ate there in December with my brother and his wife who live in the area, and it was their introduction.  Not so upscale, but good food - Farang

Upscale, there's Baan Rim Pa for a Thai evening meal on a cliff above the sea, just on your side of Patong - 20 or 25 minutes' drive ?  Long-established.

Most of the time I've spent in Phuket (one trip a year for seven years straight) has been in the south, which is a bit more of a drive away.  Chalong is great if you sail at all, it's the biggest, most-used natural harbour.  Marinas are nearer where you're staying but on the other side of the island.

I'll leave it at that since you're only asking for dining.  Of course I should be asking first, but what do you like / not like to eat ?  How many people (family travel ?) ?  Budgets ?

←

you've triggered my memory Blether, I was trying to remember Baan Rim Pa. the chef/owner is the famous Chalie Amatyakul, one of Thailand's most knowledgeable and fluent lecturers on Thai gastronomic themes who has been called the high priest, diplomat, missionary of Thai food. It's good

←

Baan Rim Pa has a nice location but the food is poor - western versions of Thai food. IMO best avoided.

[insomniac]

'Farang' Italian restaurant (owned and run by a Thai chef who trained in a foreign establishment) in Cherng Talay (10 minutes from Trisara) is good - I ate there in December with my brother and his wife who live in the area, and it was their introduction.  Not so upscale, but good food - Farang

Upscale, there's Baan Rim Pa for a Thai evening meal on a cliff above the sea, just on your side of Patong - 20 or 25 minutes' drive ?  Long-established.

Most of the time I've spent in Phuket (one trip a year for seven years straight) has been in the south, which is a bit more of a drive away.  Chalong is great if you sail at all, it's the biggest, most-used natural harbour.  Marinas are nearer where you're staying but on the other side of the island.

I'll leave it at that since you're only asking for dining.  Of course I should be asking first, but what do you like / not like to eat ?  How many people (family travel ?) ?  Budgets ?

←

you've triggered my memory Blether, I was trying to remember Baan Rim Pa. the chef/owner is the famous Chalie Amatyakul, one of Thailand's most knowledgeable and fluent lecturers on Thai gastronomic themes who has been called the high priest, diplomat, missionary of Thai food. It's good

←

Baan Rim Pa has a nice location but the food is poor - western versions of Thai food. IMO best avoided.

←

tks Matthew, haven't been there for some years...maybe Chali has sold out??

[Blether]

Actually I have a few friends 'working' in Patong (I'm female ) and as I can get by in Thai I normally have a great time there but its a bit hmmm for tourists esp. if they are a bit naive, eg, katoey (also have a few katoey friends, no disrespect, just hard to explain to the punters)   one of the girls there was my kids' favourite babysitter

actually it's prob fun for a night out :smile:but the food is a bit pricey and tourist oriented , and Phuket is just another town...there are definitely better fish to fry, eg go diving or sailing. I'm a Rawai girl

←

Well, I expect Holly's pretty robust. Katoey, schmatoey For me, Phuket Town's good for the market - I've bought good fabric there (though ironically not in the market itself) - and other things.

Rawai's great - I love some of the little eating places in the hinterland back from the coast. Beachwise I've spent more time on Nai Harn, and we're always based at Kata. Steaks at Little Mermaid in Karon tend to get scheduled in at some point (imported fillet with cream sauce (mushroom or black pepper recommended), salad bar included, choice of spuds includes mash, about 16 bucks US with 8oz steak. Beware of the coffee).

Marine creepy-crawlies displayed outside a restaurant, Kata Beach: click here

BTW did Chalie Amatyakul ever have anything to do with Baan Rim Pa ?

Edited February 6, 2007 by Blether (log)

[insomniac]

Actually I have a few friends 'working' in Patong (I'm female ) and as I can get by in Thai I normally have a great time there but its a bit hmmm for tourists esp. if they are a bit naive, eg, katoey (also have a few katoey friends, no disrespect, just hard to explain to the punters)   one of the girls there was my kids' favourite babysitter

actually it's prob fun for a night out :smile:but the food is a bit pricey and tourist oriented , and Phuket is just another town...there are definitely better fish to fry, eg go diving or sailing. I'm a Rawai girl

←

Well, I expect Holly's pretty robust. Katoey, schmatoey For me, Phuket Town's good for the market - I've bought good fabric there (though ironically not in the market itself) - and other things.

Rawai's great - I love some of the little eating places in the hinterland back from the coast. Beachwise I've spent more time on Nai Harn, and we're always based at Kata. Steaks at Little Mermaid in Karon tend to get scheduled in at some point (imported fillet with cream sauce (mushroom or black pepper recommended), salad bar included, choice of spuds includes mash, about 16 bucks US with 8oz steak. Beware of the coffee).

Marine creepy-crawlies displayed outside a restaurant, Kata Beach: click here

BTW did Chalie Amatyakul ever have anything to do with Baan Rim Pa ?

←

Khun Chali started it about 18 or so years ago....for all I know he could have been long gone

Nai Harn gorgeous in season, fucking dangerous other times...many farang drownings, normally from Europe. My favourite favourite Salaloy resto on the seafront at Rawai is GONE

[Blether]

It must be stormy.

That coffee was pretty funny, come to think of it. I made a real ass of myself - I called the waitress over to ask when it was made, like it must have been sitting, stewing on a hot plate for hours to taste like that. Turned out it was instant

[Holly Moore]

OK, four days in and I've pretty much gotten all I can out of Trisara's menu. Decent, some very good, a few misses. Had no idea of the impact of "manana" on my writing about my trip so far. But perhaps some details soon, I'm thinking the day after manana.

In the meantime, anyone have any thoughts or experiences with Kra Jok See in Phuket, Lotus on the beach near Trisara, or Lim's on the way to Patong?

And a cultural question - It took me a couple of days beyond B angkok to get over my self-awareness about returning greetings with praying like hands and a nod of the head. Am I being a klutzy American when I do the same clasping a newspaper or paperback between my hands?

Trisara, itself is a wonderful oasis of self-indulgence. I have a villa with its own infinity pool overlooking the ocean - I'm not sure I'll make it out of Trisara until the car to the airport.

[Sam Iam]

Any updates from any locals? My wife and I will be visiting for a couple of days around the end of March. We'll be coming in from two weeks in KL, visiting with my step-son and DIL. He teaches at the International School in KL.