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Often overlooked as a dining venue, what Phuket City restaurants
lack in sophisticated ambiance and award-winning wines they more
than make up for in local colour, value and taste.
If Phuket's tourist
beaches are the first class cabins of the Titanic, then Phuket City
is the steerage. This is where the regular Thai folk eat, drink
and live. The food is as authentic as it gets and you will be floored
by the fantastic meal you can get here for the price of a cup of
coffee at a resort restaurant.
Samkong
This area is the mother lode of delicious Thai food for no more
than what you have in your pockets (minus the lint). Yaowarat Road
from the edge of old Phuket to the Bypass Road is lined with tiny
little restaurants that serve quick and cheap food that can easily
equal (or exceed) the food at some of the nicer restaurants near
the beaches. By being a little adventurous and peeking into some
of the street side stalls you can find some excellent dishes.
One
good tactic is go where the Thais go. Thais love food and word of
a tasty stand spreads like wildfire. If it's packed, it's probably
tasty. You might run into a little difficulty as many of these places
don't have menus in English. It's a good idea to memorize the names
of some of your favourite dishes but
if all else fails, simply point to whatever looks good.
Samkong
has a high concentration of Muslims so be on the lookout for fried
chicken and Kaao Moek (turmeric-flavoured yellow rice). The kebab
vendor in front of the 7-11 next to Idea Bar is especially popular.
There are also a few larger restaurants with English menus that
cater to foreign visitors as well as local Thais. Try Steak Samkong, Chewy's Steakhouse, Mae Porn or E-Sarn Terrace if you're having language barrier issues.
Radsada Road
For a more upscale experience with nicer ambiance and a wider variety
of international foods, check out the area just east of the Song
Thaew (local bus) station. This is rapidly becoming the most fashionable
area of Phuket City, with numerous specialty shops and several classy
and delicious establishments within an easy walk of one another.
For some of the best authentic Italian food around treat yourself
to Salvatore's which serves fantastic pizza from it's wood-fired
oven. Next door is Anna's, a popular Bangkok chain which
has finally made its way to Phuket. For Indian there's Kannasutra,
which is a lavishly decorated spot that hosts several parties each
month. For a little bit of everything there's The Taste, Indigo
Siam and the casual Circle Café all of which have
a good mix of Thai and international favourites. And let's not forget
the long-time favourite Ka Jok Sii, which becomes a lively
dance club after 22:00.
Around Town
Aside from these areas you can find lots of good food at the market
near the local bus station, and tucked a short distance away you'll
find the uniquely decorated Tammachat, aka the Natural. This
is some of the best value and tastiest Thai food going.
Near Robinson's
department store there are a few gems such as Uptown, as
well as a number of western fast food chains like McDonald's, KFC and The Pizza Company. Central Festival Mall has
lots of upscale eateries serving all sorts of international foods,
as well as a few familiar favourites. |
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