Thai breakfast

Outside Bangkok, Phuket probably has the widest variety of food choices in Thailand. One of the main reasons for this is the island’s long history as an international place, going back to the tin-mining boom of more than a century ago. These days, the island’s inhabitants come from all corners of the globe, but varieties of Thai cuisine are still very much the favorite food. Let’s start the day right with breakfast.

Kao Tom is boiled rice served with a choice of meat and other titbits and sometimes also an egg. Healthy and not too heavy, it is one of the most popular dishes for Thais at the start of the day. However, if kao tom seems a bit basic, then Phuket has plenty more to offer, such as:

Roti

Roti & Mussaman Curry is influenced by the cuisines of Malaysia and the Indian Subcontinent. There are two elements: roti, which is Indian-style unleaven bread, and a small bowl of curry made with your choice of beef, chicken or lamb. You usually also get a fried egg with it. The set with a drink will cost around 50 baht (less than two Euro). The restaurant best-known in Phuket for this dish is Roti Chaofa, on Chao Fa Rd in Phuket City, next to the Siam Commercial Bank. This family-run place has been in the business more than 30 years, serving up a secret-recipe curry passed down through the generations. The shop opens daily from 0600 to noon. Tel: 66 (0) 76 221771.

Dim Sum

Dim sum, which has its roots firmly in Chinese cuisine, is probably the most fun you can have at breakfast; a sort of Chinese tapas. Dim sum restaurants serve a huge variety of different dishes, all in small portions - enough usually for a couple of bites - all delivered in small bamboo containers, though some restaurants serve the food in small bowls instead.

Many of the dishes have pork as the main ingredient. If it’s your first time for dim sum, try The Metropole hotel in Phuket City, which has dim-sum a la carte for 32 Baht a serving or, for groups of three or four people, a set menu for 500 baht. Opening hours are 1100 to 1400. Tel: 66 (0) 76 214020.

Kanom Jeen is a common dish all over Thailand, with huge variations, but all based on kanom jeen, or soft rice noodles. It’s served with a choice of curries and almost always comes with a side dish heaped with fresh and boiled vegetables. Many people will also add a boiled egg. Phuket is unusual in that you can get kanom jeen as early as 0500; most Thais do not usually eat kanom jeen for breakfast. One serving will cost you 10 to 20 baht, including the vegetables. There’s a kanom jeen shop on almost every street corner in Phuket. Just look for the one that draws the biggest crowds.

Thai lunch

Fried Rice

For lunch in Phuket, forget burgers, sandwiches and chicken nuggets; Thailand has food that arrives just as fast but is much fresher and tastier.

It has to be admitted that there is a serious problem that even Thai office workers on lunch break face: the choice is enormous. Where to go? What to eat? Here are some popular suggestions: Kway Tio (noodle soup), Pad Thai Goong (Thai fried rice noodles with prawns), Pad Kapow Neua (stir-fried basil with beef), Pad See Iew (noodles in soy sauce) and Kao Pad (fried rice with a choice of meat or seafood).

All of these dishes are cooked fresh right after you order; each takes about 3-5 minutes. The price for a lunch, including a drink, is always less than two Euro.

Noodle Soup with Pork

One other “must try” while you’re in Phuket is Kao Niow with Gai Yang (sticky rice with barbecued chicken). Some restaurants, especially those set up by people from the northeast of Thailand, specialise in this dish, which is best eaten without benefit of cutlery - a guarantee of informality.

Many people never encounter sticky rice before coming to Thailand so at first try you’ll probably end up with bits of rice stuck to your fingers, wrists, your elbows, all over. Definitely fun, and thoroughly delicious.

Thai dinner

Chicken Satay

Thais have no hard and fast rules about what to eat for dinner. Many Thais will simply have a light, healthy bowl of noodles. But for families, dinner is the main meal of the day, the one time they are all likely to come together, so the meal may be more elaborate, with dishes that take longer to prepare.

For families or groups of friends, dinner never consists of a single dish. There is always a variety in the centre of the table for everyone to share - a fine way to bring everyone together.

If you are ordering dinner for a group, we suggest you choose a balance of dishes: something that’s spicy balanced by something that’s not; a vegetable dish to balance a meat dish. You should also include in your order either a clear soup or a curry, or both. To help you choose, here are three sample Thai dinner “sets” for 3-5 people.

Chicken Curry

Set A: Satay Gai (chicken marinated in herbs and honey then grilled, served with peanut sauce); Pad Pak Ruam (mixed fried vegetables); and Tom Yam Goong (spicy-sour soup with prawns).

Set B: Yum Pla Dook Foo (spicy salad with fried catfish); Penang Neua (red beef curry); and Gaeng Jeud Moo Taohu (mild clear soup with pork and tofu).

Set C: Pad Priew Waan Pak (sweet and savoury fried vegetables); Laab Gai (spicy minced chicken salad); and Tom Kah Talay (Coconut milk soup with seafood, flavoured with galangal).

Table manners

Thai Cuttlery

Since Thai food is prepared in bite-size morsels, it’s very rare to see a knife used at a Thai table; normally it’s spoon in the right hand, fork in the left. In politer society, each dish will arrive with its own serving spoon, so don’t use your own spoon to dig into a dish of food in the middle of the table. Each person will have his or her own plate of rice. Use the serving spoon to take a small amount of food from one of the dishes and eat that before trying something else - it’s not considered very polite to heap your plate. Besides, you’ll enjoy the food much more if you take it one taste at a time, instead of mixing all the flavours together.

A clean plate is a good thing in Thai society - it shows you think your host or cook has served up a delicious meal. While food in the bowls in the centre can often be kept in the fridge for the next day, food on individual plates cannot, and many Thais consider that a sad waste in a world where many people are still starving. So finish what’s on your plate.

How to Choose a Thai restaurant

S&G Restaurant in Patong Beach

One of the best places to find a good Thai restaurant in Phuket is along its West Coast since most restaurants there have menus in English. Such places are in Patong, Kata and Karon. Many of these restaurants also provide ‘photo menus’ and this simplifies things for the rookie Thai food diner.

Of course, it’s always easier if the wait staff speak English so you can make it clear just how spicy you’d like that curry and whether you’d prefer chicken, beef or fish.

Cleanliness is more important than fancy décor. You’d be surprised at how many simple and basic-looking restaurants in Thailand actually serve fantastic food. And you can bet your bottom dollar that they keep their place meticulously clean. And follow the crowds; it’s always a good sign if a restaurant is crowded – a well-frequented restaurant is bound to deliver the goods.

Tips:

Don’t be scared off by the word “spicy”. As with anything else, there are degrees of spiciness. Depending on your preference, you can order any dish to be cooked just a little bit spicy, medium, or blazing hot.

No matter what your local friends may say, avoid local food carts or food stands. If this is your first time eating Thai food, it’s best to ensure that you get food that not only tastes and smells good but is also hygienically prepared.