Are you traveling to Phuket on a business trip or vacation? The one thing you will certainly want to do is try the local cuisine. There is no other food in the world quite as aromatic as Thai cuisine, and if you love spicy, aromatic dishes, you will be in paradise. One of the most alluring aspects of Phuket is that it is an island off the mainland located in the Andaman Sea. The total population as of 2015 was 386,305 residents, with many more people being on the island seasonally as it is a popular resort. With all that in mind, let’s take a look at how to enjoy the best Thai cuisine in Phuket.
Begin Your Culinary Excursion Before Leaving Home
One of the things
which many people notice is that Thai cuisine is worlds apart from other Asian
dishes. Thai cuisine is perhaps the most aromatic food in the entire world, and
it can also be the spiciest. If you have never sampled native Thai cooking,
take time to read up on what you will be enjoying before embarking on your trip.
You will notice that Thai sauces are lighter than most other Asian sauces and
not nearly as salty as Chinese or Japanese sauces, for example.
You will find that
peanuts and coconuts are common ingredients in many dishes and few dishes are
made without lemongrass and galangal. Many people mistakenly pick up galangal
in a Thai marketplace thinking it is ginger and although it’s in the same
family of rhizomes, it has an entirely different flavor. The point is, take
time to learn about the most popular dishes before sampling them. They are
truly delightful, but many may be a bit spicy for your taste.
Dining by Day in Patong
Most visitors to Phuket
enjoy staying on the beach in full-service hotels. They are pampered guests but
many also like to wander the streets of Patong, the world class resort town frequented by
travelers from all over the globe. Typically guests like to sample street foods
by day because they are already out and about, walking the beaches and
strolling along the shops lining the streets.
A Pampered Dining Experience by Night
If you are staying in
the resort area of Phuket, there is no reason to leave your hotel if you are
looking for a 5-star restaurant in Patong. Hotel Indigo, for example, boasts several
restaurants on site from tiki bars to their well-kept ‘No Name Bar’. The
atmosphere of this particular bar is that of speakeasys of the past and another
claim to fame is that the No Name Bar has Patong’s one and only cigar room. If
you enjoy a smoke after your meal, talk to your hostess who will have a
selection of fine cigars you can choose from.
In short, there isn’t
another ethnic cuisine quite as surprisingly fragrant as Thai food, and as for
seafood, you will find that Phuket is famed for that as well. It may be a small
island, but it has huge culinary appeal. See for yourself on your next visit to
the resort town of Patong.