Every visitor to Thailand will immediately notice that Thais love to eat. In fact it would seem that eating takes up all of their time and nothing else gets done. As soon as you exit the airport the first businesses are food stalls and restaurants. Turn left or right out of your hotel entrance – restaurants, cafes, food carts. Cant find a taxi driver – they’re eating. No one at the clothes shop where you want to buy that nice shirt – they’re next door eating. Hot food, cold food, seafood, salad, spicy, mild, fruit, soup….. there’s is literally nothing you wont find within a 100m walk down any street in Phuket. So forget about Macdonalds, sandwiches or home favorites. Phuket is a place to eat Thai food and a trip without sampling the amazing food on offer all over the island is a bit like going to Rome and not eating pasta.
Our newest tour at the Mega Tour is the Traditional Thai Food Tour. Its open to all ages and starts with a cooking class at the famous Pum’s Cooking School, then visits three of Phuket’s oldest and most authentic Thai restaurants. If your new to Thailand and unsure what to try and how to find food that’s not too spicy then this is a great way to get started plus it lots of fun and our guides are on hand to answer every question you ever had about Thai food and where to eat in Phuket.
”Thai food ain’t about simplicity. It’s about the juggling of disparate elements to create a harmonious finish. Like a complex musical chord it’s got to have a smooth surface but it doesn’t matter what’s happening underneath. Simplicity isn’t the dictum here, at all. Some westerners think it’s a jumble of flavours, but to a Thai that’s important, it’s the complexity they delight in.”
All the major tourist areas in Phuket have a bustling food court or market. Dont be shy to pull up a plastic chair and eat something new. Prepared right in front of you – tell the chef not too spicy if you’re worried. Try the famou Papaya Salad (Som Tum), or the Thai’s favorite fast food – a simple fried rice (Khao Pad). The Weekend Market in Phuket Town has a baffling array of food – make sure you go there on an empty stomach.
