Joanna James
When it comes to delicious street food, few countries get it right like Thailand. In Phuket, you can find a host of delectable dishes to keep you satisfied during your stay.
A popular dish hailing from southern Thailand, the original recipe is said to have come from a Persian trader during the 15th century. Massaman curry is typically made with beef, although you can find alternatives, infused with spices, coconut milk and par-boiled potatoes that soak up all the excess spice. Finished with chopped nuts, it's typically served with steamed rice and a simple fresh salad.
Probably one of the best known Thai dishes, Tom Yum Goong is a fragrant hot and sour soup that can be found in just about any Thai restaurant in Phuket. The base of the soup is made from a host of spices and fresh herbs including lemongrass, kaffir leaves, and galangal that are cooked for hours to build flavour. With the addition of juicy prawns to the soup, it's not hard to see how it continues to lure hungry foodies from all over the world.
A delicious alternative to the more popular 'sweet roti', roti nam geang is a spicy favourite among the locals. Influenced by Muslim traders and Tamil migrants who once lived in large populations on the island, roti nam geang is plain flatbread served with a spicy curry of either chicken, fish or beef.
During the hot summer months in Thailand, street vendors selling mountains of shaved ice can be found on every corner. Oh Eaw is a refreshingly cold concoction of shaved ice topped with a combination of sweet syrup, banana jelly and bean paste, perfect to beat the hot weather.
This is a dish that needs no introduction; Pad Thai has known the world over. In Thailand, there are several variations of the famous dish, but at its core, it remains a dish of stir-fried noodles, egg, chilli, and tofu, tossed together with many other ingredients, and meat or seafood. It's extremely popular fare at street food vendors, but even bigger resorts such as Anantara Layan Phuket Resort, for example, have their own version of Pad Thai on their menus.
A less spicy alternative to the fiery traditional spring rolls, known to send many a tourist running to their rooms. Por Pia is freshly made fried spring rolls accompanied by a light apricot sauce, making them very popular with tourists who can't handle the spicy Thai flavours.
An authentic Thai dish wrapped up in a banana leaf, Homok Talay is generally avoided by tourists due to its strong aroma. However, if you can get past the pungent smell, do sample this delicious dish which features fish, vegetables and aromatic spices pressed into the leaf till it forms a kind of mousse. You can try eating it straight out of the leaf or served with steamed rice.
Similar to Pad Thai, Pad See Ew is a fried noodle dish influenced by the Chinese migrants. The noodles are drily stir-fried with soy sauce, strips of meat, usually pork, and served with crushed nuts. It's a common dish on many menus around the country.
Believe or not, this English favourite is quite popular in Phuket due to the many expats who have settled here over the years. Authentic fish and chips are never far away and many beachside restaurants serve up this classic with a big pint of beer.
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