How to Eat like a Local in Phuket - Tips for Wining and Dining Your Way Through Local Delicacies in Phuket

Travellers who wish to wine and dine like a local during their beach holiday in Phuket must first and foremost find a strategically situated rest. Some of the best restaurants and street food hotspots in Phuket are located near Old Town and the Layan Residences by Anantara. So whether you select the private pool villas in Phuket for sale or any other base, it is crucial to consider their proximity to local eateries. The alleys and lanes surrounding the historic Old Town region are where the top food hubs are found but that does not mean there aren't other areas of Phuket that are convenient for food lovers. This is where doing your homework on local street food locations will really come in handy.

Named after its owner Raya Chessadawan, this charming restaurant in Old Town is arguably the best place to sample Moo Hong. Usually served during Chinese Hokkien celebrations and red-letter days, this meat dish is usually served alongside a cup of steamed rice. Ranked among Phuket's most famous local eateries, Raya is set in a Sino-Portuguese shophouse and has been a part of the island's dynamic food scene for over 30 years. Although Moo Hong is its signature dish, it is not the only local delicacy to grace the menu of this local dining institution.

This is a street-side dessert that's ubiquitous across Phuket but is attributed to Old Town's Aniroj Thantara who is best known as "Mr Roj O-aew". Credited with inventing this famed jelly dessert, this unique post-meal treat is made using banana and fig-seed infused jelly crystals. Having sold this sweet treat to locals and tourists for decades from his stall, opposite the Vachira Phuket Hospital, "Mr Roj" has become the go-to vendor for this refreshing dessert. Made by hand in a process that takes a whopping 8 hours, O-Aew is a dessert that spoils after a few hours so the portions for sale here are always fresh.

Also called O-Tao, oyster omelettes are considered both a snack and a meal that can be enjoyed at any time on the streets of Phuket. Venues such as the Ji Pien stall near Old Town specialise in this seafood dish, which incorporates taro, eggs, onions, garlic, oysters, and soy sauce and fries it over a hot griddle. Usually consumed during the Chinese New Year, this celebratory dish is known to represent the sticky nature of familial relations. As a heritage food that's unique to Phuket, the dish is believed to have been invented by the Ji Pien Stall, which is found at the heart of Phuket's Chinatown. With a rich food service legacy that dates back 80 years, this popular street food stall is also known to sell other Chinese delicacies with a Fujian back story.

When it comes to the best Hokkien fried noodles, travellers should look no further than the al-fresco food hub known as Mee Ton Poe. Located next to the Bodhi tree close to Old Town, this food stall first opened its doors in 1946 and specialises in a plethora of noodle dishes including Mee Ton Poe, which is a variation of Mee Pad Hokkien that incorporates fish balls and oysters.