Thailand's climate is conducive to an abundance of fresh fruit and vegetables and ingredients used in Thai cuisine are always fresh. Phuket is surrounded by the waters of the Andaman Sea and is famous for its seafoods, including crabs, oysters, prawns, lobster, squid and variety of fish. Thailand, generally, is a culinary treat, famous for its delicious and spicy foods. The chefs typically use combinations of lemongrass, garlic, chilli, lime juice and coriander to flavour their dishes. But most restaurants offer International cuisine with a Thai menu and a western-style menu. There is also plenty of restaurants serving pasta, pizza, Tex-Mex, and fusion style places serving Indonesian, Malaysian, Indian and Vietnamese cuisine.
Dining out in Phuket is relatively inexpensive, even at the many restaurants located on the beachfront with sea views. In Thai restaurants children are welcome, and you'll often find wait staff eager to entertain your kids. If you're looking for fine dining, this is usually found in top hotels. Phad Thai, noodles fried with garlic, tofu, egg, and either shrimps or chicken, is Thailand's most popular dish. But be sure to try "Tom Yam Kung" spicy sour prawn soup, or red, yellow, and green Thai curries made with coconut milk, spicy salads, and minced chicken. A popular breakfast dish is Thai rice noodles with a curry soup made from minced fish or shrimp, and known as Khanom Chin.
Some of the best dining locations include:
Phuket Town
Fortuna Pavilion, at the Metropole Hotel, offers the best Chinese a la carte selections. The cafe here serves a fantastic lunch buffet with an array of Thai regional dishes. Shintaro, cheapest Japanese restaurant offers alfresco dining..
Chalong Bay, Rawai Beach and Nai Harn
Kan Eangs is known for excellent fish dishes and the Regatta Restaurant at The Royal Meridien Yacht Club on Nai Harn Beach is popular. Don's Cafe at Rawai Beach has the island's best spareribs, a number of restaurants serve simple dishes such as grilled chicken.
Karon Beach
Along the beach from Kata you can sit and enjoy a stunning sunset over the water sitting at trendy open-air bars and restaurants, including Sala Thai and Long Beach Terrace.
Kata
Kata offers a number of eating opportunities, including the upmarket Mom Tri's Boathouse Wine and Grill and the less formal Gung Cafe.
Patong Beach
Try Sam's, for great steak, Otowa and Rengaya,for Japanese cuisine, and Da Maurizio, for Italian dishes. Baan Rim Pa serves traditional Thai cuisine while the Royal Kitchen specialises in Cantonese food.
Kamala and Surin Beaches
At FantaSea, you'll find the popular Golden Kinnaree buffet, while the Toto Restaurant dishes up traditional Thai cuisine in a tropical garden setting.
The nightlife
The infamous beach stretch of Phuket is a major drawcard. With its wild nightlife and numerous activities, Patong exists to feed the party crowds of Phuket from sunset to sunrise. By night, the town lights up with hundreds of clubs,beer bars, and chic restaurants. Most of the nighttime activities are centered around Soi Bangla or Bangla Lane.
If the bars and dancing are not your thing, drop by the Muay Thai arena to watch the art of Thai boxing or even by a cabaret to enjoy the creative and extravagant song and dance routines found nowhere else! During the day, the beautiful golden sands of Patong are on display. With nearly 2 kilometres of beach you can find almost any type of beach or sea activity - parasailing, masseuses, jet-skiing, kayaking and more to fulfil any whim or fancy the holiday-goers from the any hotel in Patong Phuket might have. Even food is brought right to your beach chair with the vendors selling drinks and traditional Thai fare.
