Sitting in the middle of maki and pasta central, the Southern Thai food of Phuket Town is pretty unique for Thong Lor’s dining scene, as is the décor of this tiny shophouse on the corner of Thong Lor Soi 6. It welcomes people in with its huge windows and cute colored wooden front door that transports you to the old quarter of the famous Southern town. This theme continues inside, with antique pieces like the chandelier and retro bicycle, the wooden tables, chairs and the vibrant (if a little kitsch) wall painting of Phuket’s colorful shophouses. But Phuket Town is, thankfully, not just about the décor; the food is the real star of this place. Start with the classic Southern treat of pad sataw goong (stir-fried sataw with shrimps in shrimp paste, B170). Unlike many versions of this dish, the crisp sataw is fresh and aromatic and works perfectly with the well-balanced paste. The kanom jeen nam ya poo (rice noodles with steamed crab, B130) has a rich, mellow soup that’s packed with big chunks of tender crab meat and we’re glad to say comes with the requisite pineapple. Another standout is the kai tod ka-min (deep fried chicken wings with cumin served with black sticky rice, B120). Wonderfully more-ish you’ll find it hard to stop munching on the crispy chicken. One of Phuket’s most famous dishes, nam prik goong sieb (shrimp paste with sun dried shrimp, B150) is well-represented thanks to a full-flavored shrimp paste. The yam Andaman comes with plenty of sun dried shrimp, anchovies and cashew nuts but it’s the zingy wakeup call of the dressing that makes the dish special. If you want to go authentic for dessert, then try the traditional oh-aew (banana jelly with red bean and red syrup topping, B55) but we prefer the melt in the mouth noi-na nom sod (custard apple with milk, B55). Service doesn’t always match the heights of the kitchen but due to the small space you never wait too long. The size does also mean that you should reserve your table, as this place is usually busy. With affordable, authentic Southern cuisine, in a cute location in the heart of Thong Lor, it’s really not difficult to see why.
