I just cannot get enough of the food out here.
If you get a good dish, every mouthful is the perfect balance of flavours. Spicy, sweet, sour, savoury and fresh all in one go. It’s just so unlike anything back home, which makes it all the more exciting.
Of course, most of the places we’ve been frequenting haven’t had any English menus so it’s always a bit of a risk when it comes to ordering! Some things blow your head off, others just make your toes curl. (Thankfully we haven’t had too many of those.)
But if you want a real foodie adventure, the weekend night market is for you.
Known locally as Talad Tai Rot, it’s vast. A temporary town within a town. It’s made up of two parts, one side seems to be totally dedicated to Nike & Chanel knock-offs (I actually saw a brilliant pair of Chanel dungarees that made me chuckle) and the other is for food. Proper, local food.
No-one speaks any English, it’s loud, hot, bustling, full of bizarre scents and totally alien sights.
I usually find trying a new restaurant exciting… but this? This is the bungee jumping of the culinary world.
Ready to jump with me?
Ok, let’s go…
What are those?! They look like Pokemon.
These are Thai fishcakes. With one hand she forms them, rolls them in her palm and drops them into the hot oil, one by one.
With her right hand she stirs and scoops them around, delicately fishing them out when they’re cooked.
Her daughter tips 5 or 6 into a bag with a splash of fish sauce, a pinch of fresh coriander (cilantro) and some hot sauce.
All for 20p.
I have absolutely no shame in admitting that I ate three bags worth.
We ate more than our fair share and headed home very happy travellers.
If you visit Phuket be sure to put this top of your list, it really is an experience you don’t want to miss out on.
It’s every weekend evening from 6-11pm. Any taxi or tuk-tuk driver will know where it is.
Happy bungee jumping!
