On our first night in Phuket,
we went to
Raya Restaurant,
a restaurant we had seen recommended in a YouTube video.
It was also only about a four-minute walk from
where we were staying,
so the location was perfect.
But of course,
the important question was:
How was the food?
Here is everything we ate,
how much it cost,
and what we thought of one of Phuket Old Town’s well-known restaurants.
What Is Raya Restaurant? A Historic Restaurant in Phuket Old Town
Raya Restaurant is a long-established restaurant in Phuket Old Town.
It opened in 1994
and is housed in a historic Sino-Portuguese-style building.
The retro atmosphere gives the restaurant plenty of character.
This is a place where you can try
traditional Phuket cuisine (^^)/
Raya Restaurant has also been recognized by the Michelin Guide as a
Bib Gourmand restaurant,
a distinction given to restaurants offering good food at a reasonable price.
Inside Raya Restaurant and How We Booked
The interior was colorful and stylish too♪
I did not want to arrive and find the restaurant completely full,
so we made a reservation in advance.
You can make a reservation through the
official Raya Restaurant website.
If you are worried about getting a table,
I recommend booking ahead.
Lots of Menu Choices — Including Phuket Specialties
Raya Restaurant has a large menu.
There are also dishes that are especially associated with Phuket!
You can check the menu on the official website before visiting too.
What We Ate #1: Crab Curry — Gaeng Pu Bai Cha Plu
The food started arriving about five minutes after we ordered.
Thai restaurants in Japan often serve dishes very quickly,
and this restaurant was fast too.
First up:
Gaeng Pu Bai Cha Plu (แกงเนื้อปูใบชะพลู).
This is a rich coconut milk-based curry
with large pieces of crab meat.
There was a lot of crab in there!
The cha plu leaves add extra aroma and flavor.
As you can see in the photo,
it is commonly eaten with
kanom jeen (ขนมจีน),
thin rice noodles.
On the English menu,
the dish was listed as
“Crab Meat with Curry and Coconut Milk.”
The price was around 450–650 baht, depending on the portion.
It is one of Raya Restaurant’s signature dishes.
The thin rice noodles soaked up the rich coconut curry beautifully.
It was delicious!
I did not see this dish again later when we traveled to Bangkok,
so if you are visiting Phuket,
I definitely recommend trying it☆
What We Ate #2: Pineapple Fried Rice
Next:
Pineapple Fried Rice!
Whenever I visit a Thai restaurant in Japan,
if pineapple fried rice is on the menu,
I almost always order it.
So I was very happy to finally eat it
in Thailand itself.
The pineapple gives the fried rice
a lovely balance of sweetness and acidity.
What We Ate #3: Stir-Fried Phak Lin Haan with Egg
This was another dish we had seen recommended in a YouTube video:
Stir Fried Phak Lin Haan with Egg.
Phak Lin Haan is a local leafy vegetable used in southern Thai cooking.
Its Thai name refers to leaves shaped a little like
a goose’s tongue.
Yes.
Goose-tongue vegetables（笑）
The leaves are slightly thick,
with a soft texture and a little slipperiness.
One common way to eat them is stir-fried with egg.
The garlic flavor was delicious!
What We Ate #4: Phuket-Style Braised Pork — Moo Hong
Next was Phuket-style braised pork,
Moo Hong.
The flavor reminded us of
Japanese-style braised pork that we often eat at home,
so it felt strangely comforting (^^)/
It is quite rich and fatty,
so I think sharing it and eating one or two pieces each is enough.
Three of us shared the dishes
and ended up completely full.
If you have a bigger appetite,
you could probably add another dish.
Then They Brought Us a Huge Plate of Mango!
And then...
they brought us mango for dessert as a complimentary treat! (^^)/
This much mango for free!?
We were surprised.
Compared with some of the mangoes we had eaten in Taiwan,
the Thai mango had a lighter sweetness.
But honestly,
getting such a generous plate of mango as a complimentary dessert
made us very happy♪
Singha Beer Goes Perfectly with Thai Food
We also had
Singha Beer,
one of Thailand’s best-known beers.
It was crisp, refreshing and easy to drink.
And yes,
Thai beer really does taste especially good with Thai food.
How Expensive Is Raya Restaurant?
Our total bill was not dramatically different from what we might pay
for a Thai meal in Japan.
Raya Restaurant is not an ultra-cheap local restaurant,
but when you consider that you are eating
traditional Phuket dishes in such a historic atmosphere,
we felt it was worth it.
Final Thoughts: Raya Restaurant Is a Great Place to Try Phuket Cuisine
For us, Raya Restaurant had several things going for it:
・Traditional Phuket dishes in a historic restaurant
・A signature crab curry with kanom jeen
・Local dishes such as Moo Hong and Phak Lin Haan
・A colorful, atmospheric interior
・Easy online reservations
・And, in our case, a surprisingly generous plate of mango!
Our first dinner in Phuket turned into a very satisfying introduction to local food.
If you are exploring Phuket Old Town and want to try traditional Phuket cuisine,
Raya Restaurant is definitely worth putting on your list.
