When it comes to Thai cuisine, it’s undeniable that the main focus is on rice. Many dishes like curries, stir fries, and soups are served alongside rice. It’s so central to Thai life that instead of saying hello, a common greeting is “gin khao riang?” – “have you eaten rice yet?”. That being said, there is no love lost for noodles. As just about anyone can confirm, phad Thai is arguably the most renowned Thai dish and is noodle-based. Phuket’s food scene is wildly diverse, a confluence of Thai, Chinese, and Malay influences. While the local noodle dishes are enough to keep you busy, let’s not forget the vast varieties of cuisine from around the globe that can be found in Phuket as well. What noodle dishes should you try in Phuket? Glad you asked.
Phad Thai
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How can we not start with this one? It is the iconic dish of the entire country. Although some poke fun that it’s tourist food, the reality is that pretty much everyone loves it. While recipes vary, the blend of tamarind, fish sauce, sugar, and more seem to please many. Combined with noodles cooked properly, fresh bean sprouts, crushed peanuts, and a squeeze of lime, you end up with a mix of textures and flavors that are complex and unique. For a great example, try the Phad Thai Shop between Kata and Karon.
Phad Kee Mao (Drunken Noodles)
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The origin of the name might be up for debate, but few will argue against the deliciousness of this noodle dish. The wide, flat rice noodles used in this dish may not be intoxicated, but the amount of chilies typically used might make you feel inebriated. Containing the same noodles as its much mellower cousin phad see ew, drunken noodles’s sauce usually starts with the same constituent parts like oyster sauce and soy sauce. However, the similarities stop there as soon as copious amounts of chilies are tossed in along with green peppercorns, and sometimes thin strips of galangal. While you can order it not spicy, it kind of defeats the purpose of the dish and you might as well just get phad see ew.
Kanom Jeen
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Here is one that few short term visitors ever try in Thailand. The concept behind kanom jeen is instead of being one distinct dish, you’re served a bowl of noodles made from fermented rice which you then add curries and vegetables to. Typically, there are at least two or three curry options and sometimes six or more. Some have mild flavors like green curry or a savory, yellow crab curry, while others are more intense like the fishy yet complex gaeng dtai pla (made from fermented fish innards). Once you have some curry on those noodles, it’s time to add on the accoutrements. Options may vary, but you’ll often have ten options at the very least including bean sprouts, diced cucumber, pineapple, pickled cabbage, diced long bean, luk riang (a bitter sprouted bean), small eggplants, and much more. Kanom jeen is a healthy breakfast favorite found all over Thailand with shops being especially busy on Sunday mornings.
