Noodles and snacks shaped by Chinese and Malay culture
In Phuket you do not have to stop at grilled seafood. Try mi hokkien, thick noodles stir-fried, and mi hun, thin rice noodles. After a meal, take a break with o-aew, made with ice and jelly. Eat the local food on the day you explore the old town.
Choosing a meal in Phuket
Have mi hokkien or mi hun as a meal, and on a hot day choose o-aew for pudding. If you are with a group, share both noodle dishes and compare the thick and thin noodles.
The food of Phuket carries the influence of Chinese and Malay food culture. Thick noodles may be stir-fried with seafood, while thin noodles may come with a pork rib broth. Add the iced jelly snack and Phuket’s table looks more varied than seafood alone.
Mi hokkien and mi hun are different noodle dishes. If you order them by name, you can enjoy the difference in texture and in what is served with them.
Pick a dish you fancy. Each guide explains the flavour and what to eat it with.
The sauce and the seafood soak into the thick noodles. Compared with mi hun, which uses thin rice noodles, the texture of the noodles feels different. The flavour of a bowl can also change with the amount of broth and the extras, such as egg.
Mi Hokkien: flavour and how to eat it →It is a dish where you enjoy the texture of thin rice noodles together with the flavour of the broth served with them. If the noodles and broth come separately, alternate between them. It gives you a different kind of meal from thick stir-fried noodles.
Mi Hun: flavour and how to eat it →
The cold ice is joined by soft jelly and the sweetness of syrup. The taste and texture of each spoonful change with the toppings you choose. Scoop up the ice and jelly together.
O-Aew: flavour and how to eat it →The place a fruit is famous for may not be the city where you buy it today. Check the season and flavour, then choose what you would like to try.
You get sweetness and sharpness together, and the firmness of the flesh varies with the variety. If a seasoning is served separately, try the fruit first and then add it.
Pineapple: season, flavour and how to eat it →
With a young coconut you enjoy the water and the soft white flesh together. Nam hom is presented as a variety whose scent is its feature.
Young Coconut: season, flavour and how to eat it →
It is a crunchy, juicy fruit. The fresh fruit and nam taeng mo pan, blended with ice, are enjoyed for their different textures.
Watermelon: season, flavour and how to eat it →
The white flesh is soft, sweet and tangy. The larger segments may have a stone, so eat slowly.
Mangosteen: season, flavour and how to eat it →Mi hokkien and mi hun are different noodle dishes. If you order them by name, you can enjoy the difference in texture and in what is served with them.
Have mi hokkien or mi hun as a meal, and on a hot day choose o-aew for pudding. If you are with a group, share both noodle dishes and compare the thick and thin noodles.
If you would like to read more about the food and the regions behind it, these sources are worth a look. Ingredients and cooking methods can vary from one cook to the next.
