From the ageing facade, you wouldn't have thought much about the building and assumed it would be one of many in the historical Phuket Town. However, this is the place where i had my best meal in Pearl of the South!
So much so that this restaurant (please be assured there's an air-conditioned section) will be the main reason for me to return to Phuket in the near future! And who must i thank for this recommendation? Ms Thng, my fellow friend and colleague! Without further ado, let's start with the food!
Watermelon Shake - more for Alex and while it didn't disappoint (i took a sip), i think most juices would likely be added with sugar syrup to enhance their palatability.
Stir Fried Thai Vegetables - soy based with dry shrimps, i like the vegetables for their tasty crunchiness that didn't taste overly salty. I like it but Alex totally has a great affection towards the dish!
Steamed Fish with Lemon - for someone who doesn't like to order fish when he is dining outside, i am quite surprised i ordered the above, especially when my mom didn't even join us for this trip!
Fish was fresh although i utterly hated the tiny, little bones! What's even more unforgettable was the tangy lemon-infused sauce that's literally bursting with sourness, sweetness and spiciness!
Omelette with Crab Meat - aside from furong egg which is quite a common tze-char dish in Singapore and Malaysia, i have the same affection for thai-style omelette which is known to be oily, fluffy and addictive.
The one at Raya restaurant didn't disappoint and even had that thin crunchiness on the edge that i so loved! However, for only about S$9, we got chunks of de-shelled crab meat! So luxurious!
Crab Meat with Curry & Coconut Milk - this is by far the most memorable thing i had for the past few years and i think maybe only thipsamai pad thai came close to its position in my heart!
Fragrant and milky, the curry had a light touch of spiciness that even Alex finds manageable and once i took a sip, i was hooked to its delicious flavour and for a moment, i was so sure a bowl of rice was insufficient! And, there were so many pieces of real crab meat, just like the omelette!
Don't be too quick to order another bowl of rice as there's a plate of cooked vermicelli that came with the curry; that's additional carbohydrates that you don't have to pay extra for.
Thinking it's just a gimmick and i am going to return back to drenching my plain rice with the crab curry, i was astonished to find that the vermicelli did a better job in soaking up the curry!
I bet you not; i became my dad for the entire period i was enjoying the crab curry as i kept repeating how good the meal was and how i wish i have a bigger tummy so that i can have more rice and more vermicelli to go with the curry!
Complimentary plate of Thai mango! Although they might appear to be a little green (unripe), the taste didn't result in us making faces as they were still relatively sweet with a manageable sourness.
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For the three of us, we managed to almost clean up everything! We would love to get another bowl of rice to soak up the amazing crab curry but our stomachs were literally stuffed!!!
Location
48 Dibuk Rd, Tambon Talat Yai,
Amphoe Mueang Phuket,
Chang Wat Phuket 83000,
Thailand
Map
As above.
Operating Hours
10.00 am to 10.00 pm
Pricing
Watermelon Shake - 80 baht
Stir Fried Thai Vegetables (S) - 200 baht
Steamed Fish with Lemon (S) - 550 baht
Omelette with Crab Meat - 180 baht
Crab Meat with Curry & Coconut Milk (S) - 400 baht
What else i did in Phuket?
Check out my 5-day Phuket itinerary here!