Renee, where to next?

Everything I ate on my 4 day Phuket trip

Seafood lovers this one is for you. Thailand is not only a beautiful island filled with diverse, lush scenery but also a melting pot of flavors. From sour, to sweet or spicy your taste buds will be heightened to levels of fascination and even query, because honestly some flavor combinations will have you questioning your palate. One thing that can’t be denied is that Thai food is exceptional and comparing it to Thai food I’ve had outside of Thailand, well there is no comparison.

We had total of four complete days on this girls trip to Thailand. And we intended to make the most of these days. Food babies were a must at the end of each meal.

Ladies and gentlemen we made it to another dream destination and the foodie in me booked this trip for the food just as much as I booked it for the adventure and relaxation. We had total of four complete days on this girls trip to Thailand. And we intended to make the most of these days. Food babies were a must at the end of each meal.

Three Monkeys

Our first night was dedicated to the Three Monkeys Restaurant. After we arrived in Phuket we realized the restaurant was about and hour away from our hotel. We contemplated not going because of the distance but we had made our minds up. We had to go to this restaurant, and I’m glad we did. Three Monkeys is a Thai and Japanese infused restaurant nestled between trees and foliage for the most picturesque ambiance. The restaurant was huge! Really that’s the only word I can use to describe it. If you visit Phuket you must visit Three Monkeys.

Let’s dig into the meal for the night. We opened the night with an order of Spicy Salmon Rolls and a cocktail called Keng, which was made of rum, banana liquer, coconut liquer and lime. Presentation was on point for every item we ordered. Some a little over the top, but all exceptional. The salmon roll were perfect and were devoured in minutes. I love me anything that has rum in the mix and that cocktail did the job. The flavors combined seamlessly and the alcohol did not overpowering the other flavors.

Our main course consisted of the Steamed White Snapper with Chili Lime Sauce. The fish was served on a bed of steamed asian cabbage and topped with garlic, herbs and lime slices. I have never been a fan of fish that is not fried, but I was intrigued when I saw it on the menu so that was my order. It was the perfect decision. This was a new experience for me and I was thoroughly pleased with it. After pouring the chili lime sauce on the fish you really won’t need anything else for the night other than dessert. Sweet, tangy and spicy all in one bite. A flavor party in my mouth. If you love a more tangy flavor you could add more lime but I opted for the garlic. The fish was tender and cooked to perfection. A steamed whole fish is definitely a must try when in Thailand.

My friend had the Bbq half chicken. Basic? Maybe a little, but its what she wanted and to be honest it was a great choice. If you’re not the biggest fan of seafood this would be the perfect option for you. It was served with a side of garden salad and chili sauce. That chili sauce makes every bite superb.

It’s now time for dessert, the pièce de résistance. Mango sticky rice was something I never thought I would be a fan of, but for me it was that serving of coconut milk that stole my heart. Just thinking about how perfect it was while writing this is making me crave it. The best tasting coconut milk I have ever had in my entire life. I don’t know if anywhere else in the world does coconut milk like they do in Thailand. The dessert was sweet and a bit savory. All three components together was a burst of happiness in my mouth. What an experience to have on my first night in Phuket! A memory that will be cherished for my entire life. I really can’t tell you how much you need to try Mango Sticky Rice when in Thailand. No matter what variation you try, it’s a must, it will not disappoint. In total we spent about USD $63 on dinner.

Street Food

Street food is a big thing in Thailand and dessert is not exempted from the street food menu. One of the most popular desserts along with Mango Sticky Rice is Coconut Ice Cream. I must admit this was the best ice cream I’ve had the chance to taste. Normally, I can’t finish large servings of ice cream, but you see this coconut ice cream right here. I had it all. At a cost of about USD $2, it was served in a half a coconut with fresh coconut included as well. You then a few options for toppings, I opted for some mango and peanuts, that paired perfectly. Coconut Ice cream is a must try when in Thailand.

Basil

Pad Thai, I think is one of the things Thailand is known for, and a trip there could not happen without trying it. We visited a restaurant not too far from our resort called Basil. A Thai restaurant located on a mall. I saw the sign of the Pad Thai before I even found the restaurant and my mind was already made up, that’s what I was going to order. We were the only ones in the restaurant when we arrived but that didn’t matter. That just meant faster service. The pad Thai was delectable. I had prawns, some kind of tofu, small dehydrated crawfish (these packed great flavor) and even fish. On the side they served bean sprouts (so plump and delicious), peanuts and chili flakes. A wedge of lime was also added in case you wanted a little more tang to your meal. I don’t know what Pad Thai perfection is, but I think this was close to it. Again this is definitely a must try while in Thailand.

Next up we had the Stir Fried Shrimp in Tamarind Sauce. Everyone stop what you’re doing and listen to this right here. Tamarind sauce is out of this world. I’ve never tasted it before and my taste buds were so surprised when I took a bite of that shrimp. Why did no one tell me about this? I’ve had Tamarind before but not Tamarind sauce. If you see something on the menu that includes tamarind sauce, my advice is to order it expeditiously. The shrimps were crunchy but still cooked to perfection. From my reaction to all this food you can tell Thailand is a foodie’s dream destination.

Another must try is a summer roll. Rolled up in a rice sheet and stuffed with fresh veggies chicken (or a protein of your choice), this is a refreshing palate cleanser as well as a great appetizer. The spicy and tangy accompanying sauce kicks the flavors up a notch and compliments each flavor that’s already in the roll. Yes, you guessed it the summer roll is a definite recommendation for when you book your next trip to Thailand. Total meal was about USD $50.

Taikeng

Our resort had three restaurants on site and two did dinner service. One was an international restaurant and the other a Thai restaurant. Do you even have to ask which one we choose to dine at? Not once but twice, we dined at Taikeng. We loved the ambiance and the service was great. It gave subtle luxury and we loved it. Both meals we had here ranged from about USD $60-70.

Our first time at Taikeng was spectacular. I had such amazing food. For starters I ordered the Crispy Sand Crab. The local name is jakkajan which means sand crab. It’s found only in the Mai Kaho beach in Phuket. The crabs live under the sand and locals use special traps to catch them. It was accompanied by two sauces that each were a good compliment for the crabs flavor. One was spicy and the other sour. I preferred the spicy sauce but to be honest I was loving the tamarind sauce that came with my friend’sstarter.

Our second started was the Golden Fried spring roll. We had the option for either a vegetable spring roll or add prawns. No question there we added prawns. The plumpest prawns that burst with flavor with each bite. The star of this appetizer was the tamarind sauce. I already raved about my new found love for tamarind sauce so I won’t do it again. I’ll save you the time.

Time for the main course and first up is another Pad Thai. This one came wrapped in an egg wrap and had the usual bean sprouts and peanuts on the side as well as crispy prawns. This was my friends order this time and while I loved the flavors she wasn’t a fan of it being wrapped in egg. So if you’re not the biggest fan of eggs keep this in mind, and ask before your order if it will be served in this manner.

I’m all fairness I think the best coconut milk must be made in Thailand, because the coconut milk that topped my main course was superb. I opted for the Green Curry with shrimp with a side of jasmine rice. If I could swim in that soup I would. Flavor packed and just the perfect portion. It came with green peas, that I didn’t eat because I’m not a fan of them. But the rest of that green curry was delectable and a must try in Thailand.

Our second time was no different at Taikeng. The food impressed just as before. We had the fried rice and opted to add pork and also wok fried chicken. We weren’t that hungry so we opted to order and share so we could have dove for dessert. Which was another coconut ice cream. In all fairness it wasn’t as good as the one we had when we went to Patong Beach. The street vendors really shone with that coconut ice cream.

Both the rice and the chicken were tasty. I preferred the rice over the chicken because I think the chicken could have been a little more flavorful. It was still very tasty but with all the other great flavors we had experienced before, it paled in comparison. This one o think you could pass on trying

The Coffee Club

Next up we went to our first and only none Thai dominated restaurant. I think we needed a bit of western food to balance things out a bit. The Coffee Club is a chain in Thailand much like a cafe/restaurant. We ordered some wings for our appetizers and let me tell you about the sweet chili sauce that came with it, amazing is the word. I love Thai sweet chili sauce and I will always pick it up when I go grocery shopping. But I have never bought anything that tasted as good as the sweet chili sauce I had while in Thailand.

Our main dishes were the Ultimate Double Cheeseburger that came with truffle fries and some shrimp pasta. Both meals were great, packed with flavor and the prices were also very affordable. My favorite thing from the main dishes were those truffle fries. The flavor of the fries paired so well with the cheeseburger. It was like a match made in heaven. I would definitely recommend this restaurant if you’re in Thailand and want to grab a quick bite.

The desserts weren’t the best but the drinks and main dishes really delivered what they were supposed to. In total we spent about USD $40.

Our final dish was at Kitchen Restaurant and Bistro. While we were at Patong Beach we came across this restaurant and decided to try our luck there. We could not leave Thailand with out trying pineapple fried rice. And this was the first place we saw it on the menu so it was a no brainer. To accompany the rice we ordered Shrimp Tom Yum Soup. It was very tangy and we opted for mild spicy flavors. I enjoyed the rice but I feel if we had it at a different restaurant the quality would have been better. The same went for the Tom Yum soup. I tasted potential I the flavors but the quality wasn’t the best. Tom Yum soup is definitely something you need to try when in Thailand, just pick a restaurant with quality ingredients.

The food in Thailand is spectacular and adds so much to your trip. Not only are the people kind and welcoming the excursions and sightseeing opportunities are ones that will be etched in your memory for life. Stay tuned for my Thailand itinerary in my next blog post. Can’t wait for you all to see where I to next!