Visitors to Phuket will be overwhelmed by the variety of food and dining experiences that awaits them here. Even the most discerning and hard to please foodies will appreciate what really is one of the major attractions of the island and indeed Thailand overall, as Thai food is renowned world wide for its virtually addictive flavours and variety, and for the freshness of ingredients. Phuket is especially acclaimed for its seafood, southern Specialities such as curries with coconut milk and the wonderful range of fresh fruits also available here.

Phuket has a number of special local dishes which are different from those of other parts of Thailand and visitors should not miss trying. Here are some of them.

Khanom Chin
Khanom Chin is Thai rice noodles normally eaten with curry soup made from minced fish or shrimps. Though it is available in any part of Thailand, khanom chin of Phuket has a richer flavour and is served with a greater variety and amount of fresh and preserved vegetables. It is also delicious when taken with beef curry or chicken curry. It is a typical breakfast for the local people.

Noodles
There are two styles of fried noodles which Phuket is proud to offer. One is mi hokkian or mi hun ( Amoy noodles) which is fried with fresh shrimps, pork, shellfish and green cabbage. The other, originating in Sapam Village, is mi sapam with seafood and gravy on top.

Ho Mok
Ho Mok is steamed curried fish (or crab or other seafood) with vegetables held in a banana leaf or foil container. It should be eaten with steamed rice.

Curry
When talking about Thai curry, foreigners will probably think of chicken or beef curry only. If you are in Phuket, why not try Phuket's kaeng luang (sour curry with fish and vegetables), a popular southern curry with a peculiar taste.

Namphrik Kung Siap
It is Phuket style hot shrimp paste sauce with sweetened crisp shrimps, eaten with fresh vegetables.

Tao So
This is a small kind of moon cakes and a speciality of Phuket which tourists popularly buy and take home.

Pineapples
Pineapples of Phuket are sweet, juicy, not so soft and are inexpensive.

Cashew nuts
The cashew nut is a famous local product of Phuket. It is used to make various kinds of delicious snacks, for example, roasted cashew nuts with salt, cashew nuts fried with garlic, cashew nuts coated with chocolate and honeyed cashew nut brittle.

One of the wonderful characteristics of this country and its people is the reverence held for food and eating. Wonderful food is readily available at almost all times of the day, and you do not have to pay an arm and a leg to enjoy the most sumptuous of dishes. Whether dining in an upmarket hotel restaurant or sitting on a stool by a street side vendor, you'll enjoy every morsel.

Bang Tao Beach
Offers some of the best local and international dining on the island. Within the luxury resort of the Laguna area, is a myriad of choices for dining - little wonder many visitors don't feel the necessity to venture out of this area at all. At the Dusit Laguna Hotel there is lots to choose from, but especially enjoyable is La Trattoria, the sophisticated Italian haute cuisine restaurant with a view of the sweeping lawn, or Ruen Thai, a beautiful Thai-style restaurant on a romantic lagoon. The traditional Thai cuisine is elegantly served in handsome dishes accompanied with carved vegetables. At La Trattoria, the chef recommend you try his homemade pastas and polish off your meal with cold, refreshing gelato made on the premises. Open daily from breakfast.

Kamala Beach
The small community of Kamala hosts some gems of eating-places within a very small area close to the beach. Indeed, there is no better way to enjoy the relaxed calm of Kamala village, than to while away the time at any of the beach side restaurants, savouring the best of local food, sea breezes and scenic views.

Karon Beach
Karon Beach has many eateries to choose from, and whether it's Thai food or a taste of something different, you'll find lots to please here.

Karon Beach Bluefin Tavern is known for it's American food served in a neighborhood bar-style restaurant. And now they've gone big with Tex-Mex! Try their excellent burritos and their special nachos, or the hamburgers that have to be the most delicious and authentic in Phuket. Superb pizza coladas, American-style pizza, sandwiches and more. Open daily 11.30am-late.

Nai Harn
For eating in the Nai Harn area, try Coconut Cafe (next to Phuket Yacht Club) which serves good local food and is popular with expat residents. Don's Cafe in Sayuan village offers one of the islands most extensive menus in a local village style setting. Nok Yung Restaurant serves Thai food in pleasant surroundings and nearby The Wall offers French and Thai cuisine in an Indonesian style open restaurant on stilts. Quarterdeck Restaurant at the Le Royal Meridien Phuket Yacht Club, is where you'll find the true ambiance of a yacht club. White-clothed tables on an open verandah overlook the beautiful bay of Nai Harn. Attentive service. Try the huge dinner buffet, overflowing with gourmet dishes, or the shady outdoor terrace restaurant that makes a lovely spot for lunch and serves lighter specialties during the heat of the day. Both open daily from breakfast.