Dreaming of Phuket

As we await the passing of the Typhoon 10, I can only long for the sun, sea and seafood filled days of Phuket. All three of my loves in one place, Phuket is simply paradise. Renowned for its fresh seafood, Phuket has much to offer. Ranging from local seafood markets to seafood shacks along the beach to fine dining seafood restaurants. We tried a mix of them all and loved each and every one of them.

One of our favourites was the local seafood market in Rawai where you can select live seafood straight from the tanks and walk it over to any nearby restaurant to choose your favourite style of cooking. We opted for Mook Manee restaurant as they had casual oceanfront seating with views of the pier.

We opted for a selection of lobster and clams, which then transformed into the tasty Peppercorn Lobster and Thai Basil stir fried clam dishes. We would have chosen more though luckily only made it to the seafood market just before closing.

All of these tasty seafood dishes were washed down with a nice cold beer.

There are many seafood shacks along the beach in Phuket. We went to Jasmine Seafood near our hotel along Nai Harn beach and it was indeed a tasty option.

The giant Andaman garlic prawns were certainly a must try along with the grilled fish and stir fried morning glory. A great casual spot on the beach to taste same local seafood flavours.

And lastly, for some seafood fine dining, we tried 'Samut' by Chef Thitid “Ton” Tassanakajohn, the renowned Executive Chef & Owner of Michelin-starred and Asia's top 50 restaurants Le Du, Baan, Nusara, Mayrai and more.

'Samut' means 'Ocean' in Thai and offers modern Thai cuisine focusing on local seafood prepared with local ingredients and spices. Samut aims to offer a new type of dining in Phuket which combines all the ingredients from local coastal seas of Thailand over a multi-course tasting menu.

First we started with a few amuse bouches; Hoy Mak - Thai Babylon snail with homemade red curry, Jakkajan Talay - Sea crab with Okra leaf emulsion and mushroom powder, and the Nasi Dagang - Seasonal fish with fish mousse, rice and pickled daikon.

Hoy Mak - Thai Babylon Snail

Jakkajan Talay - Sea crab with Okra leaf emulsion and mushroom powder

Nasi Dagang - Seasonal fish with fish mousse, rice and pickled daikon

The next dish was an interesting one, Khao Yum which a southern fermented fish with dried fish, local salad and ginger torch flowers.

Ginger Torch Flower

Khao Yum - Southern fermented fish with dried fish, local salad and ginger torch flowers

A set of seven small bites were served together next. The most interesting dish was The Pla Duke Talay, whereby the key ingredient is the pickled catfish roe. The concept was similar to how Bottarga is made and also had similar umami characteristics.

Gaeng Som - Palm Heart, Pickled Papaya and Homemade Roti

Pia Duke Talay - Coral Catfish, Pickled catfish roe, Green mango, Caramelised shallot

If you are a tiger prawn lover, the next dish is for you. Goong Lai Seur is emulsified with every element of the tiger prawn from it crispy prawn chin to the prawn bisque and oil. The crispy prawn chin was thin and delicate and fried to perfection. Absolutely delicious.

Goong Lai Seur - Tiger Prawn, Crispy Prawn Chin, Prawn Bisque, Prawn Fat Crumble and Prawn Oil

Crispy Prawn Chin

The scallop was tender and sweet and nicely accompanied by the tueng mun broth. It was a little spicier than I had expected but still rather tasty.

Hoi Shell - Andaman Scallop with scallop powder, tueng mun broth, homemade chili paste and tomato tuile

The next three seafood dishes were innovative in flavour and creatively presented; Hoi Nang Rom (Surat Thani Oyster), Goong Mang Korn (Phuket Lobster), and Pla Muek (Squid).

Hoi Nang Rom - Surat Thani Oyster with Fermented Chili Sauce, Taro puree and Bean Sprouts

Goong Mang Korn - Phuket Lobster with fermented nypa palm dressing, sea grape, tomato and kale powder

Pla Muek - Squid with deep fried squid egg, cured squid egg in squid ink sauce and gooseberry

And just when we thought we were done with the savoury dishes, another four bites were presented together for us to enjoy. Pla Ching Chang, Poo Ma, Hoi Jorb and a beautiful seasonal line caught fish.

Poo Ma - Blue Crab with Kua Kling espuma and crumble, Stink bean emulsion and white turmeric

Shio Koji marinated seasonal fish with crispy fish, pickled ginger, soy bean paste soup

Pla Ching Chang - Shrimp Paste relish with Crispy Thai anchovy, Pickled bengal currant and local vegetables

And finally after many many savoury bites we made it to the dessert and the petit fours. Sarai Phom Nang is a seasonal dessert with an interesting combination of flavours with hair seaweed, smoked coconut ice cream, crispy rice and duck yolk sauce.

Sarai Phom Nang

Petit Fours

An absolutely wonderful tasting menu at Samut showcasing the freshness of the seafood in the local areas.

There are many many choices for seafood in Phuket ranging from the beachfront shacks, the Rawai seafood market or fine dining at Samut. You can easily spend time exploring this beautiful region whilst also satisfying your seafood cravings.

LOCATIONS

Mook Manee at Rawai Seafood Market
1120 Wiset Rd, Rawai, Mueang Phuket District,
Phuket 83100, Thailand
+66 81 719 4880

Jasmine Seafood at Nai Harn Beach
ถนน วิเศษ Rawai, Mueang Phuket District,
Phuket 83100, Thailand
+66 80 525 3357

Samut
4 120, Rawai, Mueang Phuket District,
Phuket 83100, Thailand

Advanced reservations are recommended. Reservations can be made online, via email or by phone at +061 162 5269.

MOST RECENT VISIT

December 2022