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Phuket Pineapple Fried Rice

Open daily 6-10pm

Most people associate southern Thailand with the idyllic beaches of Phuket, Krabi and Koh Samui but few people know that just a couple of hundred miles south of the popular tourist destinations empty beaches, authentic night markets, and quaint fishing towns await.

A good place to start your journey is in Trang, some 100km south of Krabi. Trang is perhaps best known as a transit hub on the way to nearby islands which is a shame because the town itself actually offers plenty of culture, charming coffee shops and, a short ride away, long stretches of empty beaches. A large portion of Trang’s population is made up of the descendents of Chinese immigrants who came to Thailand in the 18th century and all around town you will see traces of this cultural legacy; a dim sum restaurant here, a traditional Chinese medicine shop there. Traditional Chinese coffee shops, or raan kopi as they are known locally, are great places to soak in the local culture and Yu Chiang is an especially atmospheric example. The place is owned by a family of Chinese descent and locals sit around marble-topped tables with hot cups of tea or kafae boran, strongly roasted robusta coffee which is sweetened with condensed milk.

West of Trang town you’ll find Pak Meng Beach, which is a long stretch of practically untouched strand. Unlike many of the beaches in popular tourist destinations like Phuket and Samui, Pak Meng beach is almost deserted. Bar a few shacks along the beach road selling freshly caught seafood and colourful sarongs, you are likely to have the whole place to yourself. Renting a tuk tuk from Trang to Pak Meng is easy and affordable.

From Trang, head southeast to southern Thailand’s largest city, Hat Yai. Like Trang, Hat Yai most commonly finds itself on travellers’ itineraries as a transit to nearby locations but for those willing to spend a few days there, the town has excellent southern food and a great night market.

Ingredients

• 120 gm red snapper
• 30 gm onions
• 10 gm sliced chili
• 3 gm kaffir lime leaves
• 40 gm vegetable oil
• 20 gm fish sauce
• 80 gm fresh milk
• 50 gm corn flour
• 50 gm mushrooms
• 20 gm lemon grass
• 10 gm galangal
• 2 gm coriander root
• 50 gm seasoned chili
• 20 gm lemon
• 2 gm coriander
• palm oil

Method: Coat the whole red snapper with cornflour and fry in a skillet with palm oil.

Take prepared vegetable oil, onions, lemon grass, galangal, coriander root, kaffir lime leaves and chili and mix together into a pot. Set on low heat and let the mix simmer.

Put seasoned chili, mushrooms, fresh milk, fish sauce, and lemon sauce into the simmering pot and mix all ingredients together.

When the red snapper is fully cooked, place the fish on a serving plate. Take the sauce mix and slowly it pour over the red snapper.

Avocado / Tomato / Pickled Onion / Avruga / Tendrils

Open daily from 6-10.30pm

Many of Phuket’s hotels and restaurants offer classes in Thai cooking, where you can learn directly from professional chefs.
If you love Thai food and want to learn how it’s done, it’s worth taking a day or two of your holiday to attend a Thai cooking class.
Two of the more notable offerings are at the Boathouse Wine & Grill in Kata Beach and the Blue Elephant Governor Mansion in Phuket City.