Raya Restaurant

Décor at Raya Restaurant

Think Sino-Thai with a generous splash of Portuguese colonial thrown in and you'll get the picture. Raya may be old but she has aged gracefully and the zig-zag stairways in the centre of the restaurant are the original ones.

The mosaic-tiled flooring is also original (and impossible to replace these days) as are the '50s-era tea and coffee poster-girl ads and pictures of Thai monarchs. Tulip-shaped wall light shades add to the olde-worlde effect.

Over by the bar, 4 signature-and-message-splattered whiteboards hang and an ancient windup gramophone graces the door area.

The atmosphere at Raya Restaurant

Totally unlike Phuket's other top restaurants, Raya exudes a Sino-Thai atmosphere with no hint whatsoever of tourist-related compromise.

Locals make up the majority of the clientele. With sotto voce Thai ballads and lots of tinkling piano and florid orchestral arrangements, together with brighter-than-normal lighting (but thankfully no neon) and a no-nonsense attitude, no one can claim that Raya is a romantic hotspot – at least in the western sense. But if good food in a retro-Asian atmosphere is your thing, Raya will do it for you.

Food and drink at Raya Restaurant

The owner, Khun Kulab, is a keen restaurateur and is in great demand, with orders coming in even from as far away as Bangkok. She has trained several prominent Thai-food chefs on the island and her signature dishes include a sensational crabmeat curry served with rice vermicelli, caramelised and braised pork belly, spicy Phuket prawns, deep-fried sea bass with shallots and red chillies in tamarind and lemongrass sauce.

The crabmeat curry is especially noteworthy as the chunks of flesh are enormous – reputed to be the largest on the island. Phuket prawns pack a spicy punch while the braised pork is sinfully sweet and juicy.

The menu has an 8-label list featuring 2 French, 1 Chilean and 5 Australian wines with none over about 850 baht. Beer is also available and pairs well with Thai food.