Tuesday, September 9, 2014

Where you can find Dim Sum in Phuket?


There is a history of the Chinese in Phuket and subsequently there was a growth of the small, usually family owned and run restaurants. This is our selection.

To experience the best Dim Sum you must get up early because the better the dim sum is the quicker it runs out!




This restaurant is currently run by the 4th generation of an original Chinese family. The first restaurant is on Bangkok Road and is still very popular – try the steamed stuffed buns  (or salapao) here. Boonrat proved to be so popular that are now actually 2 more branches; Tilok-U-Thit 2 Road and opposite Dowroongwittaya School on Chao Fa East Road.



This restaurant is a little different because if you arrive with people who would like to eat local Thai food then there is that option. This is a wonderful place to visit and please do not be put off by the steel table and the noise. Here just choose a large tray with a selection of dishes and have a bite of each different thing!




This is certainly one to visit early in the morning – I hear that Tim stops here before he plays a round of golf. Here you must request to have a pot of fresh Chinese Tea as it is bursting with flavour. Then you must try the deep fried fish balls.


There is a very big selection of the Dim Sum here but you must try the dim sum that is stuffed with fresh shrimp. I am told that if you arrive early enough you are able to watch the chef roll them – fascinating.


Somjai Dim Sum  


This is a small restaurant that is near to the Bus Station in Phuket Town. Here is the one of the few Dim Sum restaurants that is open in the evening – until 11pm. The steamed stuffed buns are wonderful and available with 8 different fillings.


Laan Dim Sum


This is a small restaurant that is relatively new in Phuket, it was established in 1999. The dishes here are many but one that you must try is the chicken feet served with a spicy sauce (I was not sure to begin with but only for the adventurous). There is also a traditional Thai noodle station for those who would like Thai food as well.

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For many of the travellers to Thailand this is not an exhaustive list to the plethora of Dim Sum Restaurants in Phuket but if you just want to have a try you do not need to leave early because there are steamed stuffed buns and Dim Sum served at the International breakfast at Cape Panwa Hotel.

              


View Dim Sum restaurants in Phuket in a larger map

Monday, September 1, 2014

The Hongsyok Family and the tradition of the BaBa Weddings of Phuket Island


A procession of men and women saunter down the streets of Phuket Town, all dressed in the finest clothing of 19th century Asia; the men clad in white western suites pressed to perfection, the women in immaculate silk dresses embroidered with floral patterns, cranes golden crests that shimmer in the mid day sunlight.  The procession, an annual parade known as the BaBa Wedding, snakes by, led by a marching band and flanked by spectators also dressed in immaculate suits and dresses.  


The annual parade is a celebration of matrimony by the Chinese community in Phuket, where children walk hand in hand with their parents, as their infectious smiles warm the hearts of all spectators, their free hands throw flower petals and confetti, or grip their favourite tattered stuffed toy.  The serpentine column passes the facade of the Hongsyok House, a residence with history as long and fascinating as the parade that passes by.


The Hongsyok house was built in the 1930’s by Chin Guan, a man of Chinese and Thai heritage.  His was one of six children, born on November 4, 1888.  At the age of 14, Guan’s family sent him to China to learn his father’s mother tongue.  Upon his return he worked in Phuket’s then thriving tin mining industry.  He eventually acquired enough skills and expertise to start his own mining company.  After several setbacks, his ingenuity and perseverance paid off and his mining business eventually amassed great wealth.  As his wealth increased, Guan embarked on several philanthropic endeavours, eventually gaining the attention of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who bestowed the Royal Thai Decoration of companion of the Most Exalted Order of the White Elephant upon Guan in 1953.


Being a man of vision, Chin Guan built a family mansion – The Hongsyok House – to provide a home for all future generations of his family.  The mansion stands to this day, and is still inhabited by members of his family.  

The Hongsyok House serves as the site of the tea ceremony for the annual BaBa Weddings.  
Several newlywed couples sit within the European Colonial-style mansion, underneath the intricate tile mosaics, underneath the grand arch that stands over the entrance to the magnificent structure. 


The ceremony ends with the couples parading in front of revellers in the street, who have waited for the couples to emerge and rejoin the procession which ends at the Thai Hua Museum, a marvellous colonial building housing materials pertaining to the rich history of the tin mining industry in Phuket.


The BaBa Wedding is a beautiful ceremony not to be missed by anyone wanting to witness a view into the traditions of the inhabitants of Phuket.