Rawai Fish Market & Restaurant. Phuket, Thailand.
Good day Steemers!
On a recent trip to Phuket, Thailand I decided to get a little of the beaten track and head to the famous fish market in Rawai.
Although it's billed as a "famous" market, it's definitely more well known and more highly regarded by the locals and Thai's visiting from other provinces. Having said that, it is a wonderful experience.
The basic layout is a little different to what we are used to in the west. On one side of the narrow road, just big enough to fit the many fresh seafood carts, are the restaurants. On the other, you can find the the beach, the sea and the pier. This is where the local fishermen are continuously catching the fresh produce and passing it almost immediately to their family, who are patiently waiting in bamboo style beach-side huts with enormous containers filled with ice, ready to sell. Although there is a general price laid out on price boards, all the produce is priced on weight and can be bartered for depending on the amount you want.
There are a number of beautifully decked out restaurants, but unusually they don’t stock any of their own seafood. Instead, they take your recently purchased raw produce and cook it to order in front of you using the local herbs, spices and a pinch of Thai culinary mastery! The restaurants pride themselves on being able to cook the dishes to the individual tastes of each customer, providing you with flavour and style options but no strict recipes. The options are almost limitless with boiling, grilling, frying or even barbecuing part of the service.
I was feeling in a king prawn kind of a mood, so after a few minutes of uncomfortable bartering, I picked up a kilo of fresh ones at a reasonable price and took them to one of the many restaurants to be cooked. The waitress came over, poured me a cold glass of Thailand’s finest beers and handed me the menu.
“How would you like them cooked, sir”, she said as I handed over my seafood. “BBQ style!” I replied, with a big grin running from ear to ear. I was facing another afternoon in paradise, sitting by the beach watching the world go by, eating fresh seafood and washing it all down with a icy cold beverage.
I don't come to Phuket very often but I'm going to make sure I return at some point in 2018, if only to get my hands on another batch of these king prawns. I'll have to make a conscious effort to save room for the crab too.
If you like yourself a bit of seafood and you are in the area, this place is unreal!
Cheers!
Phil (@stansolo)