Raya Restaurant

Raya occupies a roughly 100-year-old Sino-Portuguese mansion on Dibuk Road, in the heart of Phuket Old Town. The menu sticks to traditional Phuket and southern Thai dishes, many of them rooted in the island's Peranakan, or Baba, heritage.

Its reputation rests on a yellow crab curry thick with fresh crab meat, eaten with soft rice noodles. The restaurant held a Michelin Bib Gourmand from 2019 to 2024 but no longer appears in the guide. The dining rooms keep their old tiles, wooden shutters and family photos, and most of them rely on fans rather than air conditioning.

What to order

• Gaeng poo with sen mee: yellow crab curry over fresh rice noodles, the house signature
• Moo hong: Phuket-style pork belly braised slowly in soy and black pepper
• Pak miang: local greens stir-fried with egg
• Nam prik goong siap: smoked shrimp chilli dip with fresh vegetables

Good to know

• Lunch is usually fine without a booking, but call ahead for dinner, especially at weekends.
• Ask for an upstairs table if you want a cooler, breezier room.
• Dishes are made for sharing, so come as a group and order several plates.