Dining in Phuket, Thailand. Don’t Miss Out on the Best Phuket Has to Offer

Thailand is a culinary treat, it's famous for its delicious and spicy menu. Dishes typically use lemongrass, coriander, garlic, chili and lime juice to flavor their meals.

Seafood lovers will feel that they have arrived in paradise, rock lobsters, squid, large prawns, oysters, muscles, fresh crabs and fish are available in Phuket. Thai Pork is tender, tasty, and juicy, often better than the chicken that can sometimes be overcooked, and you should order imported steak unless you need to exercise your jaw.

Eating out in Phuket is a pleasure, and relatively inexpensive. There are some charming garden-style restaurants such as Nok & Jo's, and of course those that cater for you on the beach front enjoying the view of the Andaman Sea. Most restaurants in Phuket offer International cuisine which consists of a Thai menu and a western style menu; plenty of pastas, pizzas, BBQ's, Tex-Mex, hamburgers and sandwiches. There are also some fusion style restaurants serving dishes from all around Asia including Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, and India.

Thai waiters are happy to play and entertain your children so that you can enjoy your food peacefully. Thai people are smiley and friendly, often supplying mosquito coils and happy to explain or even show you various Thai dishes that you may be unfamiliar with.

There are a number of bakeries, delis and cafe's on the island serving fresh bread and pastries. Paula's Cafe Retro, Surin, lets you start the day with Eggs Benedict and smoked salmon, or a breakfast burrito and good coffee. They also have an interesting lunch menu and specials board.

If you prefer fine dining, this is usually found in a high-class air-conditioned restaurant, and there are many good chefs in Phuket. You could try Weaves, part of ManaThai hotel which has a stunning interior, beautiful flower arrangements, and interesting articles from around Thailand. This restaurant has character, history, and friendly, attentive staff. Wines from around the world are available in these types of restaurants, but do expect to pay a premium because of import duties.

If you would like to try some gourmet Western cuisine try Les Anges run by chef Peter Webber. It is a café, deli, bakery (with the most divine cakes, pastries and home-made chocolates on Phuket,). It is also a restaurant and bar. It can be found on the East Coast of Phuket at the Royal Phuket Marina along with Limoncello, a fine Italian restaurant and Skippers bar and restaurant.

If there is one thing that the Thai's adore it's rice. Local Thai people will eat rice three times a day and it forms the basis of most meals. The best type of rice in Phuket is the Jasmine rice, grown only in Thailand; you could try red, purple or even black rice. There are also rice noodles, and egg-noodles in various sizes.

'Phad Thai' is Thailand's signature dish, noodles fried with garlic, small pieces of tofu, egg, and either shrimps or chicken, sprinkled with peanuts, and maybe some chill-powder and lemon on the side. This is a great lunch time dish, and popular with children as it closely resembles pasta.

There are some other great dishes that you must try whilst you are in Phuket, such as 'Tom Yam Kung' spicy sour prawn soup, or red, yellow, and green Thai curries made with coconut milk, spicy salads, and minced chicken fried with basil are all delicious. You could try Lemongrass Restaurant, on Suirn beach road, which serves good Thai food.

Fresh fruits and ice-creams form the basis of most Thai desserts, look out for 'Dragon Fruit' named because of it's amazing pink and green colour, or the juicy mangos which are often served with sweet sticky rice.

Whatever you choice, from 'Phad Thai' noodles to Italian pizza the tropical island of Phuket offers great food for everyone at a range of prices, there are many restaurants to choose from. We hope that you enjoy your stay in beautiful Thailand.

For more information on shopping, restaurants and things to do in Phuket, Thailand see our websites:
Phuket Vacation Apartments and Royal Phuket Marina Apartments



Freelance writer

A Simply Irresistible Wine to Pair With Three Food & Wine Magazine Hits - Delicious!

By Suzanne De Cornelia
Remember the hit song Simply Irresistible? It's one of those songs that you experience and don't forget. A fine Voignier has the same effect.

The Voignier (vee-ohn-yay) grape goes back to ancient Roman times. With ideal conditions and artful winemaking it produces a golden, rich, silky wine with floral and fruit aromas. Honeysuckle, honey, pear and peach are typical.

For centuries, the Rhone Valley Voigniers from southern France set the standard. But that changed in the 1990s as vineyards in California's Central Coast started producing and then exceeded the once unattainable French standard.

Next time instead of reaching for a Chardonnay, try a Voignier paired with spicy Thai, Vietnamese, shellfish, sushi or bold cheese instead. Here are three quick and delicious Food and Wine staff and reader favorites; a suggested Voignier follows.

Four Cheese Panini:

1/2 cup shredded fresh mozzarella cheese (3 ounces)
1/2 cup shredded fontina cheese (4 ounces)
1/4 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese (1 ounce)
1/2 cup shredded provolone cheese (3 ounces)

4 ciabatta rolls, halved lengthwise, or 8 slices firm white sandwich bread

8 arugula leaves

Directions:

In a small bowl, combine the cheeses. Spread the cheese on the bottoms of the ciabatta rolls, top with 2 arugula leaves and close the panini.

Set a large cast-iron skillet or griddle over moderately high heat. Arrange the panini in the skillet and weight them down with a smaller pan. Cook the panini until the outside is crisp and the cheese is melted, 3 minutes per side. Cut the panini in half and serve at once.

Delicious Spicy Thai Shrimp and Basil with Jasmine Rice:

This is quick, healthy and easy to prepare.

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon white peppercorns
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons coarsely chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 or 2 fresh Thai or serrano chiles, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated lime zest
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 pound medium or large shrimp, shelled and deveined
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 cup holy basil leaves, or 1/2 cup torn Italian basil leaves plus 1/2 cup torn mint leaves

Directions:

1. In a small dry skillet, toast the peppercorns over moderate heat just until fragrant, about 1 minute. Transfer to a mortar and coarsely crush. Add the garlic, cilantro, ginger, chiles, lime zest and salt and pound to a coarse paste.

2. Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the paste and stir-fry over high heat for 30 seconds. Add the shrimp and stir-fry until opaque throughout, about 2 minutes. Stir in the soy sauce. Transfer to a bowl, add the basil and serve with steamed jasmine rice.

Grilled Mango Chicken Skewers with Red-Curry Peanut Glaze:

Have friends over for a Netflex movie night and wow them with this tasty pre-film grilled meal.

Ingredients:

1 large mango, peeled and cut into 2-inch squares, about 1/4 inch thick
1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs cut into 1-inch pieces
1 1/2 cups Red Curry-Peanut Sauce [recipe below]
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Vegetable oil, for brushing
Lime wedges, for serving

Directions:

Light a grill. In a bowl, toss the mango with the chicken and 3 tablespoons of the peanut sauce and season lightly with salt and pepper. Loosely thread the mango and chicken onto 8 skewers, alternating the pieces. Brush the skewers with oil and grill over high heat, turning occasionally, until the chicken is lightly charred in spots and nearly cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. Brush 2 tablespoons of the peanut sauce on the skewers and grill, turning, until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. If the sauce becomes too thick to brush, thin it slightly with water. Serve the chicken-and-mango skewers with lime wedges and pass the remaining peanut sauce at the table.

Red-Curry Peanut Sauce:

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon peanut oil
1 shallot, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon Thai red curry paste
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
6 tablespoons unsweetened peanut butter
3/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk
2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon Asian fish sauce

Directions:

You can make this sauce ahead and refrigerate it for up to 1 week.
Serve it with grilled beef, chicken, spareribs, shrimp or pork or with crudités for dipping, or mix it into rice noodles or stir-fries:

In a medium saucepan, heat the peanut oil. Add the shallot and garlic and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the curry paste and whisk for 1 minute. Add the brown sugar and cook until melted. Whisk in the peanut butter, then slowly whisk in the coconut milk. Simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the lime juice and fish sauce. Serve warm or at room temperature.
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Wine suggestion: From the Signature Series of the Gold Medal winning Tamayo Family Vineyards, Serve the luscious and fruity Bailey 2008 Viognier. Named for the Tamayo's granddaughter, they hope it will become your family's 'darling' too. Click on: http://tamayofamilyvineyards.com/tamayo/index.jsp

Bon appetit!
(C) 2008-2012-Suzanne de Cornelia. All worldwide rights apply. This article may be reprinted on websites as long as the entire article, including website link and resource box below are included and unchanged. Suzanne is a freelance writer and Web 2.0 expert. Her novel "French Heart" will be released in Summer 2009.Contact Suzanne on Facebook or on her site: http://web.mac.com/myfrenchheart

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Suzanne_De_Cornelia

ORIGINAL RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS: Formulation and evaluation of supplementary foods for Thai pregnant women

K Tontisirin, U Booranasubkajorn, A Hongsumarn and D Thewtong

To improve maternal nutritional status and to ameliorate protein-energy malnutrition in pregnant women and infants, supplementary foods for rural pregnant women were formulated and evaluated. Six formulas with protein and energy contents of 16-22 g and 350-500 kcal/100 g food, respectively, were developed from locally available raw materials. A field evaluation of formulas I and V was conducted at the regional MCH Center at Rajchaburi, about 120 km from Bangkok. Formulas providing 13 g protein and 350 kcal per day were given to two groups of mothers in the first or second pregnancy, starting at 28 +/- 2 wk of gestation. A third group, unsupplemented, served as controls. Maternal weight gain and left mid-arm circumference were measured every 2 wk. Birth weight, length, head and chest circumferences of newborns, and placental weight were significantly higher in both supplemented groups. These findings suggest that among undernourished mothers, supplementation of as little as 13 g protein and 350 kcal daily during the last trimester can significantly improve maternal weight gain and birth weight of newborns.

China Vacations Information - Thai Restaurants In Beijing

This article is about the China vacations and Beijing travel. You can find some useful information in it if you are planning your Beijing travel now.

The Thai food is lots of people's favourite food and you can find many good Thai restaurants in Beijing. If you are not very familiar with the menus in Thai restaurants, you can try the house specails. They are the dishes recommended by the Thai chef and you will not be disappointed with them.

1. Red Basil Thai Restaurant:
Address: 8 Xinyuanli Nanxiaojiejia Street, Beijing.
How to get here: Take the Line 403, 302 or 300 city bus to the station named "Niuwangmiao".
Capacity: 100 people.
House specials: Thai fried prawn cutlets (60 rmb), Thai hot and sour soup (40 rmb), Thai fried fish cutlets (60 rmb), Thai ginger flavor chicken soup ( 40 rmb ).
Some comments: One of my friends said that the Red Basil Thai Restaurant is the best Thai restaurant in Beijing. In my point of view, this restaurant is not a bad choice for a Thai food fan but it is a little bit expensive. This restaurant has been in good business for a long time now. It is close to the Nanyin Mansion and Yansha Mansion. The good location helps it to attracts more and more customers.

2. Water Lily (Hehua) Thai Restaurant:
Address: Guomao Center West SB124A, Beijing.
Tel: 65055386.
Capacity: 50 people.
House specials: Curry dishes (48 rmb), Thai hot and sour shrimp soup (66 rmb).
Some comments: You can find the native Thai food here and the delivery service is also available here (with reasonable price).

3. Saigon Inn:
Address: Gloria Plaza Hotel, Chaoyang districe, Beijing.
Capacity: 108 people.
House specials: Red Lion-head with Single Narial Bouquet (48 rmb), The peacock spreads its tail feathers (298 rmb), Sixiwanzi (98 rmb).

4. Asian Star Restaurant:
Address: 26 Dongsanhuanbeilu Street, Chaoyang district, Beijing.
Capacity: 150 people.
House specials: Kashao Tofu (28 rmb), Indian Ka Chicken (35 rmb), Masalaka (35 rmb). ( more info about the China vacations, Beijing flights and Lhasa travel at Travel2ChinaInfo Dot COM )

5. Panqumei Thai Restaurant (South-east Asian Dishes, sea food):
Address: 25 Xiaoyunlu Street, Chaoyang District, Beijing.
How to get here: Take the Line 300 city bus to the station named "Jingxin Mansion".
Capacity: 40 - 50 people.

6. Changtaiyuan Thai Restaurant (South-east Asian Dishes):
Address: 8 Fangzhuanglu Street, Fengtai District, Beijing.
How to get here: Take the Line 63, 12, 112, 52 to the station named "Fangzhuang".
Capacity: 120 people.
House specials: Curry Chicken (30 rmb for the small dish and 40 rmb for the big dish), Xianglanye Fried Chicken (38 - 48 rmb), Hot and sour shrimp soup (68 - 88 rmb), Thaizhishadie (39 - 45 rmb).
Comments: The food here is the native Thai food and all the spices are from Thailand. The chef here is one of the top 10 Thai food chefs in Thailand. This place is your good choice if you wanna have some real Thai food in Beijing. ( Useful info for your China vacations if you are a Thai food fan. :-) )

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About the author: Shane Lee. Copyright belongs to Lhasa travel, Beijing flights and China vacations . Source of this article: China vacations,Beijing Thai food . You can also find china vacations attractions (shaolin monks and kung fu) at: China vacations attractions.